Delcohoops.com

By Matt Smith

Lower Merion’s John Mobley didn’t have a 3-point shot in his repertoire last season. It’s one aspect of his game he continues to improve.

In the offseason, Mobley trained with professional basketball player and Philadelphia native Jared Armstrong, who has molded Mobley into a better outside shooter. They always meet local LA Fitness. Somewhere in that gym is a basketball court.

“It’s a small one,” Mobley said, “but it gets the job done.”

This time a year ago, you wouldn’t have seen Mobley hit a 3-pointer in the biggest game of his high school career. In Saturday’s District 1 Class 6A final at the Liacouras Center, Mobley pulled up and sank a triple as time expired in the third quarter, giving the Aces a 10-point advantage.

“We would go there at five in the morning, work out three or sometimes five days a week,” Mobley said of his work with Armstrong. “We worked on catch-and-shoot, pull ups and everything like that. I actually have a lot more to work on when (Armstrong) comes back.”

For now, Mobley’s range is more than good enough for the District 1 champion Aces.

(click on this link for the full article, subscription may be required)

By Matthew DeGeorge

By the final minute of Saturday night’s District 1 Class 6A final, the scoreboard rang true in a very specific way for Garnet Valley.

The 14th seed was trying to complete its fourth straight win over a top-six seed, and it had struggled, to put it mildly, against No. 1 Lower Merion. It was shooting south of 30 percent from the field. It had trailed by as many as 15 early in the second half. A tough climb against a 26-1 foe that had beaten them twice this season was steepening by the moment.

And yet, with 25.2 seconds showing on the clock at the Liacouras Center, Garnet Valley was … within five points. One LM mistake, one hot-shooting mini-spurt, one freak high school basketball series of bounces, and maybe things would get interesting.

They didn’t, Lower Merion completing a 57-49 win and lifting the trophy. But for Garnet Valley, in its first district final of this magnitude, had proven a point: Even in a defeat where it was downright displeased with the way it played, the Jaguars belonged.

(click on this link for the full article, subscription may be required)

By Josh Verlin and Owen McCue 

Boys: 1) Lower Merion vs. 14) Garnet Valley (7 PM)

For Gregg Downer’s top-seeded Aces, the District 1 playoffs have been more like the Central League Playoffs, Part Two.

Before beating Chester in the district semifinals on Tuesday, Lower Merion had to go through two familiar faces in Conestoga and Springfield (Delco.), beating ‘Stoga for the third time this season and Springfield for the second. Now it’s matchup No. 3 against Garnet Valley, yet another Central League opponent, the Aces beating the Jags in both their regular-season meetings. 

It’s the first time since the Central League was founded in 1967 that two of its members will meet for a District 1 title. 

“Well, it’s a nice feather in the cap for the Central League, to get two teams to the finals […] it’s a good moment for our league,” Downer said on a Friday phone call. “Truthfully, we’re a little tired of playing league opponents; we would like ideally to play some fresh faces, hopefully we’ll get some fresh faces in the state tournament, but beating a team like Garnet Valley three times is not an easy task.”

(click on this link for the full article which appears at the bottom of the article)

By Matthew DeGeorge

In Mike Brown’s time at the helm of Garnet Valley boys basketball, he’s had teams with more college prospects. He’s had more depth, more shooting ability, maybe more talent man-for-man.

But none of those teams in this era of resurgence has played in a district final.

So what makes the 2023-24 Jaguars, who travel to Temple Saturday night to take on top-seeded Lower Merion for a District 1 Class 6A crown, different?

“I think what makes this team different is how much we all genuinely love each other and how much we play together,” senior guard Jack Krautzel said this week. “If you look at our stats (in the district semifinal), everyone basically had the same amount of points. I think we’re all meshing together, and everyone has the same purpose and same goal of winning, and that’s why we’re winning.”

The amazing balance and adaptiveness that the Jaguars have cultivated is why they’ve risen from the No. 14 seed to the Liacouras Center spotlight, for an all-Central League final against the Aces.

(click on this link for the full article, subscription may be required)

By CoBL Staff

The Central League announced its all-league boys and girls basketball teams earlier this week. Here are the two lists:

2023-24 All-Central League Boys Basketball Teams

Most Valuable Player
Matt Gardler, Jr., Marple Newtown

Gardler was the league’s leading scorer (20.1 ppg) during the conference slate, putting together a number of big outings for Marple, which finished its season at 13-12, including 10-6 in the Central League. Gardler hit several clutch shots during the season, including a game-winner against Garnet Valley in the Central League playoffs. 

(click on this link for the full article)

By Matt Smith

When Tess Durfee is called into action, she makes every second count.

As Haverford’s unsung hero, the senior is the embodiment of what is known in basketball parlance as “the sixth man.” Few players in District 1 have done it better than Durfee this season.

If there’s a rebound to be grabbed, Durfee attacks it with ferocity. If there’s a loose ball to be covered, rest assured Durfee will dive on the floor, throwing caution to the wind. She is an excellent passer and rebounder but her hallmark attribute is lockdown defense. And if needed to score every now and then, she’ll oblige.

Indeed, Durfee does many things that do not appear in a basketball scorebook. She brings energy, oftentimes arousing the loudest cheers with her positive play at critical junctures during the Fords’ home playoff games. Durfee was a difference maker again Wednesday, helping Haverford to a 53-42 victory over Central Bucks East in a District 1 Class 6A playback.

Durfee faceguarded C.B. East sniper Anna Barry, who seemed to have her way when Durfee was not on the floor. Barry accounted for four of the Patriots’ 11 3-point shots and finished with 18 points.

(click on this link for the full article, subscription may be required)