Author: delcohoops

Keith Washington (above) led Bonner with 18 points as the Friars kept their season alive for at least one more game. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

By Josh Verlin

Coming into the last two games of the regular season, Bonner-Prendergast’s road was clear.

Two games back of 10th-place West Catholic, holders of the final Catholic League playoff spot, the Friars had to win win both games–and get some help–or their season would be over.

Bonner got the help needed earlier in the weekend, beating winless Bishop McDevitt as West was downed by La Salle on Friday to move within a game of the Burrs. That set up a Sunday showdown with West Catholic, to keep the season going for one more game.

Buoyed by the energy of senior day, the four Friars whose high school careers are winding down didn’t want to say goodbye just yet, leading the way in a 75-60 win over the Burrs.

Keith Washington led the way with 18 points, while forward John Hargraves (11), wing Mike Mercanti (7) and point guard Ryan Germany (4) all chipped in for Bonner in their final home game.

(click on this link for the full article)

By Matthew De George

Seeing the District One boys basketball tournament on the horizon wasn’t a new sensation for Garnet Valley coach Mike Brown.

Two years ago, his team was 8-8 before stumbling to a 2-4 finish. Last season, six losses in the last seven torpedoed playoff hopes.

This season, no such letdown materialized, perhaps because of the Jaguars’ forthright approach to the past. And the payoff came Sunday.

The Jaguars, with a 14-8 record that was better than 11 other qualifying teams, snuck in with the 30th seed in the District One Class AAAA field.

It is Garnet Valley’s first playoff appearance since 2007-08, its final season before joining the Central League.

As for confronting past missteps, Brown advocated a proactive approach.

“We talked a lot about it because if you don’t, you’re fooling yourself,” Brown said Sunday. “They can go on the computer at home and keep up with it as much as we can now. So to fake it and pretend like it doesn’t exist would be silly. We focused on each opponent and prepared, but we also talked more than several times about the point system and how each game can change our position.”

(click on this link for the full article)

By Matt De George

On a day that was supposed to provide answers, Buzz Wood’s first reaction was a question.

“How am I supposed to explain that to my kids?,” the Chichester coach asked Sunday.

Wood had just seen shocking figures. His team went 14-8, 5-5 in the Del Val League, which provided three of the top 22 seeds in District One Class AAAA.

Yet when the seeding formula spit out its final verdict, Wood’s Eagles weren’t in the top 32. They weren’t 33rd. Or 34th.

In District One’s problematic algorithm, Chichester landed 36th. That they beat Penn Wood didn’t matter. Nor did playing No. 9 seed Chester and No. 18 Academy Park within single-digits. Nor did winning more games than 12 teams in the field. Six of their eight losses came to playoff teams, plus one at the hands of District 3’s 21-win Lampeter-Strasburg. All that was academic.

The Eagles accumulated 70 power points, five per win. But their strength-of-schedule (44.74) was the lowest in District One, per numbers released by the seeding committee. (Those are tentative until Monday at noon.) Chi’s 38.44 bonus points for defeated opponents’ wins was the fewest of any team with double-digit wins.

That doesn’t soften the blow of, for instance, seeing Central Bucks South and its 10-12 record earn the 28th seed.

(click on this link for the full article)

FIRST ROUND

By Delcohoops.com Staff

All of us at Delcohoops.com are pleased to announce that we will be covering, as our Game-of-the-Week, both the girl’s and boy’s Central League Championship Basketball games this Monday, February 8th.

The girl’s game will feature the Garnet Valley Jaguars vs the Springfield Cougars in this “Battle of the Cats”. Our broadcast begins at 5:45 for a 6 PM tip-off.

The boy’s game is between the, undefeated in Central League play, Ridley Green Raiders vs the Conestoga Pioneers. Our broadcast begins at 7:15 for a 7:30 PM tip-off.

This is our first year broadcasting these games LIVE and on our archive.  Friends, family and fans who can’t make the games at Marple Newtown High School can tune in and listen to our play-by-play LIVE by Dave Burman and color commentators Mark Jordan (Radnor Girl’s Basketball Coach) and Mike Mayer. If you miss the live broadcast you can jump on our archive library and listen at your leisure, 24/7. The games can be heard on virtually any device that has Internet ability.

“This is a great addition to our broadcast services.”, said Mike Mayer, Webmaster for Delcohoops.com. “We want these student athletes to share their championship game with as many family members, friends and fans as possible and what better way to do that than to audio broadcast LIVE on the world-wide Internet!”

“To be able to call two games which represent the best basketball talent in the Central League is awesome!” added play-by-play broadcaster, Dave Burman. 

