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Derrick Williams stepped down as basketball coach at Cardinal Ritter after four seasons. Steven Lopez, an assistant past two years, will take over.
There is a coaching change atop the Cardinal Ritter boys basketball program, and the replacement is already in place. Derrick Williams informed the Ritter administration in January that he planned to resign as coach at the end of the season. Ritter’s season ended on Saturday with a 57-51 loss to Triton Central in the Class 2A regional at Greenfield-Central.
“Cardinal Ritter appreciates everything that coach Derrick Williams has done for the Cardinal Ritter community and Cardinal Ritter high school basketball program,” athletic director Levar Johnson said. Williams compiled a 52-47 record in four seasons at Ritter. Ritter promoted Steven Lopez to head coach after two years on the Ritter staff as an assistant.
Lopez, a native of Miami, Fla. , has nine years of experience in coaching, including as a head coach at Somerset Academy Silver Palms (Fla. ).
Ritter announced Lopez as its new coach on Monday night at its postseason banquet. The Raiders finished 14-13 this season, advancing to the semifinals of the City Tournament, falling to Cathedral 67-54. Leading scorer Devin Bolden, a junior, was named the City Player of the Year after averaging 20.