Catholic League championship game held at Upenn

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - Hundreds packed the Palestra at the University of Pennsylvania Monday, not to watch college basketball, but high school hoops. It was the Catholic League championship game between Bonner-Prendie and Roman Catholic.

FOX 29's Chris O'Connell was in the crowd.

They don't play on national television and don't even get paid; however, the high school public and Catholic League's basketball championships at the Palestra has become one of Philly's best and oldest sports traditions

"This is like the Vatican of American basketball. People try to schedule games to come here that have never been here before," Mayor Jim Kenney said.

John Ingram came to see his daughter play her last championship game with Neumann Goretti.

A few young women from Delco came to see their sister Molly play for Cardinal O'Hara.

"This is like very high caliber basketball that are being played here in the City of Philadelphia so it's exciting"

It was O'Hara who captured girls Catholic League title for a second year in a row.

And then it was time for the boys. Roman Catholic against Bonner-Prendie even decades after graduating from Bonner, Ed Monahan says this is Philly basketball.

Roman Catholic won.