The only thing Chris Palladino didn’t remember was to bring her whistle.
The legendary Camden Catholic High School girls basketball coach has vivid memories about the state championship team of 2006 and the events leading up to it.
“Before the season started, they came into my classroom and handed me a ticket and said, ‘This is your ticket to the state championship,’” Paladino recalled of the 2005-06 preseason. “That was it. That was their mindset before the season. They didn’t let anything get in their way.”
On Feb. 5, players and coaches from that Camden Catholic state championship team gathered at their high school’s home gym in Cherry Hill to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the only state title in the program’s history.
Almost every player made the trip, including Marissa Monahan (Dombrowski) – who now lives in Washington, D.C., and Allison Lane, who lives in New York City. They brought with them great memories from the championship run and the hard work that went into a 30-1 season.
Some were even ready if Palladino brought out the whistle for another tough practice.
“We have a text message chain, and we were asking if we needed to shoot foul shots today or are we going to have to start running if we miss?” Lane said with a laugh. “I haven’t played basketball in about 10 years. It’s great to just watch and not have to do the running anymore.”
Palladino earned her reputation as one of the greats, winning 660 games, which was the second-most wins in South Jersey when she retired in 2018. She was known for getting the most out of her players and building a strong work ethic.
“They were telling stories, were they?” Palladino said with a big laugh. “Bunch of complainers.”
The Irish won 30 games in a row en route to the Non-Public A state championship, and they did so in dominating fashion, winning most of their games by 30 points or more. That included a 70-30 South Jersey championship win over Holy Spirit High School and a 66-36 win over Immaculate Heart Academy in the state final. Their only loss came in the now-defunct Tournament of Champions after the state championship was captured.
Lane, along with all-time scoring leader Rashidat Junaid, Jasmine Crew, Christine Matera and Katie Gallagher, made up a formidable starting five, with tons of talent coming off the bench.
“I remember, most of all, the overall unselfishness,” Matera said. “We had a really deep team, and there’s only so many minutes and only one ball to go around. But everyone was committed to the ultimate goal of getting Miss Pal her first state championship and getting our program its first state championship.”
It didn’t really take a preseason ticket for Palladino to know she had a championship-caliber team in the making.
“It was special,” Palladino said. “You saw how many came [to the anniversary] tonight. Half of those girls could have started anywhere else, but they stayed.”
The team was honored on the court before the current Irish team took on rival Bishop Eustace Preparatory School.
“There’s such a legacy for Camden Catholic alumni to come back and support the current teammates, and to celebrate what a great achievement we did in 2006,” said Monahan, who brought her young daughter with her from Washington. “There were some amazing athletes. We remember it like it was yesterday.”
Matera, who scored 1,402 career points – which ranks fifth all-time in program history – took the baton from Palladino in 2018. She has been the head coach since. She’s hoping to someday experience a state championship from the coach’s chair. Having her current team meet a team of champions certainly helps.
“We’re just trying to build one win at a time and embody those traits that our state championship team had,” said Matera, whose team was 17-5 through
Feb. 11. “Whatever happens, happens at the end, but we are just trying to learn how to win big games and keep the ball rolling.”
Palladino recalls being overjoyed at handing the keys of the program to her former player.
“Proud and happy,” Palladino said. “She’s doing a great job. I couldn’t be more proud of her. It really hasn’t skipped a beat.”
The 2006 team is hoping future teams can recapture that magic and finish on top. Regardless if more trophies pile into the case, the original state champs will always have their place in history.
“It’s a special thing that we were the first,” Lane said. “We’re a tight family, and we’re always sharing that moment.”
at the bottom and then tap “Add to Home Screen”
