Tuesday, Marple Newtown junior Soutiri Sapnas became the school's third 1,000-point scorer when he dropped 38 points against Radnor.

Saturday, he outdid himself. Sapnas poured in 49 points as the Tigers beat host Sun Valley, 75-68, notching four accomplishments in one game:

• 1. The 6-3 point guard became Marple Newtown's all-time leading scorer. He surpassed 1995 grad and All-Delco selection Frank Zanin, who owns 1,085 points. (Sapnas has 1,097 and counting.)
• 2. Sapnas established a career-best point total. His previous best was the 38 he hit up Radnor for earlier this week.
• 3. He moved into the lead this season's best single-game scoring tally. Strath Haven's Calvin Newell scored 39 against Haverford earlier this month.
• 4. Sapnas broke his own school record for single-season scoring. He scored 527 points last season in his sophomore year. (He has 568 thus far in 2008-09.)

To further emphasize how big Sapnas' week has been, check this out: His scoring average at the start of the week was 25.4 ppg. After Saturday's game (the third of the week), its 27.1 ppg.

The Class of 2010 might as well be dubbed 'the class of the point guard'. As this reporter sees it, five of the county’s top-10 juniors play the point. And three more handle the No. 2 slot, which limits the number of post players to two.

Here are a few observations of Delaware County’s top juniors:
1. Tyree Johnson, PG, Penn Wood: A smart, instinctive No. 1 who can turn heads with his passing ability, Johnson, pictured, also has the ability to score in bunches (when needed).

2. Soutiri Sapnas, PG, Marple Newtown: A scoring, jumpshooting machine who is on his way to becoming his school’s all-time scoring champ, Sapnas is the focus of every team’s gameplan.

3. Maurice Nelson, SG, Chester: Like his older brother, he does a little bit of everything. Nelson has found a niche with the Clippers with his scoring (14.5 ppg).

4. D.J. Irving, SG, Archbishop Carroll: An unassuming player who looks for his teammates first, it’s a wonder how a player with that selfless mindset averages 14 ppg.

5. Jack Roberts, C, Strath Haven: His rebounding and shot-blocking skills are well advanced. His scoring touch is not there yet, but at 6-7, it is on the way.

6. Andrew Radomicki, PG, Penncrest: A gritty, hard-nosed point who does the stuff that doesn’t appear in box scores: gets everyone involved, takes charges, makes the extra pass.

7. Omari Grier, PG, Episcopal Academy: He can slash or hit a pull-up. Grier works his best in catch-and-shoot opportunities and he possesses some dangerous size on the wing.

8. Jamal Melvin, PG, Monsignor Bonner: An undersized guard who can bob and weave his way to the bucket, Melvin can also dish to his bigs if nothing is there. He is fun to watch.

9. Ben Mingledough, SF, Archbishop Carroll: Long and lean, he’s a terror on the perimeter. Mingledough has put scoring on the backburner for now because of his skills on defense.

10. Laquan Robinson, SG, Chester: A role player and a selective shooter, he chooses his opportunities wisely. On any given night, though, Robinson can go off for 15.

Others to watch: Radnor G Kyle Hammonds; Ridley C Cameron Gunter; Penncrest SG Rodney Duncan; Haverford School SG A.J. Jones; Chichester G Brian Parker; Springfield C Wally Rutecki; Glen Mills G Lavander Johns.

Point guard Andrew Radomicki and shooting guard Rodney Duncan are complete opposites. Radomicki takes pride in dishing out assists, Duncan is Penncrest's leading scorer. Radomicki is a rugged, go-hard-or-go-home kind of guard, and Duncan is of the cool and collected variety.

The odd couple, however, they are not.

The juniors in Penncrest's backcourt get along great off the court. On it, they represent the sturdy footing on which Penncrest has placed its hopes for a home game in the opening round of the District One Class AAAA playoffs. It's uncertain when last the Lions attained one - I'd have to go back a bit, seeing as this season is Penncrest's best since their 1999 Central League championship year.

You can read more about Radomicki and Duncan in this week's boys basketball notebook.

ELSEWHERE IN THE NOTEBOOK:
***CO-CHAMPIONS: It was a point of contention between both camps after Tuesday's game. Penn Wood thought one thing, Chester thought the other. If the two were to finish tied, there will be no playoff in the Del Val. The teams will be co-champions.
***SUPER 7 JUSTIFICATION
***RIDING RYAN: The Christian Academy has had a rough go this season. But 6-7 center Ryan Naylor has been a bright spot.
***DUNSON SITS DOWN: Radnor senior guard (and captain) Corey Dunson is out with a break in his foot and will be out for the remainder of the regular season.

