By Joseph Staszewski
My original plan was to write a column encouraging hoops fans to experience the boys’ basketball rivalry between Christ the King and Bishop Loughlin in Fort Greene.
That feeling has changed after the display the two teams put on last Friday night. Now, you might want to proceed with caution.
What transpired was something I expect to see at a streetball game at Gauchos Gym or a late night contest in Dyckman’s pro and college summer league, not in a Catholic high school contest.
Loughlin Athletic Director Angela Proce had to get on the microphone, much like announcer Joe Pope would do at Dyckman, to tell the players she would stop the game if they could not control their emotions and actions.
“The tradition of our league is good, hard-nosed play and very competitive,” Lions Coach Ed Gonzalez said. “We don’t need that stuff.”
It took Loughlin star Mike Williams getting hurt for things to finally settle down. He was clothes-lined going up for a dunk by Christ the King center Adonis Delarosa. The Rutgers-bound guard hit the back of his head hard. Luckily, he needed just two staples to close a deep cut.
Delarosa was then pushed in the back of the head by a fan rushing on the court as another tried to land a punch, but was stopped by security. It was the only incident involving an otherwise well-behaving, standing-room only crowd.
Christ the King Coach Joe Arbitello called his players’ actions “ridiculous” and “childish.” He was right on the money. There is no place for that on any basketball court.
Both teams lost their composure early during a brief heated exchange coming off the layup lines. There were constant first quarter stoppages because of chippy play. Loughlin’s Issak Bodon retaliated with a shove of CK’s Travis Atson after he pushed Lions teammate Keith Williams, who had just blocked his shot. Delarosa was the first one over to play peacemaker.
“It was out of control,” Arbitello said.
They finally got to just playing basketball after Williams’ injury, but left CK fans with a disappointing 76-74 Loughlin victory that didn’t include Williams or Delarosa over the final quarter and a half.
Rivalries can lead to high emotions and extra-curricular actions. I get it. Nike was there giving away T-shirts after adding some pizzazz to the Lions’ courts. The game was streamed live over the Internet.
This wasn’t the first time many of these kids played in a game like this. They need to know better and represent their school and league better than they did.
I commend the coaches and administrators for doing the best they could to get things under control, and they kept things from being much worse. The players, like kids constantly being told no, kept at it anyway.
A game that is supposed to promote the teams and the league for all the things good about them will be remembered only for the inexcusable ugliness that transpired instead.