The LIVE games and archives are provided completely free of charge due to the generosity of the Delcohoops.com sponsors.  This series broadcast is specifically made possible by Burman’s Medical Supplies.

Darryl Caldwell (above) and Conestoga are in the Central League championship game for the third consecutive season. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

By Josh Verlin

To earn a chance at Central League championship revenge, Conestoga first had to make good on another loss, this one from earlier in the season.

The Pioneers fell victim to a last-second layup on the road to the Panthers of Strath Haven back in December, one of only four league losses the defending league runners-up suffered during what was supposed to be a rebuilding year.

One down, one to go.

Thanks to a suffocating early defense and just enough offense to hang on, ‘Stoga will have its shot at Ridley to avenge last year’s league title game loss after taking down Strath Haven, 42-40, at Haverford High School on Saturday night.

“We knew Strath Haven had beaten us before, so we really wanted to come back and get revenge,” senior point guard Darryl Caldwell said. “We all got up for this game, we all wanted to go to the Central League championship again.”

Senior wing Andrew Larkin led a balanced scoring effort for ‘Stoga with 10 points, trailed by junior forward Charlie Martin (8), junior guard Scott Shapiro (7) and five each from Caldwell, M.J. Lezanic and Angus Mayock.

Webmaster’s note:  We will be broadcasting (audio) this Championship Boy’s Basketball game tomorrow night.  Simple click on the Game-of-the-Week link to be taken directly to the game.  All costs are paid by our generous sponsors.  If you miss the LIVE game the complete game will be available 24/7 in our archive.)

(click on this link for the full story)

By Matt Breen

By: CoBL Staff

Central League (@ Haverford HS)
Bye: Ridley
Semifinal 1: Conestoga vs. Strath Haven (Sat., 7 PM)

Breakdown
With its win over Garnet Valley on Thursday night, Ridley finishes the Central League season a perfect 16-0, eliminating the need for the Green Raiders to play a semifinal matchup per league rules. Giving East Stroudsburg commit Brett Foster (17 ppg) and a strong supporting cast including Julian Wing (13 ppg) and Ryan Bollinger (9 ppg) a few extra days’ rest before Monday’s final will only make Mike Snyder’s group more dangerous.

Both Conestoga and Strath Haven have the pieces to pull the upset, depending on who gets there. ‘Stoga (12-4), whom Ridley defeated in last year’s Central League championship, is led by a three-year starter at point guard, Darryl Caldwell. The small-college target has played in more big games than anybody else in the league, and he’s got a very good cast around him, including 6-5 senior forward Andrew Larkin, 5-11 senior guard M.J. Lezanic and 6-4 junior Charlie Martin, all of whom are extremely dangerous from the perimeter. Strath Haven (13-3) is much more the upstart, having completed a turnaround from a 2-14 league record a year ago under first-year head coach Dave McFadden. Senior Alex Ischiropoulos and junior Jahmeir Springfield run the offense, but what helps separate the Panthers is 6-8 junior John Harrar in the middle.

(click on this link for the coach’s take and more league championship previews)

Haverford School’s Kharon Randolph rises over a Malvern Prep defender Friday in the Fords’ 93-86 win. (Digital First Media/Robert J. Gurecki

By Bruce Adams

The Haverford School basketball team made its Senior Night a memorable one Friday, coming back from a 20-point third-quarter deficit to beat Malvern Prep, 93-86.

“Our guys didn’t hang their heads when they were 20 points down,” Haverford coach Bernie Rogers said. “They just keep on plugging, kept playing.”

Although Malvern Prep kept hitting three-pointers in a fast-paced first half (they finished with 16 treys), the Fords picked up scoring momentum of their own midway through the third period, and finished with a flourish, tallying 29 points in the final stanza.

Jack Marshall, one of the four Ford seniors honored, tallied 24 points and made his presence felt inside in the second half. The High Point University-bound senior was accurate from the free throw line, going 10-for-13.

“He was really getting the rim in the second half,” noted Rogers.

(click on this link for the full article)

You can always tell when the District One tournament is approaching. Chester starts to heat up, and this season is no different.

Khaleeq Campbell and Ahrod Carter scored 12 points each as the Clippers closed out the season with their 14th win in 15 games in a 58-52 Del Val decision over Penn Wood Friday night.

Carter scored nine of his points in the third quarter to help break the game open. Stanley Davis Jr. (11 points) shot 6-for-7 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter. The Clippers, who were 15-for-40 from the stripe in a three-point win over Chichester Thursday night, connected on 20 of 29 against the Patriots including 11-for-15 in the fourth quarter.

Ryan Kelly had 13 points to lead Penn Wood.

(click on this link for Catholic League game results)