Basketball Game Preview: Simon Gratz Bulldogs vs. Lansdale Catholic Crusaders

The Simon Gratz Bulldogs will wrap up 2024 with a road trip to face off against the Lansdale Catholic Crusaders at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Simon Gratz is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 55.1 points per game this season.

Last Thursday, Simon Gratz was able to grind out a solid victory over Boys' Latin Charter, taking the game 54-45. Given the Bulldogs' advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 104th, while Boys' Latin Charter are ranked 633rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Simon Gratz's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Rakim Johnson, who posted 15 points. Another player making a difference was Sihaaj Johnson, who put up 14 points.

Meanwhile, Lansdale Catholic waltzed into their game on Saturday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They managed a 54-50 win over the Knights. While the Crusaders didn't have the best season last year (they finished 1-18), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Lansdale Catholic's victory bumped their record up to 5-2. As for Simon Gratz, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 8-1.

Simon Gratz and Lansdale Catholic were neck-and-neck in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, but Simon Gratz came up empty-handed after a 56-55 defeat. Can Simon Gratz avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.