Category: Latest News

By Matthew DeGeorge

In one way, the waiting through 2020 was eased for Dean Coleman-Newsome. But that didn’t make his situation easy, by any means.

Knee surgery in October 2020 meant the Archbishop Carroll guard knew his sophomore season would likely be washed out, no matter what the COVID-19 pandemic did to schedules that winter. A second procedure on his other knee in January made it official.

So the combo guard who had such a revelatory freshman season pre-pandemic resolved to bide his time, recuperate and come back stronger. Two varsity games in, it seems clear that Coleman-Newsome made the most of his time away.

The junior scored 21 points Saturday, helping Carroll dominate Episcopal Academy, 66-38, in the Inter-Ac/Catholic League Challenge at West Chester University’s Hollinger Field House.

For someone who still considers himself rounding into shape, he would’ve fooled an unaware observer.

“It was rough, just the process of physical therapy and getting myself back into game shape,” he said. “I’m still getting acclimated to the game, but it’s been good.”

(click on this link for the full story and more game scores)

By Matt Smith

It was a simple gesture, but not something you see everyday from high school athletes.

Moments after Episcopal Academy’s Riley Cassidy led her team to a 49-22 victory over Marple Newtown Friday, the senior guard went over to every official and gave them a fist-bump.

Cassidy’s courteousness has been part of her basketball routine ever since she was a little kid.

“My CYO coach encouraged it,” she said. “You know, just to thank the refs and be respectful. They’re taking their time to come out and officiate, and it’s something I like to do.”

Cassidy likely made the officials’ jobs easier. Whenever she had the ball, it seemed, she swished baskets. In the fourth quarter alone, Cassidy drilled four 3-point field goals and scored 13 of Episcopal’s 18 points. Overall, Cassidy netted 24 points on 8-for-16 shooting from the field for the Churchwomen (2-0).

(click on this link for the full story)

By PAPrep LIVE

Welcome back to, what we hope, is a full season of hoops for high school teams in Delaware County!

We’re a little late getting started as the football season for Strath Haven went for 15 weeks which cut into our prep time for Delcohoops.com.  

We have two new broadcasters (actually one is just returning) for our weekly broadcasts and we have some exciting news. After years of discussions and strategies we will be covering both the boys and girls games this year.  We plan on having two broadcast crews on the street and hope to be able to cover one boys and one girls game each week.  We will also link articles in local publications. It’s twice the amount of work but we always felt we should be covering both boys and girls but lacked the resources to do it.  Thanks to the generous support of Keystone Transport we have been able to complete our mission.

We are still working on the full Delco game schedules for both boys and girls and hope to post that this weekend.  The season officially starts in January for our Game-of-the-Week but we’ll see if we can squeeze in a game or two in December.

Welcome back high school basketball fans!

By Matthew DeGeorge

Garnet Valley’s journey to the top of the Central League last season wasn’t easy. Its battle to stay there won’t be, either.

A veteran-laden squad led the Jaguars to a 17-4 record in 2021, including a first Central League title and the semifinals of the District 1 Class 6A tournament. But with All-Delco Carl Schaller among four departing seniors, the reloading this season will require new faces to step up.

Max Koehler played big minutes as a sophomore, averaging 7.2 points per game. He’ll have to assume a larger role, as close to the Schaller responsibilities as possible. Ryan Wootten also proved an ability to hit big shots in 2021, averaging 4.9 ppg.

Ryan Faccenda will be elevated from sixth man to the starting lineup. In Jake Sniras and Logan McKee, this year’s Jaguars have more height than usual.

Like Garnet Valley, Haverford is tasked with turning the page on the era of one of the program’s brightest players. John Seidman is gone, the 1,000-point-scoring All-Delco having impacted every aspect of the Fords’ game the last three years.

(click on this link for the full story)

By Jack McCaffery

The summer tour led Larenzo Jerkins through 11 states and twice as many opportunities to impress, so Chester High basketball coach Keith Taylor would brace for the inevitable.

