Category: Latest News

Central League semis: Klevan’s hot hand leads Lower Merion past Garnet Valley

Harrison Klevan (above) and Lower Merion pulled away from Garnet Valley at the end of the third. (Photo: Tommy Smith/CoBL)

  

By Josh Verlin

Locked in a battle with Garnet Valley in the Central League semifinals, Lower Merion was looking for someone step up and knock down some shots.

Typically one of the best teams in the area from outside the arc, the Aces were having issues with their 3-point shooting against the Jaguars, making just three of their 16 attempts in the first half of a game that was dead even at the midway point and a three-point game with two minutes left in the third quarter.

Finally, Harrison Klevan got hot.

The Lower Merion senior knocked down three triples in the span of 90 seconds to close out the quarter, and the Aces took what suddenly had become a double-digit advantage and held onto it to close out a 72-59 victory on Sunday afternoon at Marple Newtown HS.

(click on this link for the full story)

Webmaster note:  Delcohoops.com will LIVE broadcast the Central League Basketball Championship games for both girl’s and boy’s teams this Tuesday night. First broadcast will begin at 5:45 PM. 

Chester closes out regular season in style


By Matthew DeGeorge

Last time out, Chester could barely unlock the lid to the basket in a low-scoring win over Penn Wood that marked its lowest point output in more than three years.

Friday, they found all those points and more in the Clippers’ biggest offensive explosion in quite some time.

Michael Smith scored 29 points, and Rahmaad DeJarnette returned from a prolonged injury absence with 17 points as Chester walloped Chichester, 107-75, for an emphatic end to the regular season.

Brian Randolph scored 12 points, and Karell Watkins, Isaiah Schmidt and Kylair Blackston contributed 10 apiece for the Clippers (16-6, 10-0 Del Val). It was a far cry from the offensive output the Clippers used Tuesday to scrape by Penn Wood, 44-33.

DaQuan Granberry scored 15 points for Chichester (14-8, 6-4) before he was ejected for his second technical foul. Amiri Stewart and Calvin Church supplied 12 points apiece.

Also in the Del Val League:

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

Webmaster’s note: The Chester vs Chichester game was our Game-of-the-Week and can be heard on our Archives link by clicking on the player below.

Girls Basketball: McAteer’s shot helps Garnet Valley cap perfect league slate

By PAPrepLive

Garnet Valley’s girls basketball team can enjoy a relaxing off day Sunday thanks to some late heroics by Emily McAteer.

McAteer’s basketball with 17 seconds left was the difference in a 49-47 victory over Conestoga that completed an undefeated run by the Jaguars in the Central League.

By going undefeated, Garnet Valley advances to next Tuesday’s Central League championship game at Harriton against the winner of Sunday’s semifinal between Springfield and Haverford High. Tip-off in the final is 6 p.m.

Had Conestoga won, Garnet Valley (20-2, 16-0) would have had to play a semifinal game Sunday.

McAteer finished with 11 points. Brianne Borckly led Garnet Valley with 16 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Nicole Barnes contributed 10 points, four assists and four steals.

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

Webmaster note:  Delcohoops.com will LIVE broadcast the Central League Basketball Championship games for both girl’s and boy’s teams this Tuesday night. First broadcast will begin at 5:45 PM. 

Wong, Ingraham have Bonner & Prendergast sitting pretty

By Matthew DeGeorge

A season ago, with a berth to the PIAA Class 5A tournament on the line, Bonner & Prendergast came up short against Archbishop Carroll twice in one week. The Friars had made progress under coach Jack Concannon, but the pieces weren’t quite there yet.So as a contingent of upperclassmen who led the Friars out of the 2-20 doldrums of 2013-14 graduated, Concannon had spots to fill on his team. And the two primary names that filled the void showed just how big they are Friday.

Isaiah Wong and Tariq Ingraham both played like blue-chippers, the junior transfers keying a 79-72 win for the Friars over Carroll in a pulsating affair before a raucous capacity crowd.

Wong was unstoppable in the first half with 15 of his game-high 29 points, and he found time to collect 12 rebounds and five assists. Ingraham stepped in late, supplying 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter as the Friars (18-3 overall, 11-1 Catholic League) had the final say in a seesaw battle to get within one win of a regular season Catholic League title.

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

Brennan’s bomb scores a first for Garnet Valley

By Matthew DeGeorge

To fulfill its hopes of qualifying for the Central League semifinals, Garnet Valley required something special in the final moments Friday. Cade Brennan stepped to the mark.

The forward laser-beamed home a 3-pointer, just his second of the season, as the buzzer sounded to give Garnet Valley a 53-50 win over Conestoga.

