City of Basketball Love

Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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(Ed. Note: This story is part of CoBL’s “Prepping for Preps” series, which will take a look at many of the top high school programs in the region as part of our 2023-24 season preview coverage. The complete list of schools previewed thus far can be found here.)

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It’s been quite a few years since the Owen J. Roberts boys basketball has been able to generate a little buzz.

Third-year coach Ben Condello, a 2014 OJR grad, has had a different feeling about his group this offseason.

“We’ve made one playoff appearance in 15 years, think about that,” Condello said. “And I think this year, I’d like to think we got a shot.”

The Wildcats went 6-16 last season and have gone a combined 18-41 during Condello’s first three seasons at the school. He said there were signs last season of his program getting close to being able to compete. 

In PAC Liberty play, the Wildcats picked up a win over eventual state playoff team Perkiomen and took eventual PAC and District 1-6A runner-up Spring-Ford to overtime.

This offseason OJR has hung tough with teams likes Dobbins Tech and William Penn (Del.). 

”Seeing those things, kind of gives you the idea that if we put it all together we can do some solid things,” Condello said. “Having a mix of all different pieces makes this good, but it all starts with the culture and the leadership. Those things really set the table for everything.”

There’s optimism and all-around commitment that’s been absent in seasons past.

“I’ve never played in a playoff game in my three years that I’ve played so far, so that’s obviously a goal for me,” said Luke Fryer, a senior point guard and four-year starter. “Commitment, hard work and coming to practice everyday ready to go (is what it’s going to take).”

Fryer has been an impact player for OJR since arriving as a scrawny freshman chucking threes from the volleyball line. He averaged 15.4 ppg last season and sits at 686 for his career — capable of reaching the 1,000-point milestone if he can duplicate the success of last season. The Wildcats haven’t had a player reach that milestone since Matt Crider in 2014 — another four-year player.

“This summer’s probably the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life,” Fryer said. “I was in the gym everyday. I think me being more of a better player, better point guard, better passer, less turnovers I think that would be big.”

“I want to kind of just show the younger guys what to do, what not to do. Be a leader by example.”

The 5-10 point guard has a handful of Division-III programs interested in having him at their program. The Wildcats haven’t had a player go to the next level since 2021 grad Brody Bolyn (Penn State-Berks), who was a senior during Fryer’s freshman campaign.

“He really sets the example and shows what to look to be,” junior wing Elijah Cline said. “At practice, he always challenges everybody. He’s always competitive. … He makes you work harder.”

OJR will have to replace the contributions of Tyler Rossi (14.0 ppg) and Jackson Hansford (6.4 ppg) but Cline, a versatile 6-3 wing, is a player primed for a breakout season. Fryer, Cline and 6-2 forward Jack Cashman, who Condello describes as a “winning player” who does a little bit of everything for the team, provide a strong returning core.

“I think the big thing is the guys know me and I know them now,” Condello said. “We’ve built relationships. It all starts with relationships. Without relationships, you can’t accomplish anything good. … My three returning guys, we talk all the time. We’re constantly meeting, talking about what we can do to get better, how we can help the younger guys. Having those relationships, having those tough conversations, but having those meaningful conversations has done a lot for us.”

Younger players like sharpshooting sophomore Danny Walker and junior point guard Ryan Holmburg complement that trio well.

“I’m really excited about that, how the pieces fit,” Condello said. “We’ve got some good athletes, a couple guys who can shoot. I just think it makes it more exciting than what I’ve had with my teams the last couple years. You kind of have a mix of everything.”

Things won’t be easy for the Wildcats.

The PAC Liberty division has sneakily turned into one of the toughest in District 1 in recent history with a representative in the Class 6A championship in three of the last four seasons, including last year’s runner-up Spring-Ford. 

They’ll have to knock off a few of the league’s heavy hitters in order to push for a spot in the league and district playoffs.

“I work out with a lot of the Jacob Nguyen’s of the PAC, so I know what we’re going up against,” Fryer said. “It’s a good league.”

Fryer and Cline both noted ensuring everyone stays involved on offense will be a key factor for the team this season. They’ll be a bit undersized at times but should be able to push the pace.

The key to a successful season will be trust on both ends.

“I feel like this year we’re going to have a strong season,” Cline said. “I feel like we’re going to be able to get above .500. We have a lot of young guys, and we’re kind of small and I think we’re going to be able to run up the court pretty well and get up and down. We have some pretty good defensive guys who can hold it down.”

“I really think that we could do some big things this year.”