Archbishop Wood was as dominant as ever in the PCL in 2021
In a season of such uncertainty, there was one piece of certainty at the top of the Philadelphia Catholic League: Archbishop Wood versus the field in 2021. The Vikings ran the table in league play, going 14-0, including two additional…
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Continue ReadingIn a season of such uncertainty, there was one piece of certainty at the top of the Philadelphia Catholic League: Archbishop Wood versus the field in 2021.
The Vikings ran the table in league play, going 14-0, including two additional wins against PCL opponents as postseason play began, taking AW to the PIAA 6A title game in Hershey.
Unfortunately, Archbishop Wood ran into a strong Reading High team that shocked the Vikings with a 58-57 win for its second state title in program history.
Overall, AW went 19-1 on the season and was a high-scoring offensive juggernaut with a strong defense to boot.
All five starters for the Vikings put up double-digit scoring averages on the season, averaging 76.3 PPG as a team and allowing just 60.2 PPG to opponents.
Marcus Randolph was one of several high-impact guards on the Vikings in 2021 and led the team in scoring, averaging 16.6 PPG on the season. Randolph shot 52.1 percent from the field and 30 percent from beyond the arc, balancing out his scoring with 5.4 RPG and 4.7 APG.
He was a reliable scorer throughout for Archbishop Wood, taking control of the basketball when it was in his hands and was someone who wasn’t afraid to dish the ball out if he saw an open look for a teammate.
Alongside him running the point was Rahsool Diggins, the team’s assist leader with 6.7 APG. Diggins shot 44 percent from the floor and 32.7 percent from beyond the arc, averaging 16.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.8 SPG and 1.1 BPG.
The UConn commit is considered one of the top-3 prospects in the state, a top-10 guard in the country and one of the top-50 recruits for the Class of 2021, and he ended his high school career with a flourish.
Archbishop Wood’s top three 3-point shooters all hit 30 or more threes on the season, but Jaylen Stinson led the team beyond the arc, shooting the three at a 40 percent clip. He shot 46 percent from the field and was an impressive 78.8 percent from the free throw line.
Stinson averaged 13.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.7 APG and 2.1 SPG on the season and was a key guard piece to the success of the Vikings.
Daeshon Shepherd starts the forward conversation for the Vikings as the flex guard/forward combo, averaging 14.1 PPG this season on 54 percent shooting from the field. He also averaged 5.6 RPG and 1.1 BPG and complemented teammate Muneer Newton well down on the block.
Newton was a dominant and efficient scorer with the ball in his hands, averaging 11.3 PPG on 71 percent shooting from the field. It was a scoring exhibition with Newton and an impressive one at that, but even more impressive was his ability to control the boards, hauling in nearly eight rebounds a game.
Couple that with 1.2 SPG and 1.6 BPG and you have one of the best big men in the Philadelphia Catholic League.
While Archbishop Wood didn’t take home the ultimate prize in the end with a state championship, the Vikings have the building blocks set up to win a state championship within the next few years, so stay tuned.