When Coach McFadden stepped into his locker room, he immediately found himself swarmed by his players and coaches in celebration. Why?

After nine years of coaching the Blue Devils, McFadden finally achieved his 100th career win, being the second SCH basketball coach to do so. Legendary coach John McArdle also holds this record.  

McFadden secured win number 100 in a 72-67 thriller against the Academy Of The New Church (ANC) this Tuesday, in a game where SCH were huge underdogs. 

“We hadn’t beaten ANC in five years,” said senior captain Kam Waters. “Y’know before the game I said we beat [Archbishop] Wood, but let’s make this special. We’re going to work.”

ANC, two time PAISAA champs and the reigning champions of the Friends League, came into the game as heavy favorites, being viewed as a team who could win another PAISAA championship.

They sported a roster on which everyone aside from their point guard was 6’4+, which caused many people to rule SCH out of the game before tip-off. SCH, however, wasn’t fazed.

“It’s that underdog mentality. We focused on three things: toughness, rebounding, and good defense.”

SCH certainly stuck to those three goals, and that ended up propelling the team to victory. The Devils led most of the game, but ANC took back control, coming back down seven to take a four-point lead midway through the fourth.

From that point on, neither team could separate themselves from the top. The teams stayed within a score of each other, but with 52.4 seconds left to play, ANC led 58-57.

Then a steal from Williams, which led to a foul, gave the Devils hope. Williams split his attempts at the line but kept the game in reach, with both teams tied at 58 with only 38 seconds left.

On the ensuing possession, SCH focused on their three keys: defense, toughness, and rebounding, causing junior ANC guard Bryce Rollerson to miss his layup, as junior forward Owen Kelly battled against multiple players to secure a rebound.

Kelly then got it to Williams, who drew another foul and returned to the line, sinking both. But Rollerson, refusing to be denied, rushed down the court to hit a layup, sending the two into overtime.

In overtime, the Devils’ physicality kept them ahead. Early on, junior guard Dior Carter fouled out, dimming the Lions’ depth as one of their captains left the game.

Still, both teams remained deadlocked until two minutes were left in overtime, when Owen Kelly once again came up big, hitting a deep three from the wing to put SCH up 67-62. From there, the Devils never looked back.

Rollerson fouled out, and SCH’s tenacious defense and rebounding helped to keep ANC from coming back again, giving the Blue Devils their fifth consecutive win.

But more importantly than that, the victory was Coach Julian McFadden’s 100th.

“I almost shed a tear just thinking about it,” said Williams, reflecting on how much making it to this milestone means.

Williams elaborated on how the team approached the moment, stating: “That’s what the goal was. Get Coach Jules his 100th win,” he said. “It’s like, who do you do it for? Do it for somebody who’s gonna do it for you.”

“It was emotional because we all know how hard he worked for this one,” said Waters postgame. “I’m grateful to have been a part of it.”

When asked about the win, Coach Jules said he “didn’t even know” that he was that close. “I thought I was like, three or four off.” Afterward, the players mobbed McFadden in the locker room, celebrating with their coach.

“I mean, he’ll celebrate in the locker room after a big win,” said Waters, “but then it got a little crazy, because we poured water on him and everything, and there’s more emotion, because, like, he worked for this.”

SCH is off to an incredibly strong start this season and looks to continue its streak in the pursuit of an Inter-Ac title.