Neumann Goretti’s Carl Arrigale is immortalized on the South Philly basketball court that is his second home

For years in South Philadelphia, Carl Arrigale’s name has been synonymous with saints, success, and some pretty darn good basketball.

Inside Neumann Goretti High School on Monday night, all of the above was made official.

Arrigale, whose 12 titles are the most in Catholic League basketball coaching history, was surrounded by current players, former players, former coaches, friends, and family as the school celebrated naming its court after the most accomplished coach in league history.

“I’m just super appreciative of whoever is here,” Arrigale said before the Saints game against Lansdale Catholic, a contest in which they won handedly, 71-34. “When I started out, this was never a goal. I was just looking to affect one kid the way I was affected.”

Judging by the number of former players in attendance, Arrigale, who took over at Neumann Goretti in 1999, certainly succeeded.

In 2011, Lamin Fulton was a senior with a chance to play hero in the final seconds against visiting St. Joseph’s Prep.

The Saints had won 49 consecutive games in league play at that point, but had fallen behind by 15 in the second half. Rival Roman Catholic also had won 49 straight from 1989 to ‘92, so there was more than just one game on the line. After a furious comeback, the Saints called timeout with 8.3 seconds left.

The previous season, Arrigale had tapped Fulton for a last-second shot that went begging against Jack Yates High (Texas), ESPN’s No. 1-ranked team that year, during the ‘Iolani Classic in Hawaii (the Saints finished No. 2).

So when Arrigale slammed his clipboard, said they weren’t running a play, that Fulton was getting the ball, and that they would live with whatever happened, the point guard had one thought in mind.

“When he trusted in me again with the game on the line,” Fulton, now 30 said, standing along the baseline, “it was like, ‘I gotta come through for coach.’ It was a special moment.”

Fulton, who finished with 28 points that night, banked in a three-pointer just left of the top of the key for the win and keeping Neumann Goretti’s streak alive (the Saints’ record winning streak eventually ended at 73 during the 2012-13 season against La Salle).

In fact, Arrigale said the spot on the court where he made the decision to give Fulton the ball was near where the school placed his name in big, bold letters.

“I’ve probably stood there in that spot and made some good and bad decisions through the years,” he said, laughing.

Monday was likely even more special because two coaches who undoubtedly shaped many of those decisions were in attendance: Arrigale’s two high school coaches at Penn Charter: Ed Enoch and William “Speedy” Morris.

“In high school, Speedy had such a big influence on me,” Arrigale said. “To have both my high school coaches here is neat.”

He says it was his interactions with both that planted an early coaching seed.

“I just really remember thinking, if I could [coach] and possibly affect one kid the way they had affected me it would be pretty neat,” he said. “That’s what really why I started. Hopefully I’ve done that.”

Arrigale has also influenced a new generation of coaches.

Neumann Goretti and Villanova-grad Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree was in attendance Monday. He is now a video coordinator for the Brooklyn Nets.

Jamal Custis, who played basketball at Neumann Goretti before playing football at Syracuse, has been on Arrigale’s coaching staff for two years. Custis’ older brothers, Sharif and Kadeem, also played at Neumann Goretti before playing football at UMass and Temple, respectively.

“My dad died when I was 4 years old,” said Custis, now 28. “I never consistently had a male figure in my life. When I got here, Coach Carl, he promised my mom he was going to take care of us and he did exactly that.”

Fulton said Arrigale has been a “father figure” and that he still considers Arrigale’s two daughters and son to be family.

Pat “Socks” Sorrentino, now 53, is one of Arrigale’s most trusted lieutenants on the bench, where he’s spent the last 12 years, though he began with little coaching experience.

“Neumann Goretti is recognized nationally and 99% is because of [Arrigale],” Sorrentino said. “He’ll never take credit for it. He’s a humble guy.”

In fact, Arrigale, who said none of his coaching success would be possible without his family, especially his wife, Denise, still sounds a lot like a guy who just hopes he’s doing a good job.

“You hope you’re impacting people,” he said. “You hope you’re making somebody’s life a little better, but you don’t really know. I’ve just been trying to be myself. The winning has been great, but it’s not just defined by the winning.”

He paused briefly as a smile crept across his face.

“I do like the winning ...”