Archbishop Wood is the team to beat in the PCL in 2021

Archbishop Wood has become a perennial favorite in the Philadelphia Catholic League over the past few seasons. In 2021, the Vikings have solidified themselves as an immovable object commanding the top of the PCL with a 9-0 record. There were back-to-back scares for Wood, pulling out a close 80-79 overtime win over Neumann-Goretti on Feb. 6 and a tight 68-67 win over Bonner & Prendie just three days later on Feb. 9. Other than those two close calls, the Vikings have dominated the field, winning seven of their nine games by double-digits, five by 17 points or more and three by 30 points or more. Right now, Archbishop Wood is averaging 79.2 PPG, having scored 80 or more points in five games this season. The Vikings are limiting opponents to just 59.4 PPG this season, for an overall winning margin of +19.8, just an insane number to fathom. Beating opponents by an average of 20 points a game shows absolute domination on both sides of the ball and Archbishop Wood has just that. Through Feb. 19, five players were averaging in double figures for the Vikings, including three players with 16.0 PPG or more. Senior small forward [player_tooltip player_id="990940" first="Daeshon" last="Shepherd"] has led the team in scoring thus far this season, averaging 19.0 PPG through Feb. 19. The 6-5 La Salle commit has also been shooting at a near 60 percent clip from the field this season. On defense, the Vikings have been led by senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="990968" first="Muneer" last="Newton"], who through Feb. 19, has led the team in rebounds and blocks, averaging 7.2 RPG and 2.3 BPG along with 10.4 PPG and 1.3 SPG. Senior [player_tooltip player_id="990939" first="Jaylen" last="Stinson"] and [player_tooltip player_id="990930" first="Rahsool" last="Diggins"] have led the way in steals, combining to average 6.2 SPG through Feb. 19. Stinson is averaging just over 10.0 PPG and Diggins has been Archbishop Wood’s third-best scorer this season at just over 16.0 PPG. This is a team that’s shooting nearly 50 percent from the field on offense and 11.0 SPG and 6.0 BPG on defense. There is no significant weak spot on the Vikings, and this team is ready to run the table. With just three games remaining, starting with Lansdale Catholic on March 1, the ball is literally in the Vikings court. Prep Hoops will be here covering all the action with Archbishop Wood and the rest of the PCL among other programs in the Keystone State for the rest of this season and beyond, so stay tuned for more coverage, analysis and recaps.