Delcohoops.com

By Bruce Adams

When Haverford School senior guard Kharon Randolph joined in the on-court celebration Friday evening following the host Fords’ 83-58 win against Malvern Prep that clinched a share of the InterAc boys’ basketball title, he felt a sense of vindication.
“Last year, EA celebrated its title clinching on our court,” said Randolph, whose Fords finished 7-3 in the Inter-Ac last winter, a game behind league co-champs Episcopal Academy and Germantown Academy. “It was great to see our crowd celebrate on our court, and on Senior Night. It’s unbelievable to be sharing this with all of my teammates tonight.”
Randolph, who scored 26 points by the end of the third quarter Friday, knows the Inter-Ac job isn’t over yet for the Fords (17-5, 8-0).
“We have a chance to make history this season,” said Randolph. “Our last Inter-Ac title was in 1999, when we were 9-1. But we haven’t gone undefeated in the Inter-Ac since 1927, and we still have two Inter-Ac games to go (Feb. 6 at home against Sprinside Chestnut Hill, Feb. 9 at Penn Charter). Our season is nowhere near over.”

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By Josh Verlin

In his first three years at the Haverford School, Kharon “Bonk” Randolph had witnessed two separate court stormings on his home floor. Neither of them were by the Fords’ faithful; in fact, both were by Episcopal Academy students.

Three years ago, the Churchmen faithful celebrated a game-winning 3-pointer to knock off the Fords, who at the time featured current Temple star Levan Alston Jr. and Penn State wing Lamar Stevens. Last season, EA once again found itself celebrating on McBride Court, after gaining revenge on the Haverford School for an earlier defeat, a win that was a big reason the Churchmen were able to clinch a share of the Inter-Academic League championship a year ago.

Finally, on an evening where a packed house honored his and his classmates’ achievements during a pre-game Senior Night ceremony, Randolph got to experience a court-storming from his own classmates, after The Haverford School knocked off Malvern Prep 83-58 on Friday night to clinch at least a share of the league title for the first time since any of the Fords had been born.

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By Matthew DeGeorge

In a week, Upper Darby and Garnet Valley could find themselves matched up in the Central League semifinals. In two weeks, it could be in the District 1 Class 6A tournament, with a states berth or more on the line.

If Thursday’s intensity and entertainment was any indication, then clear your schedules to watch the next one.

Garnet Valley rode 35 points from Austin Laughlin to prevail, 69-64, in a back-and-forth game between two contenders that are tied for third in the Central League with two games remaining.

Laughlin had the first and final things to say Thursday. He scored the game’s first seven points, Upper Darby spotting the visitors a scoreless first four and a half minutes. And he scored nine in the fourth quarter, including a 4-for-4 effort at the free-throw line. The dagger was a 3-pointer with 3:08 to play, stepping over a screen to knock down one of his seven triples from the top of key.

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

By Matt Chandik

There isn’t a more passionate basketball community in the state of Pennsylvania than the fine folks in Chester, but sometimes, that passion manifests itself in a less-than-positive way.

If the number in the loss column keeps changing, you can bet that the Clipper faithful will have plenty to say. So when Chester started the season 1-5, Brian Randolph III heard it all.

“Everyone was saying that this was the worst Chester High team,” Randolph III offered, “but I already knew in my mind that we were going to make our run and turn it up a notch.”

Thursday night, the Clippers rolled over Glen Mills, 65-39, to claim their 13th consecutive win. Chester hasn’t lost since the calendar flipped to 2018, its last false step coming Dec. 30 in a 57-48 to defending District One Class 5A champion. Those 13 wins have come by an average of 17.4 points per game, and in their eight Del Val wins, that margin increases to 23.5 points per game.

(click on this link for the full story)

Click on this link for a PDF full size version in of the poster at the Sports Legends web site.

By Matthew DeGeorge

Clyde Jones speaks like a coach very much focused on the present. But when he returned to Penn Wood Tuesday night for his first game against the Patriots, the Chichester boss carved out a little time for the past, for the 10 years he spent at Penn Wood.

And to snap a picture or two of some old friends, like the banner that reads “PIAA Boys Basketball Champions — 2009.”

“When I walk into this gym,” the Chichester boss said, “I feel like I’m home.”

The touches of home extended to the game, a quintessentially chaotic Del Val affair. In the end, Jones’ team, occupying the comfortable side of the court that he once knew as home, did what the coach has done hundreds of times in the Shoebox: It came out with the higher number on the scoreboard.

Amiri Stewart’s up-and-under lay-in with 11 seconds left was the final say in a 60-59 Chichester win, a back-and-forth collision featuring 11 leads changes and far more subplots than just Jones’ homecoming.

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

Webmaster’s note: The Chester vs Chichester game next Thursday, February 8th, is our Game-of-the-Week and can be heard LIVE starting at 4:45 P.M. and will be available on our Archives three hours after the game concludes.