COACHES INTERVIEW
Hoops Heroes Call the West End Home It’s common for high school pals to go separate ways, especially after college. But in the case of Darnell Braswell and Ray Barbosa, they’ve been close friends since their days at William Allen High School. So close that they actually share a house in the West End. Here are their stories. Darnell Braswell I loved my time at Allen; I met many people from different walks of life, and it really prepared me for life-after-high school. I graduated in 2006, and many of my classmates have stayed in touch with each other since then. I met Ray when I was a freshman and he was a senior. I’d moved to Pennsylvania only recently, and Ray was like part of an adopted
Ray Barbosa
Darnell Braswell
family; I saw the Barbosas a lot. Ray’s an amazing basketball player. I’d watched him for a few
Designs by
Maria Anastasia
Floral Arrangements to Honor your Loved Ones
YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD FLOWER & GIFT STORE Fresh Flowers, Plants, Silks, Candles, Cards, Purses, Scarves, Placemats, Aprons and so much more! Delivering flowers throughout the Valley
607 N. 19th Street, Allentown 10 WEST END LIVING
FALL 2021
(610) 770-3213
years, and he made me want to go to Allen. I realized how hard he had worked to get where he is, and that attitude stuck with me. I was a pretty good player at Allen; I played freshman ball, made the JV team as a sophomore, and was a starter for my last two years. [He averaged 14.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game; shooting 48% and hitting 31 3-pointers.] I went to DeSales University and set out to create my own identity. My basketball coach was a tremendous influence. He’d answer my questions, even slow things down a bit so I could improve my skills. And my game really took off from that point – I was a starter in my third game as a freshman, and I never looked back. We played for championships every year, and our team won the last two. For myself, I went from All-Conference to Player of the Year to All-American; that’s a real credit to the coaching staff and my teammates. After graduation, I worked as an assistant basketball coach at DeSales, and then came back to Allen as the head men’s basketball coach just last year. Living in the West End made sense to me. And when I learned that Ray would be working in Allentown, it made even more sense to share a house. I really like the West End. I grew up on 12th St., but lots of my friends lived in this area, so I was in the neighborhood often. Living here lets me stay connected with other Allen alumni, as well as local sports figures. I enjoy the many food and beer places as well. And whether I’m walking, biking or just visiting friends, there are always plenty of good people and fun times.
Ray Barbosa I grew up near Sixth and Washington Sts., in Allentown, near the Boys and Girls Club. My family moved to the 15th St. area when I was 14. Just like Darnell, I played for Coach Doug Snyder, and started all four years that I was at Allen. It was a really good experience for me; it taught me to work hard and helped make me the man I am today. [He’s Allen’s leading scorer (2,202 points), a two-time Morning Call Player of the Year, two-time Third Team All-State and one of the top boys scorers in the history of District 11 basketball.] I didn’t spend much time in the West End but I did when I was older, especially during high school term breaks and summers. And Darnell is right – we practically adopted each other. My first three years of college were at James Madison University. I was on the Colonial Athletic Association All-Rookie team, hit the 1,000-point mark in my junior year, and then transferred to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where we took a conference championship and played against Georgetown in an NCAA tournament. After I graduated, I played professional ball in Puerto Rico for five years. I realized I wanted to coach, so I returned to the U. S., and worked as an assistant coach at Allen as well as Cheltenham High School and Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School. In 2019, I accepted the head basketball coach position at Bethlehem Catholic high school, and I’m currently head coach at Executive Education Academy Charter School in Allentown. I love the whole West End area; the people are just great, and it’s a wonderful place to raise a family. n
