The Philadelphia Catholic League has traditions as rich and storied as they come, from the packed crowds at the Palestra for the boys and girls basketball playoffs to St. Joseph’s Prep football competing on a national scale. Although the lore around high school soccer in the region is less established, the competition and fan base are equally passionate, as this fall’s exciting season proved again.
In recent years, a high bar of success has been set by the Father Judge boys varsity soccer. Under the direction of head coach John Dunlop and a talented rotation of players, Father Judge has competed in back-to-back Catholic League tournament championships. Dunlop, who has been coaching youth soccer in Philadelphia for 21 years, boasts a Catholic League record of 180-46-21 and also insists there is even more to the job than winning.
“The PCL soccer scene is just as big as any other sport,” Dunlop said. “The games are competitive, we have great coaches and players across the city. Our soccer community is a close knit of people that goes back a long way, and we love to play in communities around the city where parents and fans can experience what we get to as coaches and players everyday.”
Local fanfare for “the beautiful game,” as soccer is known worldwide, has been growing by many measures. The uptick in interest can be attributed to a variety of factors, including a wave of new immigrants in the city, the Philadelphia Union’s recent string of success, and even Philly native Rob McElhenney’s Welcome to Wrexham television show. But the PCL demonstrates a strong youth-soccer culture that’s already excelling in the region.
Dunlop described coaching Judge soccer to be “an incredible experience to be the face of this program” and added that there are several great families and players that get involved with the sport in Philadelphia.
“To be a part of the high school experience is something that I cherish deeply,” Dunlop said.
The presentation of high school soccer in Philadelphia is one of the things Dunlop did not want to go unnoticed. The atmosphere is something that resonates with the players, parents, coaches and spectators and helps give Philadelphia a relation to a Texas youth football aura.
Whether it be a few hundred people showing up to watch Judge vs. Roman at Lighthouse Soccer in Southampton or their near sell out of Northeast High School’s stadium for the championship game at the end of the year, it creates an enjoyable energy for the parents, players and fans.
Justin Kennish, a goalie in his junior year for Judge, described his appearance against Lansdale Catholic to be “Friday Night Lights-esque. It was a lot of fun to play in this kind of environment and it was pretty surreal,” he said.
Joe Kennish and Amanda Lear are two parents who try to never miss a game.
Parents rallying for a home game despite dreary weather conditions. (John McCoy/PN)
“Sometimes, we rally up and tailgate out of our cars,” said the older Kennish.
Lear described watching her son Giovanni play for Judge as “one of the coolest things” she has ever been a part of.
As the regular season wrapped up, eight schools geared up to compete in an energetic and passionate PCL playoff, including Judge, who finished second last year, losing to Archbishop Ryan in a nail biting rivalry game in the Championship.
Coach Dunlop wanted to avenge that loss, but understood what a game of this stakes meant and could mean going forward for his returning and new players.
“It’s always tough to lose a championship,” said Dunlop. “I feel for my players. This is a tough league with a lot of history, and to go through the league twice is very difficult. I have to do a better job at preparing my players for one of the toughest challenges to come in their soccer careers.”
The PCL playoffs wrapped up on October 27th, with a championship game between Father Judge and La Salle College High School that was competitive until the final whistle.
Judge took an early 2-0 lead in the first half, but La Salle managed to even the odds and tie the game at two before the end of the first half. After an early goal in the second half, La Salle managed to outlast Judge and capture the PCL Championship with a final score of 3-2.
Both student sections were active and rowdy, with the supporting students of La Salle excited to see their peers win their 3rd championship in the last five years.
La Salle will look to crown themselves as Pennsylvania state champions in the coming weeks, while Judge and the rest of the league head back to the drawing board, eager to compete in the 2024 season.
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