Baltimore Catholic League

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The Baltimore Catholic League (BCL), locally known as the Catholic League is a competitive basketball association comprised of private Catholic high schools in the Baltimore, Maryland geographic area.

Contents

[edit] History

The BCL was founded in 1972, after the Baltimore high school basketball season culminated with Mt. St. Joseph High School defeated Dunbar High School in the MSA Championship game. This game is known as one of the most remarkable and controversial games in Baltimore high school basketball history. The impetus for the creation of the BCL arrived in the off-season. The goal was to make a separate division from the MSA, which is the league for all high school athletics in the Baltimore area, public or private. The BCL created a division that was strictly for Baltimore area Catholic High Schools.

It is alleged that the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) was the model for the BCL. The BCL was originally comprised of most of the schools in the list below; with the most recent addition being Archbishop Spalding in 1997-98. At different times during the league's history, Archbishop Curley High School has been a member.

The Cardinal Gibbons School has the most BCL championships to date. O. Ray Mullis, head coach at Cardinal Gibbons, has the most all-time wins of any coach in Baltimore City history (621 wins) while simultaneously claiming the most BCL championships. Other notable coaches in the league include Mark Amatucci of Calvert Hall College , who won a national championship in the early 80s; Cokey Robertson, of St. Maria Goretti High School, and Jerry Savage, formerly of Loyola Blakefield.

[edit] Notes

  • The current BCL regular season and tournament champion is Towson Catholic, coached by Josh Pratt, and led by McDonald's All-American Donte Greene.
  • There are three All-League teams: the 1st Team, 2nd Team, and 3rd Team All-BCL.

[edit] Scheduling

The league works in cooperation with the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA). Seven of the 8 teams participate in the MIAA A Conference, which results in each team playing each other twice, once home and once away. St. Maria Goretti is the only member of the BCL that does not participate in the MIAA; however, two schools participate in the MIAA 'A' conference, but do not participate in the BCL: McDonogh School and St. John's Catholic Prep.

After the conclusion of the season, the BCL sponsors a league tournament held at Loyola College's Reitz Arena. The event usually occurs after the MIAA Conference Championship with all 8 teams of the league participating. It is a single-elimination tournament with 4 quarterfinal matchups, 2 semi-final games, and a championship game. The Junior Varsity (JV) teams also play in the tournament; however, it is not played at Loyola College. Each game of the JV tournament is held at the home of the higher seed.

[edit] BCL Game of the Week

Beginning with the 2006-2007 season, RC Sports Productions will broadcast a Baltimore Catholic League Game of the Week on 1370 WVIE in Baltimore.

[edit] Participating Schools

[edit] Notable BCL Alumni

Listed below are former BCL players who later joined the NCAA or NBA.

Towson Catholic Owls:

Calvert Hall Cardinals:

Spalding Cavaliers:

  • Marquis Sullivan '05 NCAA Loyola Greyhounds
  • Rudy Gay '04: NBA Memphis Grizzlies, NCAA UConn Huskies
  • Will Bowers '03: NCAA Maryland Terrapins
  • Derek Young '06: NCAA Navy Midshipmen
  • Derrick Snowden '00: NCAA Villanova Wildcats
  • Aleksandar Pavlovic '99 NBA Cleveland Cavaliers & Utah Jazz
  • Justin Castleberry '05: NCAA Bucknell Bison
  • Lawrence Dixon '05: NCAA Holy Cross Crusaders
  • Gus Durr '03: NCAA Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers
  • Jason Loghry '04: NCAA Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers
  • David Morris '98: NCAA Dayton Flyers
  • Nate Green '98: NCAA Dayton Flyers
  • Kenny Whitehead '98: NCAA Charlotte 49ers
  • Landy Thompson '02: NCAA Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers
  • Jesse Brooks '04: NCAA UMES Hawks via Notre Dame Prep (MA)
  • Isaac Brooks '00: NCAA UMES Hawks
  • Chris Ravello '01: NCAA Canisius Golden Griffins

Gibbons Crusaders:

  • Steve Wojciechowski '94: NCAA Duke Blue Devils
  • Quintin Dailey '79: NBA Chicago Bulls, LA Clippers & Seattle Sonics, NCAA San Francisco Dons
  • Leon Williams '04: NCAA Ohio Bobcats
  • Kenny Hasbrouck '04: NCAA Siena Saints via Maine Central Prep
  • Josh Davalli '97: NCAA Towson Tigers
  • Donatas Visockis '05: NCAA Southern Miss. Golden Eagles
  • Brett Foelber '04: NCAA DIII McDaniel Green Terror, Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets
  • Dwight Dean '02: NCAA DIII Lincoln Lions, DI South Carolina State Bulldogs, Cecil CC Seahawks
  • Luke McCrone '02: NCAA Harvard Crimson
  • Glen Nelson '03: NCAA North Carolina A&T Aggies, Cecil CC Seahawks
  • Pat Grace '05: NCAA DIII United States Merchant Marine Academy
  • Tom Grace '00: NCAA Villanova Wildcats
  • Brahn Jenkins '03: NCAA Fairleigh Dickinson
  • Joel Smith '06: NCAA DIII Goucher College Gophers

St. Frances Panthers:

  • Desmond Thomas '07: NCAA Morgan State Bears
  • Mark Karcher '97: NCAA Temple Owls
  • Darnell Harris '04: NCAA LaSalle Explorers
  • Reggie Holmes '05: NCAA Morgan State Bears
  • Shawn Hampton '98: NCAA VCU Rams via Bowie State
  • Earl Badu '97: NCAA Maryland Terrapins
  • Demetruis Charles '97: NCAA Duquesne Dukes
  • Phil Dixon '92: NCAA DIII Shenandoah College
  • Jamal Brunt '99: NCAA DIII Randolph-Macon College
  • Dwayne Allen '06: NCAA DIII Villa Julie College

Loyola Dons:

  • Chris Clunie '02: NCAA Davidson Wildcats
  • Essien Ford '03: NCAA DIII Widener Aggies
  • Pat O'Connell '06: NCAA DIII Johns Hopkins Blue Jays
  • Anthony Guy '78: NCAA Kansas Jayhawks
  • Pete Budko '77: NCAA North Carolina Tarheels
  • Brian Cosgrove '98: NCAA DIII Johns Hopkins Blue Jays
  • Wes Unseld, Jr. '93: NCAA DIII Johns Hopkins Blue Jays

Goretti Gaels

  • Rodney Monroe '87: NBA Atlanta Hawks, NCAA NC State Wolfpack
  • Joe Breslin '03: NCAA DIII Washington College Shoremen
  • Derrick Davis '03: NCAA South Carolina State Bulldogs
  • Gene Johnson '06: NCAA Morgan State Bears
  • Andrew Chambers '06: NCAA DIII Washington College Shoremen

Mount Saint Joseph Gaels:

  • Will Thomas '04: NCAA George Mason Patriots
  • Louis Birdsong '06: NCAA George Mason Patriots
  • Dino Gregory '07: NCAA Maryland Terrapins
  • Brian Johnson '05: NCAA Delaware Blue Hens via Winchendon School
  • Kevin Swecker '06: NCAA Longwood Lancers
  • Chase Adams '06: NCAA Centenary College Gents
  • Dejuan Goodwin '06: NCAA Marist Red Foxes
  • Anthony Fair '03: NCAA Towson Tigers

[edit] External links

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