Film Room — Matt Paul Basketball

Film Room  ·  Archives

A Snowy Monday.
A Gym Full of Future Pros.
One Game.

Penn Charter had already beaten Chestnut Hill Academy once that season. On a snowy Monday afternoon in February 1994, CHA got them back — and the gym remembered it.

February 1994 Snow Day Makeup Game Inter-Academic League Chestnut Hill Academy Full Game Film

The Story

A Revenge Game.
A Monday Afternoon.
A Snowy February.

Penn Charter had already handled Chestnut Hill Academy earlier that season. The rematch — rescheduled from a snowstorm — happened on a Monday afternoon in February 1994. No fanfare. Just a game that needed to be played.

Matt Paul was a senior at CHA. He didn't come off the court once. When the game came down to the free throw line, he knocked them down. Chestnut Hill Academy won. His teammates carried him off the court.

On that floor was one of the most talented groups of high school players Philadelphia prep basketball had seen in years — athletes who would go on to play professionally in the NBA, the NFL, and in leagues across Europe.

Before Matt Paul Basketball, before 22 years of coaching in this city, before the programs and the camps and the leagues — there was this gym. This is where Develop. Compete. Lead. begins.

"

Penn Charter had beaten us. We knew we were good enough. A Monday afternoon in February, rescheduled because of snow — and we went out and proved it.

Matt Paul  ·  Head Coach, MP Basketball

Who Was On That Floor

Philadelphia Prep Basketball
at Its Finest.

Two Inter-Ac programs. A gym full of future professionals. This is the standard MP Basketball holds itself to.

Chestnut Hill Academy

CHA '94  ·  Guard  ·  6'3"

Matt Paul

  • Played every minute of the game
  • Hit the free throws to seal the win
  • Carried off the court by teammates
  • Millersville University → Penn
  • Pro basketball in Germany
  • Founder, Matt Paul Basketball · Est. 2004

CHA '94  ·  6'4"

Mike Gizzi

  • 1,000+ points scored at CHA
  • La Salle University
  • Played for legendary Coach "Speedy" Morris
  • 10 years of pro basketball in Europe

CHA '94  ·  Starter  ·  6'0"

Paul Robert Sablich

  • Played every minute for the Blue Devils
  • 12 points — the game of his life
  • Caught tickling Steve Goodrich at the free throw line in a tense moment

CHA '94  ·  Center  ·  6'1"

Andre Dixon

  • 9 varsity letters at CHA
  • Football, basketball, crew & track
  • Northeastern University
  • Detroit Lions · New England Patriots
  • NFL career, special teams

CHA '94  ·  6'2"

James Lee

  • Hit the buzzer-beater 3 to end Q1
  • You can watch it happen on this film
  • Springfield Township Commissioner
  • Still connected to the community
Penn Charter

Penn Charter '94  ·  Off the Bench  ·  6'2"

Mike Samuel

  • Penn Charter forward off the bench
  • University of Wisconsin
  • Starting QB, 1999 Rose Bowl
  • Wisconsin def. UCLA 38–31
  • 52-yard TD run sealed the win

Penn Charter '94  ·  6'10"

Steve Goodrich

  • Princeton University
  • 2× Ivy League Player of the Year
  • 3× All-Ivy League First Team
  • The iconic '96 UCLA tournament pass
  • Chicago Bulls · New Jersey Nets

Penn Charter '94  ·  6'1"

Mark McGonigle

  • "Mark the Shark"
  • Ursinus College football

Penn Charter '94  ·  Guard  ·  6'0"

Brian McMahon

  • Mansfield University basketball
  • Played Matt Paul in the PSAC league
  • The rivalry continued in college

Full Game Film

Watch Both Halves.

1st Half

CHA vs. Penn Charter  ·  February 1994

Watch the tone get set. A rescheduled Monday afternoon game on a snowy February day. Two Inter-Ac programs with something to prove. Notice the physicality, the pace, and the players who would go on to compete at the highest levels of their sports.

2nd Half

CHA vs. Penn Charter  ·  February 1994

This is the half. Watch how it tightens and how it comes down to the line. Matt Paul — 32 minutes played, not a single sub — steps up and delivers. The walk off the court said everything about who that team was.

The Tradition Continues

The same competitor.
Now your coach.

The player who hit those free throws in February 1994 is the same coach on the sideline today. MP Basketball exists because of games like this — Philly players, real competition, real standards.

Explore Our Programs →