City of Basketball Love

By David Comer
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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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After a 2024-25 season that saw Lansdale Catholic win more games (8) than it had in the previous four years combined (7), capture the Ridley Holiday Tournament and qualify for the PIAA Class 3A playoffs, there was still one thing missing. The Crusaders failed to win a Philadelphia Catholic League game for the fourth consecutive season.

So, it is no surprise that sitting atop second-year coach Torre Harrison’s list of goals for this season is securing that first PCL victory for the school since the 2020-21 campaign.

“First and foremost, we’ve got to win that first Catholic League game,” he said. “That’s the thing that we have not been able to accomplish so far. Our number one goal for this season is to win that first Catholic League game. Our focus right now is to win that first Catholic League game and then our goal after that is to compete for a playoff spot.”

It’s not that LC didn’t come close last year - losing 49-47 at the buzzer to Conwell Egan and dropping a 50-47 decision to Archbishop Carroll after an open 3-pointer at the horn didn’t fall.

The Crusaders have several solid pieces returning and a few new faces who will be counted on to contribute as Harrison continues his work to turn around the long-struggling program he inherited.

One of those returning players is sophomore Chase Stevens. The versatile forward, who is either 6-foot-4 (according to Stevens himself) or 6-5 (according to Harrison), had a terrific freshman year, averaging 12.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

Stevens, too, wants to get that first PCL win of his career and already knows what he’s going to do when it happens.

“I’m going to hug coach Torre - that’s for sure,” Stevens said. “He’s earned it. I just want to win a Catholic League game for him.”

Harrison is counting on Stevens to be a leader both on and off the court.

“He’s had a phenomenal summer,” Harrison said. “He’s gotten better. He’s understanding what it takes to take on that leadership role. He’s doing well on both ends of the floor for us. We’re excited for his progression. Chase is going to be all over the floor for us, and that speaks volumes to his versatility. You’ll see him in virtually every spot on the floor for us.”

Stevens said that last season he was slowed by growing pains that caused him discomfort in his knees, but he thinks those physical ailments are now behind him.

“I wasn’t as successful as I should’ve been,” Stevens said.

Stevens said that he has gotten in better shape during the offseason and that his game and leadership abilities have also improved.

“I’m getting better each game and each practice,” he said. “The offseason has gone well.”

Stevens will be one of several players around 6-foot-5 who can play anywhere on the court. 

One of those versatile players will be 6-foot-5 junior wing Brayden Martin, who will be in his first year at LC after spending his freshman season at Upper Moreland and his sophomore campaign at Conwell-Egan.

“He does everything,” Harrison said. “He rebounds. He’s athletic. He shoots it. He defends multiple positions. He’s played well. He’s on the radar of Division I schools.”

Another one of those athletic 6-foot-5 players will be sophomore Ayden Lewis, who comes to LC from Neumann-Goretti.

“He’s uber athletic,” Harrison said. “He shoots and defends ‘1’ through ‘4.’

“We’re going to be a lot bigger than we were last year, especially on the perimeter,” Harrison added. “In theory, we may have three 6-foot-5 guys on the court who can rebound and have the skill to push the ball and get us into what we want to do. … We’re going to look totally different than we did last year in terms of physically.  Our staples are always going to be our staples - defend, push the ball, share the ball, defend at a high level - but the way we look will be different.”

Last season’s team raced to a 7-2 start, which included that holiday tournament championship, and then an 0-13 PCL campaign followed.

“Last year, it was a struggle,” Stevens said. “There were some times I think we definitely should’ve won some games.”

Following the PCL schedule, LC’s season wasn’t done. The Crusaders defeated Overbrook in the District 12 Class 3A third-place game and then lost to Lancaster Mennonite in the first round of the PIAA playoffs to finish the season at 8-16. (The Crusaders had gone a combined 7-67 in the prior years.)

“The first year was more trying to establish the culture and the true identity of what we want to be at LC,” Harrison said. “This year it’s more building upon that and growing and making sure everyone is at that level we want to be at. 

“As the season progressed, I think we improved playing for each other and how to play as a collective unit instead of individuals and that started on the defensive end and started to carry over on offense. The guys genuinely enjoyed playing with each other. The games decided by a possession are a great growing metric for us. I just feel like this year if those same opportunities present themselves we should be on the other side of it.”

Gone from last season’s team will be last season’s starting point guard Melo Alymer, a sophomore who is now playing for Central Bucks West. Candidates to replace Alymer in the starting lineup will be 5-foot-9 senior Tony Fitzgerald and 5-foot-10 sophomore Eric Green Jr., a transfer from Neumann-Goretti. 

“Tony was riddled with injuries last year,” Harrison said. “He played very well for us in the district playoff game when he was finally healthy. He’s been a great leader. He’s really embodied what I’m trying to build here at LC.”

Harrison has been impressed with Green.

“We’re really excited about the things he brings to the table,” Harrison said.

Lost to graduation from last year’s team are starting post player Rowan Romero, who averaged approximately 8 points and 8 rebounds per game last season, and back-up point guard Anthony Wack. Football standout James Webb, who came off the bench last season, has decided not to play basketball in his senior year.

“I respect his decision,” Harrison said. “Football is his first sport.”

One football player who will be transitioning from the football field to the hardwood again this season is Yeboa Cobbold Jr.  

The 6-foot-3 senior is a standout quarterback, who both rushed for and passed for more than 1,000 yards this season, and led the Crusaders to the PIAA Class 2A semifinals, where they lost to Southern Columbia on Friday night. (LC is a Class 2A school for football and Class 3A for basketball.) Cobbold will continue his football career at Akron.

“We’re excited to have him,” Harrison said. “He’s been awesome on the football field. He’s a winner, and that’s going to be something that pays off on the basketball court. He played with us at one summer event, and he just brought us to a different level. He’s a Swiss army knife. He’s going to be very impactful for us and play multiple positions for us.”

Harrison said that there are several players battling for playing time.

“We’re going to have guys fighting everyday to get into the rotation,” he said. “That’s what I look for.”

Those players include the following:

* TJ Harrison, a 5-foot-10 guard, and the coach’s son: “He’s now really starting to understand what it takes to play at the varsity level. He’s had a solid summer for us.”

* Ben Holdsworth, a 6-foot-3 senior post player: “He’s another utility-type guy for us. He’s very strong. He gives us toughness and ruggedness on the interior.”

* Danny Houck, a 6-foot junior guard: “He’s an uncanny scorer right now. We love what he brings to the table.”

* Matt Johnson, a 6-foot-1 senior wing: “He’s been a great bright spot. He’s one of the guys who is setting the bar with leadership.  He’s been shooting the ball excellent, and he’s been putting the ball on the floor and adding that different dimension to his game.”

* Colton McKeough, a 6-foot-5 junior post player, and younger brother of LaSalle High football star and Notre Dame commit Grayson McKeough: “He’s had a big summer and fall for us.”

It is with that group that Harrison is looking to end the PCL losing streak that is approaching five years. Once that first PCL victory is secured, the next goal is to become one of the 10 PCL teams that make the league playoffs.

“The goal is to take the next step up that ladder,” Harrison said. “Our goal is to be a playoff team this year. We want one of those playoff spots. We want to be one of those 10. At the end of the season, if I can look and see we were one of those 10 teams or just outside those 10 teams that will be a successful season for us. We want to be in that mix. There’s a buzz around the program right now. We have some special things going on.”