Month: February 2018

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)

By Zach Drapkin

Coming into Conestoga on Monday night, Upper Darby’s situation was simple: win, or you’re out of the Central League playoffs.

No pressure, right?

Actually, that’s exactly what Royals head coach Bob Miller told his team.

“Believe it or not, I told them tonight that the pressure is on Conestoga,” Miller said. “I told my guys just play loose because we’ve got nothing to lose tonight. It seemed to work.”

Upper Darby marched into Conestoga’s gym and executed the fast-paced, loose style of basketball Miller wanted to see, thoroughly outplaying the Pioneers for a 52-39 victory.

(click on this link for the full story)

By PAPrepLive

Danny Roe scored 20 points Monday, including a critical late 3-pointer, lifting Haverford to a come-from-behind, 63-62 victory over Garnet Valley to introduce a little chaos into the Central League standings.

Roe drained four 3-point shots. J.T. Smyth added 17 points, including three 3-pointers. The Fords (8-12, 6-9) made 11 3-pointers and outscored the Jags, 22-14, in the fourth quarter. Garnet Valley shot 1-for-4 from the line in the final eight minutes.

Austin Laughlin tabbed 34 points for Garnet Valley, which fell to 16-6, 10-5 in the Central League and a three-way tie for third place with Upper Darby and Conestoga. The Jags play Conestoga Wednesday.

Greg Vlassopoulos added 14 points, and Cade Brennan provided 11 for Garnet Valley.

Also in the Central League:

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

By Michael Bullock

Appearing below are all six of our top 10s, with PIAA district and this season’s record displayed in parentheses. Only those schools competing for PIAA state championships are eligible for ranking purposes.

CITY OF BASKETBALL LOVE STATE BASKETBALL RANKINGS

(records through games of Feb. 4/OW-others to watch/NR-not ranked)

By Matthew DeGeorge

A day after clinching a share of a first Inter-Ac title in 19 years, there was no hangover for Haverford School, which used 23 Christian Ray points to steamroll Peddie School, 75-54, in nonleague action.

Kharon Randolph scored 17 points, and Nasir Smith and Gavin Burke contributed 10 apiece for the Fords (18-5). Haverford flashed its roster depth barely 12 hours after routing Malvern Prep, 83-58, Friday to move to 8-0 in the Inter-Ac.

In the Ches-Mont league:

Sun Valley 74, W.C. Henderson 61 >> Vinny DeAngelo scored a game-high 25 points, and Isaac Kennon followed him with 20 as the Vanguards won their third straight game. Shahir Brown-Morris added 11 points for Sun Valley (13-6).

In nonleague action:

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

By Matthew DeGeorge

There are two high school programs in Chester once again this season, and both prominently bear the name Taylor.

Keith Taylor is in his first season as the head coach of his alma mater, Chester High, which clinched at least a share of a Del Val title Thursday night with its 12th consecutive win. Taylor’s nephew, Akeem, is the leading scorer at Chester Charter School for the Arts, which in its first season of PIAA competition has a chance of qualifying for the District 1 Class A playoffs with an 8-12 record and two games left.

Both say that the prospects of those two uniting at Chester High, though, is slim.

“It was crazy,” Akeem said after a win over Interboro Jan. 27. “A lot of people expected me to go there, but I decided to stay here.”

Akeem, a sophomore guard who is averaging more than 20 points per game this season, was drawn to the challenge at CCSA, part of the first generation of players on the Sabers team. The program, which played as an independent outside the PIAA last year, has grown from the elementary ranks up. As such, coach Donnie Dodds’ roster has no seniors this season, relying on the cohort of underclassmen that has grown up with the school.

(click on this link for more stories)

By Matthew DeGeorge

Chester had the ball, down two, but still with a chance to keep its winning streak alive.

It was not meant to be.

A turnover by the Clippers led to a breakaway dunk by West Chester Rustin’s Jake Nelson that sealed a 64-58 win by the Knights that brought Chester’s 13-game winning streak to an end. It was Chester’s first loss since a 58-47 setback to Penncrest Dec. 30.

Brice Barrouk tallied seven of his 13 points in the third quarter and Brice Pew had five of his seven in the frame to help Rustin open up a 51-43 lead. The Clippers (14-6) fought back to make it a see-saw battle in the fourth quarter before Nelson’s dunk sealed it for the Knights. Nelson finished with 19 points.

Brian Randolph scored 19 points and Michale Smith added 16 to lead Chester.

In other nonleague action:

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

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.”

(click on this link for the full story)

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.

(click on this link for the full story)

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)