Delcohoops.com

By Matthew DeGeorge

The whispers started soon after the calendar flipped to 2018. There was this kid on the Chester JV team lighting it up. He was tall for his age, but more than that, was able to score in the lane, rebound and shoot. Against JV opposition, to the tune of 30 points per game, it was man-among-boys stuff.

It wouldn’t be long, they said, until that kid would get a look on varsity, at an age when few Clippers were afforded such a promotion. And maybe, just maybe …

The last part of that sentence is often left unsaid in Chester, and powerfully so. Maybe he’d be the one to lead the Clippers back to the PIAA promised land. Maybe he’d be the next one worthy of the city’s basketball lineage. Maybe … such a loaded word when it’s painted in orange and outlined in black.

Three years and more than 1,400 points later, the promise may not have been fulfilled all the way, Karell Watkins admits. But along the way, he built one of the most outstanding Chester careers ever.

(click on this link for the full story)

By Matthew DeGeorge

In addition to Player of the Year Karell Watkins of Chester, the rest of the 2021 All-Delco team includes:

Fareed Burton, Chester: The senior point guard was the floor general for the Clippers on the way to another Del Val League title, the District 1 Class 5A crown and the state semifinals. Burton averaged 16.3 points per game, second on the team only to Watkins, who was the beneficiary of many a pinpoint Burton feed. He also chipped in 4.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.4 steals per game. He led Chester with 27 made 3-pointers. Burton scored in double figures in 13 of 15 outings, topping out at 27 points in the state semifinal loss to Archbishop Ryan, the Clippers’ leading scorer on the night. Burton also scored 21 points in the states win over Crestwood and 22 in a one-point loss to Imhotep, the Clippers’ only setback of the regular season. Burton posted a triple-double of 17 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds (plus five steals) in a win over Interboro on Feb. 9.

(click on this link for all the All-Delco Team members)

By Matt Smith
Maggie Doogan hasn’t shied away from her bloodlines. She realizes how fortunate she is to be the daughter of a Big Five Hall of Fame player, yet she’s never felt pressure to follow in the footsteps of her mom.

Chrissie (Donahue) Doogan was a two-time Daily Times Player of the Year in her heyday at Cardinal O’Hara, who went on to become one of the greatest players in La Salle history, scoring 1,818 career points.

“It’s not a big deal,” Maggie said, smiling. “Her name is always in here (O’Hara’s gymnasium). Well, they took down the banner with her name, but it’s usually always in here. It’s not a big deal. I just try to play my best for O’Hara.”

Doogan focused on her development as a dynamic 6-foot-plus forward who can post up, defend, and shoot from just about anywhere on the floor. In 2021, her junior season, she became the best player in Delaware County and the latest in a long list of Daily Times Players of the Year from O’Hara.

(click on this link for the full story)

By Matt Smith
In addition to Cardinal O’Hara’s Maggie Doogan, the 2021 Daily Times Player of the Year, the All-Delco team includes:

Amaris Baker, Cardinal O’Hara: The senior guard was the floor general for the PIAA Class 5A champions. Her court savvy and leadership were critical to the team’s success. A three-year starter at O’Hara, Baker eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau in her senior year. She excelled in all three seasons with O’Hara after transferring from Baldwin School following her freshman year. The All-Catholic League selection earned All-Delco second-team honors a year ago. Baker averaged eight points and three assists per game. She will continue her basketball career at Kennesaw State in Georgia.

(click on this link for all the All-Delco Team members)

By Matt Smith

The All-Star Labor Classic is coming to Ridley High School.

The 34th annual boys and girls basketball showcase, which is sponsored by the Philadelphia Building & Construction Trades Council, is slated for Sunday, April 18. The City All-Stars will face the Suburban All-Stars. The girls game is scheduled for a 12:15 p.m. tip, followed by the boys at 2:30.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event will be closed to the general public. Only the parents of the participants are permitted to attend.

“With a total of 18 players selected, Delaware County produced the most all-star basketball players for our 2021 All-Star Labor Classic,” said John J. Dougherty, business manager for the Philadelphia Building & Construction Trades Council. “That’s a tribute to the depth of hoops talent in Delco and their coaches. We look forward to seeing all of them show off their prodigious hoops skills on Sunday, April 18th.”

In addition to being named to the All-Star team, every player also receives a partial college scholarship. Other proceeds raised through event sponsorships benefit a local charity. This year’s charity beneficiary is the Greater Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

(click on this link for the full story)

By Matt Smith

Siobhan Boylan was the only active freshman on Cardinal O’Hara’s 2017-2018 team.

She paid her dues.

As she progressed, Boylan became a secret weapon for the Lions. She learned plenty from Daily Times Player of the Year Maura Hendrixson, Kenzie Gardler and Molly Paolino, who were all senior standouts.

Boylan searched for a path to semi-consistent playing time off the bench. She was a rookie, looking to do little more than fill a roster spot vacated by two-time Daily Times Player of the Year Hannah Nihill, who led the team to a Catholic League title and an appearance in the 2016 PIAA Class 4A final.

“For me, as a freshman, I knew it was going to be difficult to fill those shoes, coming in after Hannah left,” she said. “I knew that would be hard because she was such a great player.”

Boylan earned the trust of former head coach Linus McGinity, who retired after Boylan’s freshman year. In the 2018 Catholic League semifinal round against Archbishop Wood, Boylan hit two foul shots with 10 seconds left to put the game out of reach. And, in the championship against Neumann-Goretti, Boylan came up with a steal and made two free throws in the third quarter. At the time the Lions were battling back from a nine-point deficit, looking for some kind of spark.

(click on this link for the full story)