By John Knebels • Posted May 30, 2025

When assessing Bonner-Prendergast’s Philadelphia Catholic League baseball championship journey, the adage “it takes a village” certainly applies.

Two games before they defeated Archbishop Ryan, 10-0, in the PCL final May 24 at Rutgers University-Camden, the six-seed Friars needed to get past three-seed Father Judge in the quarterfinals.

Leading 4-3 after three innings, B-P coach Steve DeBarberie handed the ball to junior pitcher Danny Buckton.

“We weren’t expecting to get four innings out of him just because he hadn’t pitched a lot recently,” said DeBarberie. “But in between every inning, he kept wanting the ball to go back out there. Danny is a bulldog. Very resilient and determined.”

Finally feeling healthy after a lower back ailment had cost him several weeks of competition, Buckton ended up befuddling a strong Father Judge with four shutout innings during which he allowed two hits and one walk while striking out four in what became a 5-3 Bonner-Prendergast victory.

In the semifinals on May 23, Buckton tossed two and two-thirds shutout innings as Bonner-Prendergast stunned top-seed and defending PCL champ La Salle, 14-1.

“Coming into the Judge game, I obviously was a little nervous knowing that this could be it for us,” said Buckton, who played baseball, football, and basketball for St. Dorothy Parish in Drexel Hill. “I just took a couple deep breaths and trusted my teammates behind me to make the plays, and that’s exactly what happened. It was unbelievable to close out that game.”

Buckton wasn’t summoned to pitch in the final. No need.

While the Bonner offense accrued 12 hits, seven walks, and eight stolen bases, Mike Klawansky hurled the most clutch game of his life. In six shutout innings, the senior held five-seed Ryan to seven hits and a walk while striking out six.

A six-run fifth inning and two-run seventh turned a tenuous 2-0 lead into a blowout. With seven different Friars scoring at least one run and six collecting an RBI, junior leadoff hitter Sergio Hernandez (3-for-4, walk, three runs scored, two runs batted in, three steals), sophomore Gavin DiRita (2-3, walk, three RBI), and senior Joey Graziani (two hits, walk, run scored, RBI, two steals) supplied most of the damage.

Not lost on the Friars, however, Buckton’s major contribution against Father Judge precipitated Bonner-Prendergast’s eventual ability to garner the program’s second PCL title in four years and fifth altogether.

“Danny really stepped up this year,” said senior Michael Coleman, the PCL’s Offensive Player of the Year who mashed two doubles and knocked in three runs against Father Judge. “He took advantage of every start he got and did what he does. He’s one of the craftiest lefties I’ve ever seen on the mound. Danny fills up the zone and keeps hitters off balance. Even when Danny doesn’t have his best stuff, he’s still battling and keeps us in games.

“He’s one of the most humble kids I’ve ever met. He’s always picking up his teammates and gets the energy going even when he isn’t pitching. I can’t wait to see what he does next year.”

Buckton appreciated the sentiments.

“It was definitely tough not being able to throw for a couple of weeks and help my team out, but I knew the rest of the staff was going to step up and pick me up,” said Buckton. “They took pressure off me for when I came back and gave me confidence to go out on the mound again.

“It definitely did make me feel more important to the team after that Judge performance, but I can’t take all of the credit. To the guys in the field that make all the plays and the guys on offense who have been slugging the ball all around the field, those are the guys that I personally give most of the credit to.”

On May 29, Bonner-Prendergast clinched a spot in the PIAA Class 6A tournament by toppling Central, 11-0, in the District 12 championship behind senior Johnny Ortegae’s complete-game shutout. At 1 p.m. on June 2 at La Salle University, the Friars will host Coatesville in the first round.

If the Friars eventually corral their first-ever state title, they’ll need players like Buckton to come through.

Buckton looks forward to the challenge.

“There’s nothing better than coming into a huge game and securing a win for you and your boys,” he said. “Nothing better.”

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Contact John Knebels at jknebels@gmail.com or on ‘X’ @johnknebels.