Author: delcohoops

50 years later, McClellan’s call to start 5 black players at West Chester won’t be forgotten

Jack McClellan coached West Chester High School for three decades. In this photo, McClellan is coaching against Coatesville in the Ches-Mont championship game at the Spectrum in Philadelphia in 1969, the first high school game played in the venue. (Courtesy of Debbie Bunting)

By Peter DiGiovanni

In the year 2019, it is not uncommon for a Ches-Mont League basketball team — or any team, really — to take the floor with an all-black starting five. 

We do not even note the occurrence because it is so commonplace these days.

But, 50 years ago, when West Chester High School — now West Chester Henderson — fielded the first all-black starting five in the Ches-Mont League, it was more than just front-page news. 

It was a racial tsunami that rocked multiple boats in West Chester and beyond.

But for late Warrior head coach Jack McClellan, it had nothing to do with changing people’s minds. It was simply the best way to win.

McClellan told me before his death in 2015 that he wanted to play the best players, and that he was not concerned about the backlash 1968 America would offer.

(click on this link for the full story)

Bonner & Prendie bench strength on display against Carroll

Archbishop Carroll’s Tairi Ketner, center, tries to get up a shot past the defense of Bonner & Prendergast’s Tariq Ingraham, left, and James Welde, Friday night. (Pete Bannan/Digital First Media)

By Matthew DeGeorge

Were you to skim the boxscore of Bonner & Prendergast’s 61-44 win over Archbishop Carroll Friday night, the eye would naturally be drawn to the two largest numbers.There’s the 19 points and eight rebounds from Isaiah Wong, then the 13 points and 11 boards from Tariq Ingraham. But to assume that those figures told the story of a relatively comfortable Catholic League win in which both stars headed to the bench to a round of applause with more than a minute remaining would be incomplete. And that truth illustrates just how dangerous a team the Friars can be.

That quick glance misses the game-changing contributions proffered up and down the roster. Like Malik Edwards’ three first-half 3-pointers. Or the six points, three rebounds, two assists and four defensive deflections by an active James Welde in an abbreviated stint. Or two putback buckets from deep frontcourt reserve AJ Burnett. As much as the Division I talents of Wong and Ingraham, it’s the supporting cast that has powered Bonner to the upper rungs of the Catholic League.

(click on this link for the full story)

Undefeated Haverford School works overtime to beat Malvern Prep in fast-paced thriller

By Bruce Adams

As if to satisfy the standing-room-only crowd Friday evening, host Haverford School and Malvern Prep treated the fans to, not four – but five – quarters of fast-paced, high-octane basketball.And when the final buzzer sounded, Haverford School (17-0, 5-0) gutted out a 93-90 overtime win against Malvern Prep (12-6, 4-1) in a battle of Inter-Ac powers.

Haverford’s 6-foot-6 senior guard Christian Ray, who scored 36 points despite picking up three first-quarter fouls, said, “This was the fastest game we’ve played this season, by far. I knew Malvern was going to play fast, run a lot up and down the court. Malvern shoots the ball a lot, and we had to match it.

“When the game ended, my first thought was, ‘Thank God it’s over.’ My legs had started cramping and I was getting really tired.

We just played tough – we never mentally checked out, never got too high or too low. We were trailing by seven, then we were up by seven with five minutes left and [Malvern’s] Deuce Turner hits a three from 30 feet away to give them momentum.”

(click on this link for the full story)

Sareyka, TCA deal Faith Christian first loss

By Matthew DeGeorge

Faith Christian had been unbeaten in the Bicentennial League until Christian Academy paid it a visit Friday.

Grant Sareyka scored 24 points, and Tehron Phillips added a season-high 20 as the Crusaders dealt Faith Christian its first league loss in a 66-63 victory.

Phillips added six assists and four steals. Jourdan Greene posted a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds for TCA (8-5, 6-3), which led 21-8 after one quarter and never looked back.

Also in the Bicentennial League:

(click on this link for more game stories and scores)

Lower Merion defeats Penncrest in thrilling overtime game

Lower Merion’s Jack Forrest being interviewed by Andrew Kaufman and Dave Burman right after the game where Forrest’s 3-point shots sealed the Aces victory. Photo by Delcohoops.com

By Delcohoops.com Staff

In what began to appear as a Lower Merion rout of Penncrest in the first half the game tightened up in the fourth quarter with Penncrest forcing the game into overtime.  The excitement didn’t end there as the four minute overtime went back and forth until Jack Forrest’s 3-point shot in the final seconds sealed the victory for the Aces.

Unfortunately no press was covering the game but the good news is that the game was our Game-of-the-Week and you can listen to the entire game on the player at the bottom of this article.

Tonight’s game was also a Coaches vs Cancer night which featured Penncrest’s Coach Mike Boyle giving a moving account of he and his family’s personal battle with cancer at center court before the game.  We also had a pre-game interview with Coach Boyle on our broadcast.

Click on this icon for the complete Box Scores for this game!