There was Jerkins, his 6-5-and-developing junior, creating a mild stir with SK Elite on the AAU barn-storm. That, then, would be the cue for the recruiters to pounce.

Not college recruiters.

The other kind.

“High school coaches in the state,” Jerkins was saying, before a recent practice at 9th and Barclay. “A lot of them. They were trying to contact me. Schools like O’Hara, Archbishop Carroll. A lot of teams.”

Such has been the test Taylor has had to endure at Chester, which long has produced gifted players and tolerated desperate high school recruiters. It’s nothing new, and that transfer portal will not likely be buttoned shut any time soon.

All Taylor can do, then, is try to sell Chester’s dazzling basketball history and try to keep pace.

(click on this link for the full story)

By Matthew DeGeorge

Building from scratch after not being able to play at all is something completely different. Add in a new coach and you’ve got the measure of the challenge before Academy Park this winter.

The Knights opted out of the 2021 season, citing concerns over COVID-19 in the community. That means new coach Todd Hryn has little experience within the ranks to build on. Instead, the former assistant at Penncrest and Strath Haven has a chance to create this year’s team out of whole cloth.

The closest thing to experience comes from the football field. The Knights will count on a pair of players from AP’s run to the District 1 Class 5A semifinals to provide grit in the post, via senior Ibrahim Sanogo and junior Darrell Fields. Kahlil Greenwood was one of the Knights’ top pass-catching threats in the fall, and the 5-9 senior has varsity experience dating back to 14 games as a sophomore.

Senior captain Zahamir Mobley played sparingly in his sophomore season in 2019-20. Sophomore Jamir Anderson will run the point, while junior Najee Shaw and senior Bryce Mickens will fill out the rotation.

(click on this link for the full story)

By Matt Smith

By and large, Garnet Valley and Springfield have dominated the Central League for most of the past decade.

The Jaguars and Cougars have combined for seven of the last eight championships.

In last year’s pandemic-shortened season, Springfield rolled through the league undefeated en route to winning both the Central and District 1 Class 5A titles. The Cougars were buoyed by All-Delco senior guards Alexa Abbonizio and Rachel Conran, both of whom were four-year starters. It wasn’t until the Cougars played eventual state champion Cardinal O’Hara in the PIAA Class 5A semifinals that they suffered their first and only loss.

Garnet Valley posted a 9-9 record and failed to make the District 1 Class 6A tournament. Two years prior, the Jaguars had won their first district championship and played in Hershey for the PIAA Class 6A title.

This will be a big year for Springfield’s talented junior class. Guards Lexi Aaron and Mia Valerio, as well as forward Anabel Kreydt, were either starters or first off the bench on a team that finished 22-1. After losing Conran and Abbonizio, who is the program’s all-time leading scorer, the Cougars will be searching for plenty of offense. Aaron has the ability to shoot from long range and Valerio is a crafty point guard who has carved out a reputation for her strong on-the-ball defense.The 5-foot-10 Kreydt was the Cougars’ de facto big last year. She can score in the low post, rebound and defend.

(click on this link for the full story)

By Matt Smith

Last season the Del Val League operated with three schools in a season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Academy Park was the only public school in the county that didn’t play sports during the 2020-21 school year. And Chichester didn’t garner enough student interest to support having a varsity team.

“This year feels like my first year coaching with us being off so long,” said AP coach Ron Bright, who begins his fifth season. “The chemistry with this team is better than any of my past teams, so I am excited to see how it all comes together.”

Senior forward Jada Kinlaw and junior guard Semaj Young are technically returning players on varsity. Senior guard Jade Wilson, senior forward Halayjah Solis-Morgan and senior center Akirah Hill are among the newcomers that Bright is hoping will grow into solid varsity players.

“We will have four seniors and two juniors in the rotation but only two players have varsity experience. One sophomore and four freshmen will also see varsity minutes,” he said. “This will be a young team that will have to win with defense and athleticism. Not having a season last year really hurt getting players varsity experience.”

(click on this link for the full story)