City of Basketball Love

Dan Wilson (@danwilson_4)
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Shawn Thompson had a look wide-eyed look on his face the first time he matched up against Quade Green.

The Archbishop Wood senior, a star for the Vikings’ football team but a reserve on its basketball team, had a tall task in trying to stop Green, a 6-foot-tall Neumann-Goretti point guard who’s headed to play for John Calipari at the University of Kentucky this fall.

However, Thompson did more than just hold his own against a guard who has torched some of the best players in the country.

Thursday night's battle between Neumann Goretti and Archbishop Wood was not all just about the two best teams in the Catholic League, or even the battle between Collin Gillespie and Quade Green.

Lost in all of the game’s hype was Thompson, the scrappy 5-11 running back who was given the tough assignment of guarding one of the most talented scorers and playmakers not just in Philadelphia, but around the country.

“My mentality was to never think (Green) was higher than anybody on the floor” Thompson said. “He’s a regular player, he puts his stuff on just the same way that I put my stuff on. I’m not going to treat him any better or any worse than anybody on the floor.”

Thompson did not enter the scoring column, but his effort was still a huge part in helping the Vikings defeat the Saints by a final score of 82-73.

“He's such a hard worker and a great teammate,” Archbishop Wood head coach John Mosco said. "Comes to practice every day with the same workman attitude."

Thompson, who entered the game in the second quarter and played plenty of minutes from that point out, helped to hold Green to 11-of-25 shooting, and never once seemed at all phased about guarding one of the most sought-after recruits in the region.

“I carry the same mentality into every single game, everyone is the same player as me,” Thompson said. “I’m not going to treat you any better no matter what your rank is.”

Thursday night's game took place in a sold out, raucous Archbishop Ryan gym. Playing in front of a packed and noisy crowd did not seem to bother Thomson either.

“Shawn’s a winner,” Mosco said. “He’s a 3 or 4 time champion for football and so he’s been in big games before. I knew this atmosphere wasn’t going to hurt him.”

Green did not necessarily have a quiet night, as he still managed to finish the game with 30 points.

Nevertheless, Thompson, who works on his defense everyday in practice by guarding Villanova-bound Collin Gillespie, was proud of his own performance.

“He’s up there [with the best players I have ever guarded], I would say it’s equal to guarding Colin in practice,” Thompson said. “They’re both on the same level.”

Thompson is still unsure of where he will be playing football next year, West Chester and East Stroudsburg are possible landing spots among a few other possibilities.

However, for now, Thompson’s focus remains on basketball, and the possibility that he may be guarding Green yet again, this time in a Catholic League final.

“[If we play them again] we’re going to play them just like we play everybody else in the Catholic League,” Thompson said. “You have to put your mind to it if you’re going to play defense.”