Decade
of dominance

By Joe Mason
For the Times

Dennis Seddon has spent a lot of time near the bench.
Most of that time, it’s been a great experience.
Seddon has been the head basketball coach of Roman Catholic High School since 1987. During that time, his Cahillites have been among the most successful teams in the Philadelphia area. At times, his troops were among the best in the nation.
But in good times and in bad times, Seddon loves basketball. Always has.
"If you look in my yearbook, you’ll see me sitting right behind the bench," said Seddon, a 1967 graduate of North Catholic High School. "I got cut, I didn’t make the team at North, but I still loved the game, so I was at every game and I sat right behind the bench.
"But during high school, that’s when I started getting involved in coaching," he continued. "I started off coaching playground leagues, CYO, AAU, I coached anywhere I could. I just loved the game, I loved learning all the little things about the game, and I tried to coach as much as possible."
That trend continued after the Port Richmond native went to the University of Richmond in Virginia.
"I played freshman basketball and the coach must have seen something in me," Seddon recalled. "He gave me the keys to the gym while he was out scouting. I certainly wasn’t the best player on the team, but he’d let me draw up some plays and help out with practice. I had a great time."
Those great times have certainly continued.
On March 4, Seddon helped guide the Cahillites to an improbable 59-56 victory over heavily favored Saints Neumann-Goretti in the Catholic League championship at the Palestra, avenging the Saints‘ victory in last year’s title game.
Roman trailed, 52-42, with less than six minutes to go in the final stanza before rallying to pick up the win over the Saints, who were led by a pair of Syracuse signees in center Rick Jackson and shooting guard Antonio Jardine.
Roman, which won its 29th title in school history, was led by senior Bradley Wanamaker, who scored 17 points despite battling foul trouble. Maalik Wayns contributed 13 points, Will Kirkland added 12, and Bradley’s twin brother, Brian, supplied 10.
For Seddon, it was the tenth time he helped Roman cut down the nets at the end of a season. No other coach has won as many championships.
"I don’t think anyone would have predicted this, so it is very special," said Seddon, who works at the Shissler Recreation Center. "We were playing a very good team who beat us last year. They had a lot back and we lost a Division 1 point guard in Ray Sims, a great rebounder in Rockeed McCarter and Philadelphia’s Markward Award winner in Mike Ringgold."
But Seddon was very careful not to call this his best victory.
This is his tenth. He’s won title games in overtime and he’s seen his team win in convincing fashion. Under his watch, Roman has won as underdogs and as heavy favorites.
So do any stand out?
"Yes, all of them," said Seddon, who owns a 494-122 record during his time at Roman. "I don’t want to give a bad answer, but they all stand out for different reasons."
Seddon has a valid point.
He has coached players like Eddie Griffin, Marc Jackson, Rasual Butler and Lari Ketner. Those players not only led the Cahillites to a championship but went on to play in the National Basketball Association.
Another one of his stars was Marvin Harrison.
Harrison, who won a championship during his senior year at Roman, scored more than 1,000 points during his days playing for Seddon. This year, Harrison, now a marquee receiver in the NFL, accomplished another major feat — he helped guide his team, the Indianapolis Colts, to the Super Bowl last month.
"I’ve been pretty blessed to have great players," Seddon said. "Marvin was actually at the Palestra but no one saw him, we had him tucked away pretty good.
"That’s the best part about this job," Seddon said. "The wins are nice, they’re special, but it’s also nice to have those friendships, those players who you talk to forever, no matter if they’re in the NBA, the NFL or they’re out coaching somewhere.
"A lot of my players have given back to the game," Seddon added. "That makes me very happy. And it also makes me happy to send so many kids to college. Championships are great, but it’s just gravy. The other things are more important." ••