Upper Merion boys basketball had their first game and home opener of the 2025-26 season this week. On Tuesday, December 2nd they played host to Lansdale Catholic with a 6:45 PM tipoff. The Vikings ran into a bit of the “first game chronicles,” losing 64-26. Upper Merion also started last season with Lansdale Catholic and the result of the two games were almost a mirror like image, back to back seasons.
The Crusaders came out firing on all cylinders from the opening tip, and didn’t look back. They held Upper Merion to just three points midway through the second quarter, playing elite defense. In the back half of the second quarter, right before the half, the Vikings caught some fire. They added a big eleven points before the halftime buzzer, and it was 37-14 at the break.
In the second half, Lansdale continued to cruise. They only allowed Upper Merion to score 12 more points for the rest of the game. The Crusaders stepped into the Valhalla Gymnasium and won opening day, by a final score of 64-26.
Although nobody wants their first game of the year to look like this, there were some positives. Lansdale Catholic plays in one of the best conferences in the state, the PCL (Philadelphia Catholic League), and the Vikings participate in the PAC (Pioneer Athletic Conference) and in the PAC Frontier Division which is comprised of predominantly similar sized public school teams. Most of Upper Merion’s remaining schedule will be against bounded teams, unlike the unbounded LC team. Still, UM did have a few moments during the game in which they showed growth and solid play.
“In our program we have this thing, it’s called the midnight clause. You can think about this until midnight because once midnight hits, it’s a new day,” head coach Matt Rafferty said post game. “Anybody reading whatever you’re about to write or came to this game tonight and saw this, they’ll probably think I’m crazy, I promise you that is not our team. That was just the first game jitters, that is not our team, I promise.”
Bad losses in basketball happen, they happen in all sports. It all comes down to whether or not this team will be able to turn the page.
The next eight games for Upper Merion are strictly against public schools, instead of a private school like Lansdale Catholic. Five out of those eight games are PAC matchups. The most anticipated match up coming up will be against Upper Perkiomen. Last season the Indians hosted the Vikings in the middle of December, and Upper Merion just fell short, 50-43. On December 16th, the Indians will now travel, and Upper Merion will look to get a little bit of revenge.
