City of Basketball Love

Joseph Santoliquito (@JSantoliquito)

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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 2025-26 season preview coverage. The complete list of schools previewed thus far can be found here.)

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Samuel Fels will not surprise anyone this season, like the Panthers did last year. For one, Fels’ miracle-worker head coach Mel Lindsey Sr., who is in his third year, knows it. Lindsey has been known to rebuild programs. He previously transformed Lincoln into a Philadelphia Public League contender during his tenure there.

He guided Fels to its first appearance in the Public League championship last season since the founding of the school in 1990. He saw players like first-team all-Public League 6-foot-7, senior forward Izaaz Kornegay develop into a possible Division I college player.

Now is the time, Lindsey feels, for the program to take another step in the direction of five-time defending Public League champion Imhotep Charter.

The pieces are there.

Kornegay is coming off a junior year in which he averaged 18 points and 13 rebounds a game, and a highly productive summer where he proved to be a matchup problem for most teams he faced. He was dominant on the boards, scoring second-chance points. He has taken his game out more, though he returns this season as one of the area’s more dominant post players on offense and defense. He showed an ability to attack the rim in the air and play through contact. He can quickly catch-and-finish on either side of the basket or close above the rim.

What is amazing is Kornegay has only been playing organized basketball for three years now.

Over the summer, he received attention from Bowie State, West Virginia Wesleyan, Mansfield, and Millersville.

It is a list that should grow, as Kornegay’s game grows.

“Izaaz can do so much more, because he is far from a finished product,” Lindsey said. “How many players can chase down someone and get called for goaltending in a summer showcase? As soon as Izaaz begins to realize how good he could be, when he gets that high motor, watch out. He is going to be that much more dominant.”

Kornegay will have plenty of help.

Supporting Kornegay will be 6-7 senior forward Jalen Holmes, a transfer from Overbrook, 5-11 senior guard Jah Sabb, 6-foot senior guard Isael Moronta-Mendez, 5-10 senior guard Khalil Hudgins, 6-3 senior guard Makaii Akridge, who transferred in from Dobbins, 6-5 junior forward Kieran Favors and 6-8 junior forward Sylla Abdoulaye.

“This will be about getting the chemistry and cohesiveness down,” Lindsey said. “I want them to get to know each other. All my teams defend, and we are extremely physical. We are going to defend and defend 94 feet, and get you out of your offensive rhythm.

“It’s just about everything coming together. Right now, I have to learn about this group. I have a bunch of puzzle pieces. Each day, I have a different idea. I keep Zaaz out a lot, because I want to see how these guys react. We know what we’re going to get out of Zaaz and Jah.”

This may be one of Lindsey’s deepest teams. He loves numbers. It gives him the flexibility to press, and press longer.

“We should be there in the end,” Lindsey said. “We need work with our mental toughness. Our struggle right now, if there is an Achilles heel, is leadership. Shamar Parker (Chesapeake College) is gone. Emerson Suarez graduated. He’s gone. Izaaz needs to be more vocal. We are nowhere near what we are going to be. I have to keep pushing this team to reach its roof, and that means that I have to keep pushing. I do believe this team is good enough to win a state title.”

This summer, Kornegay showed athleticism, and strength around the basket. There were moments when he was spectacular, as Lindsey pointed out, coming from nowhere to block a shot against the glass.

Kornegay’s problem, which Lindsey gets on him about, is taking plays off.

And Kornegay knows it.

“That’s on me, I take myself out of games, and it’s something I will correct,” vowed Kornegay, who carries a 3.0 GPA. “I extended my jump shot. I’m not afraid to push the ball. But, I’ll admit, my attitude needs to be better.

“Coach Mel lets me know that I am my own worst enemy. I keep myself down too much. That will change this year, and I realize the only one who will change it is me.”

Sabb feels the summer helped by sharpening and speeding up the team’s cohesiveness. Defensively, the Panthers will put on pressure, and knowing Kornegay has their backs, they will be able to take risks, and try and jump passes.

“We have the team and the talent to be playing in March, I feel that good about this team,” Sabb said. “I like our depth. We’ll be able to speed teams up with our pressure.”

Sabb stressed this Fels team underwent a mental overhaul after last season. What Lindsey had been preaching was sinking in.

Sabb also put it out there that this season Fels can win it all.

“Our defense will win us games,” he said. “I can see us beating Imhotep in the Pub ship, beating whoever we will have to face in the District 12 championship, and going all the way to states. The only team that can really beat us is us. We will need to stick together, and keep all the outside noise outside.”

Moronta-Mendez was there last year at La Salle University, when Fels faced Imhotep Charter in the Public League championship. He knows the sting of not reaching expectations, having a league title in your hands, and then seeing it snatched away. He knows what it is like to walk off a basketball court with tears in your eyes.

Fels led for a portion of the Public League championship, before La Salle-bound guard RJ Smith, who transferred to Roman Catholic, took over.  

“I know that none of us want to go through that again,” Moronta-Mendez said. “This is a motivated team. We believe we can do it. We’re going for everything. We’re not settling for just the ‘Pub’ title. We are a whole different team that will be coming for everyone this year.”

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Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter based in the Philadelphia area who began writing for CoBL in 2021 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on BlueSky here.