Category: Latest News

By Matthew DeGeorge

In a meeting of two of Pennsylvania’s traditional hoops juggernauts, Karell Watkins continued to make a name for himself.

The sophomore forward scored 27 points to go with 15 rebounds as Chester topped Reading, 77-72, Tuesday night at the Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Classic.

Michael Smith added 21 points, and Akeem Taylor paired 14 points with six assists as the Clippers (3-2) dished 20 assists on 30 baskets to win their third straight. Rahmaad Dejarnette added 13 points.

Watkins scored nine points and Taylor added six in the third quarter where the Clippers turned up the defense for a 21-9 advantage in the frame, an edge they wouldn’t relinquish.

In other nonleague action:

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

(Webmaster’s note: The Reading vs. Chester game was our Game-of-the-Week and can be heard in its entirety below or on our Archives link listed in the menu at the top of our page.) (Click on this link for the game’s Box Scores)

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By Mike Drago

Rick Perez said his young Reading High team showed a lot more resilience Tuesday at Chester than it did in its season-opening loss to Williamsport.The Red Knights showed more than that.

They showed an explosive side and that good things are on the way during a furious fourth-quarter rally that came up short in a 77-72 loss.

A ragged start to the second half put the Knights (3-2) in big hole, one they nearly dug all the way out of with a 26-point fourth quarter.

Senior guard Wesley Butler jammed 14 of his team-high 27 points into the final quarter, helping Reading pull within 69-68 at one point.

Twice they turned it into a one-possession game, the last time after freshman Joey Chapman banked in a free throw to make it 71-70 with 54 seconds left.

The Clippers (3-2) extended their lead with one of many transition buckets by sophomore standout Karrell Watkins, who finished with 27 points, 11 boards and five assists.

(click on this link for the full article)

(Webmaster’s note: The Reading vs. Chester game was our Game-of-the-Week and can be heard in its entirety above or on our Archives link listed in the menu at the top of our page.)

By PAPrepLive

Episcopal Academy turned up the defensive pressure to erase a two-point, first-quarter deficit and defeat Western Reserve Academy from Ohio, 66-39, in the fifth-place game in the Mercer Invitational at the Hill School.

The Churchmen held the Pioneers to 27 points in the final three quarters and outscored WRA, 35-20, in the second half to climb out of a 12-10 hole and win going away. Alex Capitano poured in 19 points and was named to the all-tournament team. Matt Dade added 16 to pace EA to its second straight win.

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

By Matthew DeGeorge

For all the senior talent on the Sun Valley roster, there’s one commodity missing from last year’s squad that earned a berth in the PIAA Class 5A tournament. It just happens to be one of the hardest-to-fake entities in high school hoops.Six of the top seven scorers are back for the Vanguards, but the missing piece is a point guard, after the graduation of floor general Shair Brown-Morris. It’s a void rarely filled by committee – either you have an adept and stable ball-handler, or you don’t.

Turns out that Sun Valley has one, just not always the same one. And more than anything, years of experience built between a veteran corps seems to be steadying that role, as in Saturday’s 63-47 nonleague handling of Marple Newtown.

Vinny DeAngelo and Isaac Kennon rotated having the ball in their hands. Kennon held it down in the first half, DeAngelo sitting with two fouls. DeAngelo, who excelled as an off-ball player to tally 1,000 career points by the end of his junior campaign, took the reins in the second to jumpstart his offensive game.

With Sun Valley off a 5-0 start, the early returns of the time-sharing are certainly encouraging.

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

By Rick O’Brien

Xavier Edwards and his Norristown High teammates thrived against Lower Merion with their ball movement and unselfishness.

By Matthew DeGeorge

Strath Haven 59, Marple Newtown 54 >> The Panthers spread the scoring evenly, with Luke Edwards netting 16 points, Ibo Pio tossing in 13 and Brady Mutz adding 11. Justin Morris chipped in eight for the Panthers (1-3, 1-1).

Tommy Gardler led Marple (0-3, 0-2) with 23 points, and Aziz Khammassi chipped in 13.

(Click on this link for the games Box Scores)

(Webmaster’s note: The Marple Newtown vs. Strath Haven game was our Game-of-the-Week and can be heard in its entirety below or on our Archives link listed in the menu at the top of our page.)

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By Matthew DeGeorge

There was a lot of fouling going on in Chester’s game with South Philadelphia High School Friday. That suited the Clippers just fine.

Chester converted 37 of its 49 trips to the line to win an 87-47 nonleague decision Friday night.

Michael Smith led all scorers with 18 points, including a perfect 10-for-10 at the charity stripe. Karell Watkins added 13 points with a 7-for-8 day at the line, and Fareed Burton was 9-for-10 from the line for nine points. Rahmee Gilbert added 11 points, and Akeem Taylor had 10 for the Clippers (2-2).

In other nonleague action:

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

By Matthew DeGeorge

The clock showed 1:51 when Greg Vlassopoulos, Garnet Valley’s leading scorer this young season, attempted his first field goal of the third quarter. Yet in that first six-plus minutes, as the senior wing turned his attention elsewhere on the court Friday night, the Jags saw their lead balloon from seven to an ultimately decisive 15 points.The reason, as a boisterous Garnet Valley student section eagerly pointed out, was a pair of players who are sophomores.

Neel Beniwal scored a career-high 20 points, and Carl Schaller added 13 as Garnet Valley hung on late in the face of Ridley’s incessant press for a 64-55 Central League win.

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

By PAPrepLive

Three games into the season and Chester High can finally exhale.

Looking for win No. 1 Thursday night at home, the Clippers controlled the tempo from the outset and big men Karell Watkins and Zahmir Carroll dominated inside the paint, leading to an 81-59 rout of Newark (Del.).

Watkins (31 points, 11 rebounds) and Carroll (13 points, 10 rebounds) each recorded a career high in scoring as the Clippers (1-2) came away with the ‘W’ for the first time in 2018-19. For Watkins it was his second double-double in three games.

Chester pulled away by outscoring Newark 25-11 in the fourth quarter. Akeem Taylor added 12 points and All-Delco guard Michael Smith contributed nine.

In other nonleague action:

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

By Pete Digiovanni

Four years ago, West Chester Rustin coach Keith Cochran started a pair of freshmen, Jake Nelson and Taj Asparagus. The Golden Knights took their lumps, but anyone who knew basketball could see the potential in the pair.Tuesday night, the pair proved it has fully grown up. Asparagus hit two free throws with 4.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter to give the Golden Knights a thrilling 66-64 nonleague win over Chester.

Nelson led all scorers with 28 points and hauled in 13 rebounds, while Asparagus added 19 points and eight boards.
Rahmaad DeJarnette led Chester with 27 points on the night, and Akeem Taylor added 14 for the Clippers (0-2).
Golden Knights freshman Ivy Pettit added 17 more for Rustin.

“They really have come along way as a pair and it was good to see them both have big games together,” Cochran said. “We knew how tough Chester is. They are tough at the beginning of the year, the middle of the year or at the end, so it was a nice win for us. We need Jake and Taj to lead us on and off the court.”

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