 

Pew, Rustin blow the whistle on Sun Valley

Sun Valley’s Vinny DeAngelo goes to the basket in last night’s game against Rustin. Photo by: Digital First Media/Pete Bannan

By Pete DiGiovanni

 West Chester Rustin came into Thursday night looking up at two teams in the Ches-Mont League American Division standings.By the end of the night, the Golden Knights still sat in third place … but the race to the playoffs will likely be a photo finish now.

A contentious battle between the host Golden Knights and Ches-Mont American leader Sun Valley saw Rustin hold on for a hard-fought, 57-48 victory that put the Golden Knights a half-game behind Unionville for second place in the American and just a step and a half behind previously unbeaten Sun Valley.

Rustin (4-2 league, 10-5 overall) went to the free throw line 37 times, compared to just 12 for the Vanguards (5-1, 11-4), a fact that angered Sun Valley coach Steve Maloney, who was assessed a technical foul with three minutes left in the fourth quarter.

“We did not get a call all night and I thought the officiating was bad,” Maloney said. “And we still made it a game. But give Rustin credit. They were fighting for their lives in the Ches-Mont and they hit shots and killed us in the paint.”

(click on this link for the full story)

When Chester thinks of options, it thinks of Akeem (Taylor)

Chester’s Akeem Taylor, left, goes to the basket as Penn Wood’s Ahmir Jackson defends in the second quarter. Taylor scored 12 points in a 67-50 Chester win. (Digital First Media/Pete Bannan)

By Matthew DeGeorge

As Chester’s basketball season has gone along, both Rahmee Gilbert and Akeem Taylor have found themselves on the sideline with nagging injuries for a game here or there. As a result, coach Keith Taylor has tinkered with new lineup combinations, starting out of necessity but staying out of preference as the Clippers rattle off wins.Thursday night, with Penn Wood visiting the Fred Pickett Jr. Gymnasium, Keith Taylor opted for a taller lineup, with the guards Gilbert and Akeem Taylor on the bench. But the coach turned to that duo when the game hit crunch time.

Thursday night, with Penn Wood visiting the Fred Pickett Jr. Gymnasium, Keith Taylor opted for a taller lineup, with the guards Gilbert and Akeem Taylor on the bench. But the coach turned to that duo when the game hit crunch time.

Taylor scored eight of his 12 points in the fourth quarter for a balanced Clipper output, and Gilbert keyed a stifling press with seven steals in a 67-50 win in a battle of teams that entered unbeaten in the Del Val League.

(click on this link for more game stories and scores)

Bonner-Prendergast center Tariq Ingraham drawing more interest

Recruiting: Bonner-Prendergast center Tariq Ingraham drawing more interest

Photo by Stephen M. Falk

By EJ Smith

Tariq Ingraham took his home court in front of a sold-out crowd eager to watch a rematch of last season’s Catholic League championship on Jan. 6, but the audience he had on his mind was much smaller.

Bonner-Prendergast’s senior big man knew college coaches, either in attendance or watching the film later, would want to see how he fared against Roman Catholic star freshman Jalen Duren, and he was eager to prove himself.

Ingraham is a crafty center who operates out of the post, but can also shoot and pass from the perimeter or high post. The 6-foot-9, 230-pounder is a Division I prospect with offers from about a half-dozen schools, including Temple, Rutgers, and Pitt.

(click on this link for the full story)

Delco boys basketball stat leaders, Jan. 16

From left, Episcopal Academy’s Matt Dade, Haverford School’s Christian Ray and teammate Tyler Seward figure, here chasing a loose ball in a game last Friday, figure prominently among Delco’s stat leaders. (Pete Bannan/Digital First Media)

By Matthew DeGeorge

(Based on games reported to the Daily Times through Jan. 15; for questions or corrections, email mdegeorge@21st-centurymedia.com; Minimum half of team games played)

Scoring Average

Isaiah Wong, Bonner & Prendergast 25.8
Christian Ray, Haverford School 22.5
Vinny DeAngelo, Sun Valley 22.4
Matt Dade, Episcopal Academy 19.7
Karell Watkins, Chester 19.2
Malcolm Williams, Penncrest 18.3
Alex Capitano, Episcopal Academy 17.1
Greg Vlassopoulos, Garnet Valley 17.1
Tommy Gardler, Marple Newtown 16.7
Jamihy Evans, Chester Charter SA 16.0

(click on this link for the complete list stat leaders)

Nelson picks up where he left off in Haverford School win

Haverford School’s Asim Richards, scoring a basket against Episcopal Academy last week, scored 13 points in a win over Springside Chestnut Hill Tuesday. (Pete Bannan/Digital First Media)

By Matthew DeGeorge

It’s hard to say how much Haverford School, with its unbeaten record, has missed Jameer Nelson Jr. But the Fords are certainly glad to have the Saint Joseph’s commit back.

Nelson scored 11 points in his return after six weeks out with a knee injury as the Fords picked up win No. 16 in a 74-60 victory over Springside Chestnut Hill.

Christian Ray led the way again with 29 points. Asim Richards chipped in 13 and Jameel Brown added nine for the Fords (16-0, 4-0 Inter-Ac), who get stronger ahead of their showdown with fellow league unbeaten Malvern Prep Friday to end the first turn of the home-and-home Inter-Ac slate.

Also in the Inter-Ac:

(click on this link for more game stories and scores)