Basketball Game Preview: West Catholic Burrs vs. Archbishop Ryan Raiders and Ragdolls

West Catholic hasn't had much luck against Archbishop Ryan recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The West Catholic Burrs will venture away from home to square off against the Archbishop Ryan Raiders and Ragdolls at 7:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Last Monday, West Catholic beat Cardinal O'Hara 59-52. The win was all the more spectacular given the Burrs' disadvantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 131st, while the Lions are ranked tenth).

Meanwhile, Archbishop Ryan came up short against St. Joseph's Prep on Monday and fell 70-59.

West Catholic will need focus on slowing down Brandon Russell, one of several Archbishop Ryan players who made an impact when they last played. He posted 16 points. Russell has been hot recently, having also posted two or more steals the last four times he's played. Seth Gaye was another key player, putting up ten points along with four steals and three blocks.

West Catholic's victory ended an eight-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 5-8. As for Archbishop Ryan, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-7.

West Catholic took a serious blow against Archbishop Ryan in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, falling 58-31. Can West Catholic avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.