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Hard work got GFS' Leon to Chestnut Hill

05/08/2015, 1:00pm EDT
By Ethan Miller & Josh Verlin

Ethan Miller (@ByEthanMiller) &
Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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Ray Leon knows how to put in work to get results.

Germantown Friends coach Shawn Werdt discovered just how hard of a worker Leon was last summer, after his first season on the job. The Tigers had just traveled down to Wildwood, N.J. for a tournament, and had a late arrival back in Philadelphia after a tiring day of basketball.

“I then went into the gym at 7 AM in the next morning to pick something up and of course I see Ray dripping in sweat,” Werdt recalled. “That’s his true character, he works like no other.”

The 5-foot-11 guard finished with 1,279 career points, good for fourth all-time in GFS boys basketball history. As a senior he averaged 21.0 PPG, shooting 49 percent from the 3-point arc, and despite his lack of height, he still brought down 6.0 rebounds a game.

Now, Leon is looking to bring that work ethic to the next level, as he officially committed to D-II Chestnut Hill College (Pa.) last week.

He was deciding between Wilmington University and other Division III and II schools, but he believes that Chestnut Hill is the best fit for him.

“I really like the coaching staff at Chestnut Hill and I’m extremely close with some guys on the team. I also fell in love with the school and the campus,” Leon said. “Chestnut Hill is close to home, so it’s a great option for me.”

Last season, Chestnut Hill College--a school of around 2,000 undergraduates—finished 6-20 overall, with a 5-14 record in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) play, under head coach Jesse Balcer, who's been the program's only head coach since its inception as a Division III program in 2003.

The Griffins are returning most of their major contributors, but Leon’s motivation and presence should help the team on and off the court.

“My goal for Chestnut Hill is to win more than six games. I don’t like losing and only winning six games reminds me of my freshman year of high school,” Leon said. “Heart is the biggest thing for me. I’m looking to bring that heart to Chestnut Hill.”

Leon’s first two seasons at Germantown Friends didn’t work out as planned. The Tigers struggled to keep up with teams like Friends’ Central, the Westtown School and Abington Friends, and Leon struggled to find his place on the court.

Then before the 2013 season Werdt--a former Philadelphia University assistant coach--took over.

“When I first met Ray he was sort of stubborn, and he took a softer approach,” Werdt said. We then started to drill a high standard into his head. It took a lot of work and a lot of battles but it paid off at the end. He had a great junior and senior year.”

“Coach Werdt changed the way I played; it was like I was a whole new player on the court,” Leon said. “It worked out because I wasn’t just helping myself, I was helping my teammates.”

Werdt who coached under Hall of Famer and legendary coach Herb Magee at Philly U, took his experiences and style of play to GFS. Before coming to GFS in 2013 the team finished 11-9 overall, with a 2-5 record in Friends Schools League (FSL) play.

A trip to the FSL championship with a 21-5 (7-3) record this past season has morphed GFS into a competitor. A lot of that had to do with Werdt’s senior guard.

“He completely changed the way we played,” Leon said. “We had more heart, and he was always on top of us to be our best.”

Leon developed himself from a 3-point shooter to an all around scoring guard who can now put the ball on the floor and attack the rim.

Before heading to Chestnut Hill, Leon knows he has a lot to improve.

“I need to get stronger and work on defense,” he said. “Coach Shawn always said getting stronger should be my biggest goal.”

For Leon, that hard work is paying off.


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