Chester goes undefeated in Del Vel again

Karell Watkins and Fareed Burton Jr. posted double-doubles as Chester rolled over Chichester, 55-31, to go undefeated in the Del Val League for the fourth year in a row.
Watkins, the 2020 Daily Times Player of the Year, collected 26 points and 16 rebounds to help the Clippers wrap up the league title. Burton Jr. finished with 13 points and 10 boards. Josh Hankins pitched in with 17 points and five rebounds.

In the Bicentennial League:

CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 61, DOCK MENNONITE 56 » Pete Cavacini was nearly perfect at the free
throw line to pace the Crusaders to their second straight win.
Cavacini was 15-for-16 at the stripe en route to a game-high 28 points. Brian Justus enjoyed a perfect night from the field. He shot 5-for-5 and made his only 3-point attempt to finish with 11 points. Evan Sareyka pitched in with seven points for the Crusaders (5-7), who moved into the fourth spot in the District 1 Class A power rankings.
DELCO CHRISTIAN 74, PLUMSTEAD CHRISTIAN 54 » The Knights jumped out to a 25-14 lead in the first quarter and never looked back.
Jackson Mott led DC (9-4) with 17 points. Nicholas Phillipps added 13 points and Matt Shiel pitched in with 10.

CHESTER CHARTER 47, SPRINGFIELD-DELCO, 41 >>
Senior Breon Showell led Chester Charter (10-7) with 16 points.
Cougars fall to 4-13.

Chester is undisputed Del-Val Champs

By Terry Thomas

Chester (9-1, 6-0) claimed their 4th consecutive Undefeated Del Val League Championship with an easy 55-31 victory over the host Chichester Eagles. Karell Watkins and Fareed Burton Jr closed the regular season by posting double-double. Watkins tallied 26 points and 16 and Burton contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds. The Eagles could not penetrate the Clipper defense in the opening quarter and the dynamic duo each scored 6 points as the Clippers led 12-4 at the end of the quarter.
Chester stayed locked-in defensively in the 2nd quarter resulting in a 16-4 run capped off with a Jameel Burton Jr assist to Shaquan Horsey at the 2-minute mark. Chester – 28, Chichester – 8. Jameel scored on three consecutive possessions for 6 of his 7 points. Freshman Kyree Womack contributed a bucket along with Fareed and four points from Watkins. The Clippers lead 28-11 at intermission.
The Clippers maintained their focus in the third quarter with a 20-7 outburst. Fareed stripped the ball and passed a dime to Watkins and at the 3:00 mark the “Mercy Rule” was invoked, Chester up 48-18. During this stretch, Watkins dominated with 14 of the 20 points including connecting on 5 of 5 free throws. The team accounted for 5 assists on the 7 made baskets during the run. Qadir Lowrie contributed a trey and Fareed and Isaiah Freeman each chimed in with a bucket. The Eagles capitalized on the Chester miscues to close the gap at the end of the quarter. Chester – 50, Chichester – 27.

As scripted, Edwards plays hero role in Haven’s win over Haverford

Strath Haven’s Luke Edwards, seen shooting over a Radnor defender in a game last February, hit the game-winner in the final second of a 41-39 win over Haverford in the Central League quarterfinals Sunday. Pete Bannan – MediaNews Group

 

By Matthew DeGeorge

Everyone in the gym at Strath Haven knew what was going to happen in the final 22 seconds of a tie game Sunday afternoon.

The fourth-seeded Panthers would hand the ball to Luke Edwards – with his 4-for-13 shooting day, and with Haverford’s best defender, John Seidman, shadowing him – and ask Edwards to take them to the Central League tournament semifinals.

As he has so many times in his career, Edwards delivered.

The senior canned a pull-up jumper at the free throw line with six-tenths of a second left, sending Strath Haven past Haverford, 41-39, in a Central League quarterfinal.

“Coach told me to shoot the ball with around five seconds, and I saw the clock at four,” Edwards said. “So I made my move and I saw he (Seidman) was low on me so I rose up for the mid-range. I know I was missing some shots in the beginning. But I have that mentality that shooters keep shooting, and I took that last shot with confidence, and I made it.”

(click on this link for the full story and other playoff scores)

Central Girls Basketball: Brodnik believes, hits late shots to boost Fords

Addison Brodnik, pictured in a game last season, gave Haverford the lead for good in a 36-28 win over Marple Newtown in a Central League tournament quarterfinal round game Sunday. MEDIANEWS GROUP FILE PHOTO


By Matt Smith

Addison Brodnik missed seven of her first eight field goal attempts Sunday. She was having bad luck trying to get anything to fall, but the senior guard wasn’t deterred.

“Hopefully, I’d make those shots at the end and I didn’t want to get too down on myself,” Brodnik said.

All she needed was to hit one shot down the stretch to render her earlier frustrations moot. Easier said than done, but Brodnik had belief she would come through. So, when presented the opportunity to sink the go-ahead 3-pointer with three minutes to play in the fourth quarter Sunday afternoon inside Juenger Gymnasium, Brodnik delivered.

Mollie Carpenter made a risky cross-court pass from the left corner to Brodnik, who knocked down the wide-open trey to put No. 4 Haverford up by three points over fifth-seeded Marple Newtown. Brodnik then hit three foul shots down the stretch to seal the Fords’ 36-28 Central League tournament victory.

(click on this link for the full story and other playoff scores)

Brown lets whole team do talking in Haverford School’s win over Episcopal

Haverford School’s Christian Clover, seen in pre-pandemic action last year against Episcopal, scored 19 points against the Churchmen Saturday, with 10 of them coming in the fourth quarter. (Pete Bannan/MediaNews Group)

By Matthew DeGeorge

he attention on the court gravitates toward Jameel Brown. How could it not, given all that the Haverford School junior can do?

Surprisingly, in the Fords’ season finale Saturday against arch-rival Episcopal Academy, Brown was a point-scoring bystander when his team went on a decisive run. He did just about everything else, though.

Brown ended up with 10 points in a 57-49 victory. But he didn’t attempt a field goal in the third, as the Fords accumulated a 21-0 edge in the frame to overturn an early deficit.

“We have a well-balanced team,” Brown said. “Coach has us focus on that in practice, sharing the ball. And trusting my teammates. I’ve been with these guys since I was a freshman and they were sophomores, so I definitely trust these guys.”

The Purdue commit had eight rebounds, five assists and four steals. The mere threat of him, particularly against EA’s swarming half-court defense, opens space for others.

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