City of Basketball Love

Jared Leveson (@jared_leveson)
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In the waning seconds of overtime, the score knotted up at 58, and with his back to the basket, Thomas Sorber received a pass from Rocco Morabito at the top of the key.

The 6-foot-9 Archbishop Ryan junior pivoted and faced the hoop and let one fly.

Bang.

Sorber waved goodbye to the Patrick School (N.J.) bench as the buzzer blared, teammates leaping on his back. Students stormed the court, chasing the center and his teammates nearly outside the gym’s front door. 

Everyone there knew the big body was getting the ball. At that juncture, there are no plays or sets to run. It's to get the ball to your best player and have them make a play. 

“The ball was in my hands,” Sorber said in his Kelly green Eagles t-shirt post-game, his jersey soaked through from the locker room celebration. “The clock was ticking down. I had no other choice but to shoot it.” 

Not a bad way to start the season. 

In the back-and-forth, iron sharpening iron season opener, Sorber wasn’t the only one on Archbishop Ryan to hit a big three in overtime. Sorber’s game-winner that pushed Ryan over the Patrick School, 61-58 wouldn’t have happened if another junior, Christian Durham, didn’t bury a three from the weak side corner to tie the game at 58 on the previous possession. The clutch shots made by two members of Ryan’s talented and deep junior class were the difference in their season opening victory. 

“That's what you want,” Ryan head coach Joe Zeglinski said after their overtime win. “We wanna play that type of competition to get ready for the PCL.” 

“You can't ask for much more in the first game of the season. Guys stepped up, made big plays off the bench. Christian Durham made a huge three. And our other guy, Thomas, ended it. So, I’m really excited for these guys and I think we’re just getting started.” 

High school basketball is fun in that the games’ two biggest plays were made by players who had two completely opposite performances. 

Sorber, a Division I prospect who is speaking with coaches from Big Ten and ACC programs, dominated the Patrick School from the jump, offensively and defensively. The junior hit shots from the post, off the dribble, from the foul line, and from beyond the arc. He recorded a 27-point, 13-rebound double-double. He also added seven blocks and three assists. 

On the other hand, Durham’s night was more than quiet. He didn’t register a stat until he tied the game. The transfer from small-town Clayton High School (N.J.) came off the bench initially, but found himself playing critical minutes in overtime because teammate Darren Williams (10 pts, four rebounds, three steals) fouled out late in the fourth quarter. 

“We wanted to get the ball moving and try to get this defense having long closeouts,” Zeglinski said, replaying the moment in his head. “I know they were helping the strong side with Thomas so we had to get a reversal. We wanted to throw it into Thomas. We knew a double was coming and we always have that weak side wing available for a shot. Ryan Everett made a great extra pass to Christian and he made a big shot for us.” 

“I hit it for my teammates,” Durham said after a congratulatory slap on the back from Sorber. “It shows my coaches trust me. Everybody gets a chance, and I just got to take it. I got the opportunity.” 

Durham’s transition to his new school and team has been relatively seamless. Zeglinski’s system has a learning curve that Durham is slowly mastering. His head coach has all the confidence that the guard, who’s garnering some interest from Ivy League programs, will learn the system and play at a faster pace. But delivering in the clutch may have expedited the transfer’s upward trajectory. 

“Christian is a great kid,” the Archbishop Ryan alumnus turned head coach said. “He’s getting it, and I think as the season goes on he’s going to play more.” 

“Coach Joe has been very welcoming,” Durham added. “He told me he was gonna treat me well, and coach me hard, and it's been nothing but that the last three, four months. I love it here. My teammates love me. I love my teammates. It’s been a great experience.”

Sorber is one of the big reasons why Durham has felt so welcome at his new school and has gelled quickly with his new teammates. 

When you’re the team’s biggest and most visible player, your influence on the others is great. The big man is the Raiders’ catalyst. His play and energy sets the tone for the team on and off the court. 

“That's my guy!” Durham said with a laugh. “I got nothing but love for Thomas.” 

“[He] has always been very welcoming since the first time I stepped in the gym. I’ve known him for a little bit, but we’ve become very close over the summer and over the fall.” 

The transition for kids like Durham and Morabito (three pts), a junior guard who came in from Shipley, is challenging. Adjusting to new classes, schedules, and offensive and defensive play-styles is made a lot easier when they are around someone that possesses qualities like Sorber. 

But it wasn’t always this way; Sorber is a junior and has matured since his sophomore season, his first after coming in from Trenton Catholic (N.J.). With the guidance of Zeglinski, he recognized that his demeanor is influential and infectious. 

“We talked to him early on, even last season in the fall, spring, and summer.” Zeglinski said. 

“I gotta let you know the guys are gonna feed off your energy,” he told Sorber. “So, if you don't get a few touches and your heads down, that's what they’ll feed off.”

Their conversations have paid off. Sorber has grown into a strong leader for Zeglinski’s squad. 

“He lifts everyone up in the huddle, on the floor, he’s encouraging guys. He’s not upset when he’s not touching the ball. He’s a very unselfish kid and that’s what makes him a little extra special.” 

After scoring a dramatic game winner to defeat one of the east coast’s best high school programs, Sorber could have propped himself up, but he was grateful for his teammates and their collective effort. 

“As a team we all love each other,” Sorber said with a huge grin. “I'm in love with this team.”  

By Quarter

The Patrick School:  14 |  7  |  19  |  13  | 5 ||  58

Archbishop Ryan:   13  |  10  |  15 |  15 | 8  ||  61

Scoring 

The Patrick School: Alozie 18, Lee, 13, Glover 9, Satterfield 6, Kaba 5, Zongo 4, Fawaz 2, Coleman 2

Archbishop Ryan: Sorber 27, Williams 10, Paris 10, Everett 6, Durham 3, Morabito 3, Murray 2