By John Knebels • Posted February 27, 2026

On a floor steeped in history, the moment belonged to family.

Behind a dominant defensive performance and a breakout championship effort from sophomore Kayla Eberz, Archbishop Carroll captured its first Philadelphia Catholic League championship since 2019 with a 42-33 victory over rival Cardinal O’Hara Sunday, Feb. 22 at the Palestra in Philadelphia.

The top-seeded Patriots finished the Philadelphia Catholic League season undefeated, imposing control early and never relinquishing it. Carroll opened with a 14-7 first quarter, carried a 22-17 lead into halftime, then broke the game open with a decisive 13-5 third quarter that deflated the two-seed Lions.

At the center of it all was Kayla Eberz, who delivered a championship-caliber performance well beyond her years. The sophomore poured in a game-high 22 points and added six rebounds, repeatedly answering O’Hara’s attempts to rally.

Her older sister, senior Alexis Eberz — the league’s Most Valuable Player and a Villanova-bound guard — contributed five points, four rebounds, two steals, and two assists, while providing steady leadership.

Then there was yet another Eberz sister, who came off the bench to provide a palpable spark.

Making her PCL debut this season was sophomore Kelsey Eberz, Kayla’s twin sister, who missed league play due to a leg injury. Inserted midway through the first quarter, Kelsey made an immediate impact with a steal, then later added two more thefts, a rebound, and a basket off a feed from senior Bridget Grant.

“It’s a great moment,” Kelsey said. “Being out there with my two sisters is a great feeling. There were nerves, but when I got a deflection, they went away. You have to let the game come to you.”

Alexis said having Kelsey back on the court meant more than the result itself.

“She played tremendous,” Alexis said. “She is so strong. We are all really proud of her. She came such a long way and played through adversity. It means the world to have her back out there.”

Kayla echoed that sentiment.

“No matter what, she’s going to do anything for our team to get the win,” Kayla said. “All the stuff she’s been through — she came out and showed who she is.”

Carroll’s balance extended beyond the Eberz trio. Junior Abbie McFillin scored nine points, grabbed four rebounds, and helped limit O’Hara standout Megan Rullo to seven points. Junior Cate Schumacher added four rebounds as Carroll out-rebounded O’Hara by a more than two-to-one margin.

Now boasting two PCL crowns, Patriots coach Renie Shields said preparation and defense set the tone.

“I can’t be more proud of them,” Shields said. “The effort they put forth all year to get us to this point, and then to play so well against a really good team. Our defense was really good today. They came out and executed exactly what we wanted them to do.”

For O’Hara, junior Brigidanne Donohue led the way with 12 points, but the Lions struggled to generate consistent offense against Carroll’s disciplined defense.

As the final horn sounded and the Patriots celebrated beneath the Palestra rafters, the achievement felt both collective and deeply personal.

That was especially so for three sisters – all members of Sacred Heart Parish in Havertown, Delaware County — who shared the moment together.

For Kayla, it was a championship performance. For Alexis, a fitting culmination of leadership. For Kelsey, a return long awaited.

And for Archbishop Carroll, it was a title built on preparation, defense, and family — all coming together on high school basketball’s biggest stage.

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