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Catholic League: Boys Semifinal Standouts (Feb. 21, 2024)

02/22/2024, 10:00am EST

By Chad Graham

By Chad Graham (@CGraham_Sports)
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The Catholic League boys’ semifinals took over the Palestra last night, with Roman Catholic and Archbishop Ryan picking up wins to set up a big-time clash next Monday night.

Here’s who stood out Wednesday night:

Kabe Goss (above) dished out six assists as the leader of Roman's defense. (Photo: Mark Jordan/CoBL))

Kabe Goss (2024 | Roman Catholic)
Goss was the star that stirred the Cahilite drink. He scored his only points on a pull-up three, but he was also the catalyst behind five Roman players reaching eight points or more. Whether he was knifing into the heart of the defense before kicking it out or spoon-feeding Jackson, Goss made sure everyone got the ball in-position to score, racking up six assists in the process.

Shareef Jackson (2025 | Roman Catholic)
The consensus MVP in the win over Judge, Jackson was dominant. He used his nimble footwork and soft touch inside to turn nearly every paint touch into a game-high 20 points. All he needed was a quick drop-step or dribble to find the perfect angle. Jackson was equally effective as a defender and rebounder. He walled up around the rim for three blocks, while his 12 boards made certain that the Crusaders didn't get many second-chance opportunities.

Larenzo Jerkins (2024 | Neumann-Goretti)
Despite a 4-inch height disadvantage in the post, Jerkins was no slouch. He fought to limit Sorber's paint touches, fronting him early and forcing Ryan's guards to throw the ball overtop. He took it to him on the offensive end too. The West Chester commit drove to the rack and got a few second-chance points. He even knocked down a spot-up three from the top of the key, finishing with 13 points and 7 rebounds of his own.

Kevair Kennedy (2025 | Father Judge)
The Cahilites went on a few runs to put some distance between them and the Crusaders, but Kennedy showed no sign of surrender. The 6-0 guard was unyielding as searched for solutions to Roman’s zone scheme. And he found some answers by barrelling his way to the rim and finishing through contact. In a similar fashion, Kennedy’s bruising style-of-play allowed him to penetrate then find shooters like Rocco Westfield for three. He tallied 6 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and a block.

Thomas Sorber (2024 | Archbishop Ryan)
It was a tale of two halves for the future Georgetown Hoya. Sorber was a one-man wrecking crew on offense in the first half, bullying his way to 7 early points. He also dished out 3 assists in that stretch, one of which came on a corner skip pass for the opposite block. Sorber’s second-half was defense heavy. He vacuum-ceiled 6 rebounds in the final quarter alone. He also sent one shot into the stands and blocked three more. In the end, Sorber turned in 11 points, 15 boards, 5 assists, and 6 blocks to send his Raiders to the PCL title game.

Darren Williams (above) scored all 13 of his points in the second half. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Darren Williams (2024 | Archbishop Ryan)
With just two rebounds and an assist, Williams had a quiet first half. But he responded with a loud third quarter. The FGCU signee immediately called his own number by driving for a lay-up to get on the score sheet. Next it was time to get his jumper off. Williams cashed two huge threes off-the-bounce that put a battery in the back of his team and the Ryan student section. He finished the third with a tough turn-around fadeaway for two. His 10 points in those eight minutes gave the Raiders the momentum they needed to eventually win the game.