The win earns the Jaguars (16-6, 11-5) the third seed and a date with second-seeded Lower Merion in Sunday’s semifinal. It is Garnet Valley’s first trip to the Central League playoffs. Upper Darby (11-5 in the league) is the fourth seed. Had Conestoga won, it would’ve been the fourth seed and Upper Darby the third with Garnet Valley dropping to fifth.

Brennan scored 11 points, as did Greg Vlassopoulos. Austin Laughlin led the way with 15 points, and Connor O’Brien chipped in eight.

Also in the Central League:

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

Webmaster note:  Delcohoops.com will LIVE broadcast the Central League Basketball Championship games for both girl’s and boy’s teams this Tuesday night. First broadcast will begin at 5:45 PM. 

Boys Basketball Notebook: Late adversity taught Haverford School to take ‘punch’

(Digital First Media/Pete Bannan)


By Matthew DeGeorge

As Haverford School’s bright start to the 2016-17 season dimmed, coach Bernie Rogers knew in the back of his mind that the process could allow more than one chance at a championship.

Last year’s Fords won 16 of their first 17 games, but the season pivoted in a five-overtime setback at the hands of Germantown Academy Jan. 24. From there, the Fords lost three straight, five of six and six of their final nine to spiral out of the lead in the Inter-Ac, watching GA and archrival Episcopal Academy split the crown and the Fords drought stretch to 17 seasons.

But Rogers knew he had not a single senior among his rotation. He knew, in his second year in charge, that there was more room to grow.

“I think last year we were on such a roll, then we lost the five-overtime game, then lost again, and it’s almost like it’s the first time we got punched in the face,” Rogers said Wednesday. “I think this year when we faced adversity in games, it didn’t bother us.”

(click on this link for the full story)

 

Keita’s hot hand helps Upper Darby rally past Ridley

By PAPrepLive

Diby Keita scored 15 points and Upper Darby recovered from an insipid first half to upend Ridley, 58-36.

With the win, the Royals (16-6) have clinched a spot in the Central League playoffs, which begin Sunday at Marple Newtown.
UD outscored the Green Raiders 39-14 after halftime. Keita scored all of his points from beyond the arc. Magd Abdelwahab paced the Royals with 16 points.

Enoch Clark led Ridley with 15 points.

Calvary Christian 61, Christian Academy 53 >> Tehron Phillips paced the Crusaders with 13 points. Grant Sareyka and Brandon Rochester chipped in with 11 points apiece.

Nwobodo takes over, lifts Delco Christian

(Digital First Media/Pete Bannan)

By Matthew DeGeorge

The conversations in the Delco Christian locker room at halftime Tuesday night weren’t overly pleasant. Not after a second quarter in which the Knights scored just six points and surrendered the final six of the half to visiting Morrisville.But the message that emerged from the summit was well imparted.

“Effort was the main key of our success in the second half because the first half was very sloppy,” DC forward Obinna Nwobodo said. “I think that we all just needed to give effort and it had to come from someone, so I thought, why not me?”

At times in the second half, Morrisville was probably thinking, how about someone — anyone — other than Nwobodo for a change?

He scored 15 of his 16 points after the break and added 13 rebounds as the Knights dominated the boards in a 59-50 Bicentennial League win, their fourth straight victory.

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

Eagle Parade postpones Game-of-the-Week

By Delcohoops.com Staff

This week’s Game-of-the-Week is between the Chester Clippers and the Chichester Eagles. It was originally scheduled for Thursday night, February 8th.  Both school districts have decided to close for the Eagle Super Bowl parade which also cancels extra curricular activities including our Game-of-the-Week.  The game has been moved to the next day, Friday, February 9th. 

We will still be broadcasting the game as planned this Friday. Our broadcast will begin at 4:45 and tip-off is scheduled at 5 PM.

Chester, Haverford School clinch league titles

(Digital First Media/Pete Bannan)

By Matthew DeGeorge

The heavy lifting for the titles had been already taken care of, but Tuesday marked a chance for celebration for both Chester and Haverford School.

The two schools wrapped up their respective outright league titles Tuesday – Chester with a 44-33 win over Del Val foe Penn Wood; Haverford School by trouncing Springside Chestnut Hill, 62-43, to finish off the Inter-Ac.

Brian Randolph hit three 3-pointers to lead Chester with 18 points in a rare offense-starved game that entered the fourth quarter in the 20s. Eleven of Randolph’s points came in the final frame where Chester held a 19-5 edge. Randolph added 10 rebounds.

Michael Smith supplied nine points on three triples, and Karell Watkins paired six points with seven rebounds and four blocks for the Clippers (15-6, 9-0 Del Val). The Clippers had mathematically clinched the outright title Monday when Academy Park beat second-place Chichester.

The Fords cut down the nets on their home court Tuesday for their first league title since 1999. But details of the game were not reported.

Also in the Del Val:

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