City of Basketball Love

By Evan Hartenstein
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The 2025-2026 high school season got underway at Archbishop Ryan on Saturday, with three Philly teams taking on three New York teams in the All City Classic Philly vs. New York showcase. 

Here’s a report of the day:

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Game One: Nazareth (N.Y.) 78, Archbishop Carroll 64 

Behind a standout showing from Justin Delgado and Malick Kamara, Nazareth got off to a hot start and rode it all the way to the finish against Carroll. 

Delgado and Kamara each scored 20 points as the Kingsmen led by 10 points after the first quarter and six at halftime before erupting for 25 points in the third quarter, taking an 18-point edge into the fourth. Carroll wasn’t able to get within 13 the rest of the way. 

Carroll’s main scoring contributors included senior forward Drew Corrao, who scored 24 points; sophomore guard Yasir Turner added 18 and senior guard Nasir Ralls dropped 17. 

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Game Two: Imhotep 70, Jefferson (N.Y.) 67

The most electric of the three games in the All City Classic came in game two, with Imhotep’s win over Jefferson.

Senior guard Jordan Dill and sophomore guard Ian Smith led the way in the scoring column, dropping 16 and 13 respectively, and led Imhotep to an 11-point lead going into half, and 10-point lead into the fourth.

Jefferson crawled back throughout the fourth, and in the final minute alone, the Orange Wave trimmed the deficit to just three. Two free throws in the waning seconds erased what would have been a stunning comeback and Imhotep came out on top.

Jefferson was led by senior guard Richard Jackson Jr. and senior wing Jahda Swann in scoring, with Jackson dropping 20 and Swann putting up 19.

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Game Three: Holy Cross (N.Y.) 63, Archbishop Ryan 53

Led by a dominating effort on the glass by sophomore forward Payton Wilson, Holy Cross grabbed a lead in the second quarter and never looked back.

Wilson was a menace on the offensive boards, with much of his 26 points coming off of second chance opportunities. He helped give the Knights a five-point lead going into the half, and despite a lackluster offense, stifling defense allowed for Holy Cross to hold on for the remainder of the game.

Ryan’s scoring column was filled mostly by senior guard Kaden Brown, who had 16, and senior wing forward Malik Hughes who put up 13.

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Standouts

Drew Corrao (2027 | Archbishop Carroll)
A 6-foot-9 all-around threat, Corrao made his mark at the All City Classic at Archbishop Ryan. While Carroll fell to Nazareth by 14, Corrao refused to give up late in the game. Corrao dissected the defense from both the inside and perimeter, drawing fouls in the paint and hitting three after three. The forward hit 7 of his 8 free throws, as well as 5 three-pointers and finished with 24 points on the day.

Justin Delgado (2026 | Nazareth, N.Y.)
Delgado seemed to have capitalized on just about every opportunity at Archbishop Ryan in the All City Classic. The senior was 9 for 11 from the field and finished with 20 points, almost all coming from inside the paint. The high-flying forward slammed home multiple dunks and put Carroll on high alert to not get posterized when he was penetrating to the rim. His efforts led Nazareth to their 14 point win over Archbishop Carroll.

Richard Jackson Jr. (2026 | Jefferson, N.Y.)
Despite the loss to Imhotep, Jackson Jr.’s scoring ability was on full display in the All City Classic on Saturday. Jackson Jr. had a slow start in the score sheet, with just 3 first half points, but exploded in the second half. The senior dropped 17 points in the second half alone and hit 5 of his 7 shots from the charity stripe. His defense was also showcased on Saturday, as he snatched 3 steals in his game.

Malick Kamara (2028 | Nazareth, N.Y.)
In the first game of the day, Kamara took control early with his 8 points in the first 5 minutes against Carroll. The sophomore gave Nazareth momentum that they carried throughout the entirety of the game. Kamara continued to add to the score sheet through the final 3 quarters, contributing a total of 20 points to Nazareth’s win.

Zaahir Muhammed-Gray (2027 | Imhotep)
The 6-foot-6 forward who missed the majority of last season with an ACL tear made his mark at Archbishop Ryan. In Imhotep’s win against Jefferson (N.Y.), Muhammed-Gray utilized his brute force and athleticism to pick apart the defense. Not only did he force his way to the rack and finish through contact, but Muhammed-Gray also demonstrated his three point shot, knocking down two in the first quarter. Defensively, Muhammed-Gray contained Jefferson with ease, as he finished with three steals and a block.

Jahda Swann (2026 | Jefferson, N.Y.)
The 6-foot-4 Hofstra commit was a shot-making machine at the All City Classic on Saturday. Swann made 7 of his 8 shot attempts in Jefferson’s three point loss to Imhotep, totaling 18 points in the game. He started the game with back-to-back made three pointers and carried the confidence from those shots into the remainder of the game. Swann was able to drive to the rim and score along with his three pointers, and additionally made both of his free throws, showcasing his ability to score from all facets of the game.

Payton Wilson (2028 | Holy Cross, N.Y.)
The 6-foot-7 sophomore was dominating the competition on both sides of the ball on Saturday at the All City Classic. Wilson rejected countless shots that came his way, leading Holy Cross to their 63-53 victory over Ryan and winning MVP. Wilson put up 26 points on the day, mostly coming from putbacks and tough finishes at the rim, but some from the mid-range. He used his stature and length to his advantage and wreaked havoc in the win.

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Honorable Mentions
Jahzir Crawford (2026 | Holy Cross, N.Y.), Malik Hughes (2026 | Archbishop Ryan), AJ Moody (2026 | Nazareth, N.Y.), Nasir Ralls (2026| Archbishop Carroll), Ian Smith (2028 | Imhotep), Yasir Turner (2028 | Archbishop Carroll)