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By Terry Thomas

The Chester Clippers (3-0, 2-0) took over 1st place in the Del Val League after handing the previously undefeated Chichester Eagles (5-1, 3-1) their first loss of the season 57-44 at the Clip Joint. Isaiah Freeman led the way in the first quarter with six of his 11 points while Karell Watkins and Qadir Lowrie chipped in with four and three points respectively. Fareed Burton Jr put his offense aside and used the first quarter displaying his defensive skills holding the Eagles leading scorer, Josh Hankins, scoreless. At the end of the first quarter Chester led 13-8.

Saahir Lee scored 13 points, and Denzel Atkinson-Boyer added 12 as Penncrest held off a late charge to exact revenge on Springfield, 40-38, Thursday night.

Springfield had beaten Penncrest on Jan. 14. Ben Stanton added eight points for the Lions.

Terrence Cobb connected on three 3-pointers to lead the Cougars with 13 points. Michael Hoey added 11 points.

In other Central League boys games:

GARNET VALLEY 52, HAVERFORD 47 » Justin Langan scored four of his 13 points in overtime, and Carl Schaller poured in a game-high 22 points as the Jaguars prevailed in overtime.

Max Koehler added 10 points for Garnet Valley, which went 6-for-10 from the line in overtime.

A triple by JR Newman (13 points) provided Haverford’s only points of the extra session. John Seidman scored 16 points, and Nick Colucci added 10 points.

STRATH HAVEN 55, RADNOR 43 »

Luke Edwards scored 19 points, including an 8-for-8 free throw performance, and Matt Shuler (5-for-5) was similarly spotless from the line in tallying 14 points for the Panthers. Robbie Guilday chipped in 11 points.

Jackson Hicke showed his range with 17 points, including three 3-pointers. Lew Robinson added 14 points, and Danny Rosenblum chipped in nine.

(click this link for other game scores)

Jameel Brown put forth a dominant performance to lead The Haverford School to a season opening victory. Brown, a junior guard, poured in 23 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and had four blocked shots in the Fords’ 79-73 decision over Malvern Prep.

Bernie Rogers added 14 points for the Fords, who went 22-for-29 at the free-throw line. Chris Sims, Zach Genther and Christian Clover chipped in eight points apiece.

In the Central League:

PENNCREST 55, HARRITON 50

Denzel Atkinson-Boyer had a monster game for the Lions, a double-double of 17 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks. Saahir Lee was solid all around with 13 points, six boards and six assists.

By Matthew DeGeorge

The basketball season is, in most corners of Delaware County, under way. It’s usually a helter-skelter run through the winter months, between Christmas tournaments, snow days (ahem) and then the regimented order of weekly league schedules.

The COVID-19 pandemic simplifies that scheme. Lost was the hectic holiday calendar. Gone are, for the most part, nonleague games. Instead, with games mostly confined to the league, the equation is relatively simple.

The Central League and some of the Del Val schools have been playing for the last two weeks. The Catholic League’s start was just last week, while the Inter-Acs begin this week, weather permitting. The oddity of the high school season, its length and the demand of three-game weeks, always leads to some perplexing results. From the early sample, it looks like COVID-19 schedule disruptions will only accentuate that.

(click on this link for the full story)

Moses Hipps made his varsity debut a memorable one for Archbishop Carroll Sunday afternoon.

The 6-1 freshman guard hit four 3-pointers and scored 20 points to lead the visiting Patriots to a 65-46 victory over St. Joseph’s Prep in their season opener.

Hipps started slow and then came to life in the second half. He scored 15 of his points after the break to help Carroll pull away. Behind Hipps, the Patriots outscored the Hawklets, 42-30, in the second half.

Tyler Seward chipped in with 16 points and Anquan Hill 10 for Carroll. Jimmy King topped SJP with a game-high 21 points.

By Matthew DeGeorge

There’s quiet in an empty high school gym, in the era of COVID-19. And then there’s the deafening silence of the Fred Pickett Gymnasium.

With half the stands folded up Thursday night, with the DJed squeals of Cardi B reverberating off the brick corners, with the Chester step team’s usually show-stopping routine answered only with their own echoes, the lack of spectators hits home at Chester High more than most. To know the electricity of the Clip Joint in normal times is to miss it profoundly now.

So it was Thursday, with 71 souls Iinattendance – players, coaches, refs and janitors included – as Chester and Penn Wood played a boys basketball game that should’ve drawn out a community. It’s one thing to lament the lost ambience of a Central League gym on a weekday afternoon. It’s another to reacquaint your mind to the palpable eeriness of a sedate Chester High, from what once would’ve been taken for granted as a rocking crowd replaced by yawning quiet.

(click on this link for the full article)