Renowned college coach Pete Strickland was the keynote speaker at the Bishop Ireton Boys' Basketball banquet on Apr 6th at Bishop Ireton.
Bishop Ireton’s boys’ basketball team honored its varsity team Sunday night during their annual awards banquet. Guest speaker and long time college coach, Pete Strickland, praised the squad for their season and their class.
“I saw you beat a very good Washington and Lee team early in the season. You beat them handily and, if you followed their season, they had a very good year. But you played with a great chemistry and with class, when you got out ahead, you played disciplined basketball, didn’t show anyone up.” lauded the veteran coach. “And, I saw you play your hearts out in a narrow loss at DeMatha. I’m a DeMatha guy, but I was rooting for your great effort to be rewarded. And, you know, I was there in the WCAC semifinals, when you played DeMatha again but it wasn’t so close. You played with the same determination at the end of the game, played hard in the fourth quarter like you did in the first quarter. You showed people a lot by the way you played.”
Following Strickland’s remarks, head coach Neil Berkman thanked a number of supporters, assistant coaches, and support staff before turning his attention to his team one last time. “We are doing more than preparing to play basketball.” said Berkman, as he commended the youngest players who filled their roles, none in the spotlight, but all important to the success of the entire team. He went on to praise the defensive prowness of sophomore Jeremiah Brooks and the impact of his loss in the O’Connell win on the Cardinals defeat in the WCAC semifinal. But he saved his most effusive praise for his four seniors.
The New York native commended the hard work and constant improvement of Ty Quarles and Army-bound Jamie Senft. “Big guys do a lot of growing and their development can be later than other guys, Jamie sure did a lot of growing and maturing as a post player this year.” Likewise Berkman named senior Patrick Moseh as the squad’s most valuable player, a player that stuck with it for three varsity years continually working and improving, in fact, the 5th year coach suggested Moseh could be one of the best offensive rebounders in the talent-rich WCAC. Finally, Dan Noe, heading for the US Naval Academy, was honored as the team’s Cardinal award winner.
“Tireless worker, put up 67,000 jump shots in the gym as a Cardinal, always looking to improve. When Jamie went down, Dan played the post for us last year. When our point guard transferred, he stepped to play that position this year. ” Berkman pointed out. “And, as evidence of the type of people we have in our program, Dan and Jamie will attend service academies and commit to defending our country when their college basketball days are completed. Likewise, said Berkman, “Pat Moseh will attend Wheeling Jesuit and no doubt excel. He is a division I talent, but is going where he will get a great education and his best days are still ahead of him, for all these seniors.”
Led by the Maryland alum, the senior class of Coach Berkman, earned 18 wins for the second consecutive season, 48 in their three varsity campaigns. The Cardinals and WCAC champion Panthers of Paul VI were the only two programs to reach the WCAC semifinals in 2012-13 and 2013-14. That unparallelled success earned Dan Noe first team, all WCAC honors, while Moseh was a second team selection. DCSportsFan ranked the Cardinals 7th in the final poll and named Neil Berkman as their Coach of the Year.
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