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Top Stories of 2014: #9 - Duffy One(-Title)-and-Done at Pope John Paul II

December 16, 2014

By Jacob Gill
Philadelphia Region Director of Scouting

The 2013 Pope John Paul II Golden Panthers finished with a 5-14 record and in ninth place in the ten-team Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10). Enter new head coach John Duffy, previously an assistant coach at La Salle University and highly successful head coach at Germantown Academy. Highly successful would be an understatement, however, for what Duffy and his team accomplished in his first season at PJP. Their accomplishments include:

  • 23-6 overall record, an 18-game improvement in the win column. A PIAA class AAA school, four of their six losses came against AAAA state tournament qualifiers Boyertown Area, Spring-Ford, and Methacton.
  • 14-4 record in PAC-10 games (a nine-game improvement), finishing tied for second place with Spring-Ford, two games ahead of Methacton. Went toe-to-toe with the three AAAA state qualifiers (4-4 record)
  • District I championship
  • PIAA state championship

The dream season was not without its drama, however. Duffy was ejected from PJP's PAC-10 tournament championship game loss to Methacton. A subsequent indefinite suspension turned into a four-game absence, after which Duffy was allowed to return to the dugout. The saga didn't end following the June 13th state title dogpile, however. Four months after the season ended, Duffy learned that PJP would not be renewing his contract for the upcoming season. Players, parents, and the student body rallied behind Duffy, but, to date, no resolution has been reached with either the Pope John Paul II administration or the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Top Stories of 2014
#10 - Sub-.500 Seneca Valley Makes Run to State Semifinals
#11 - PBR PA Moves Office to Manheim
#12 - PBR Recruiting Essentials Unveiled

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