Two days after seeing the best game of the season - Penn Wood 53, Chester 52 - I was treated to another gem Thursday when the same Penn Wood team took down Glen Mills, 61-57, in double overtime.

And when sophomore forward Aaron Brown was picking apart The Mills in overtime, it got me thinking about who are the top underclassmen in Delaware County.

Here's this reporter's list:
1. Juan'Ya Green, So., PG, Archbishop Carroll: Green, 6-3, can make something happen from anywhere on the floor. He's getting high Division I recruiting interest (understandably so).

2. Aaron Brown, So., PF, Penn Wood: The Roman Catholic transfer, 6-5, is a converted center who is finding a home on the wing. His outside game is improving day by day.

3. Isaiah Baker, So., C, Episcopal Academy: The third-leading scorer for the Churchmen is 6-7 and is learning how to play within the body with which he's been blessed. Keep an eye on him.

4. Shawn Oakman, So., C, Penn Wood: A starter last year as a freshman, the 6-8 Oakman (pictured) is a talented rebounder and shotblocker. A boost in his scoring average (7 ppg.) will come with time.

5. Chazz Fisher, So., SG, Strath Haven: He started the year at JV and continues his quick ascent through coach Steve Lewis' system. Fisher is a jumpshooter with good skills around the glass, too.

6. Kurt Johnson, So, SG, Marple Newtown: Johnson, a JV call-up due to injury early on, is one of the best up-and-coming 3-point shooters in the county.

7. Montrail Talford, So, PG, Upper Darby: He is learning more and more. This is his second year of varsity experience with an upperclassmen-laden lineup.

8. Kareem Robinson, Fr., PG, Chester: The Clippers are grooming the 5-10 guard, the younger brother of two-time All-Delco Nasir, as an heir apparent to the point.

9. Rahmir Jefferson, Fr., SF, Chester: Imagine Rahlir Jefferson three years ago, except maybe just a tad more polished.

10. Norm Donkin, So., SG, Ridley: A pure shooter with decent range. He's a building block toward the future at Ridley.

Anybody I left out, shoot me an e-mail or leave a comment here.
Coming up Saturday: the top juniors in Delco.

The Central League will hold its fourth annual Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser today and tomorrow.

The games are intended to collect as much revenue for the charity as possible. In 2006, the league's first year of affiliation with C vs. C, it raised $6,500. Last year, it collected $17,000. Make sure you go out and show your support.

Tonight is Lower Merion at Ridley. But every other game is Friday night in a 6 p.m. start for the girls and a 7:30 p.m. tipoff for the boys:

• Conestoga at Upper Darby
• Radnor at Strath Haven
• Springfield at Penncrest
• Haverford at Garnet Valley
• Harriton at Marple Newtown

###

A WRESTLING OUTBREAK

In the last two weeks, the spread of herpes gladiatorum (otherwise known as 'mat herpes') has been rampant in parts of Chester County and has local wrestlers and their coaches concerned. Wrestling beat writer Jon Campbell sheds some light on the skin infection, which is spread through skin-to-skin contact and can cause lesions on the head, neck and face.

By now, you probably know that Penn Wood pulled off the upset of Chester Tuesday night. (Junior point guard Tyree Johnson, pictured, was the hero. He scored 26 points, hauled in six rebounds and dished out six assists in the 53-52 win.)

But what you don't know is what else went down before, during and after the game. Here are some observations:

1. Chester's Laquan Robinson must like Beyonce, because he was singing the words to 'Single Ladies' in pregame warmups as the top-40 hit was being played in the gym.

2. The DJ manning the table slipped up, then made up for it. In bad taste, he let some expletive-laced songs play in a gym filled with children. Later on, though, he had the Penn Wood fan base in stitches as he played music over the Chester cheerleaders.

3. As Chester's Learon Pray lined up for the playing of the national anthem, there was one small problem: there was no flag in the gym. He mouthed to Chester coach Larry Yarbray, 'Which way do we face?'

4. According to a couple sources, only 250 presale tickets were made available to Chester fans. Which made for a mess at the front door, as a couple hundred more were turned away before the game.

5. I'm a big fan of high school mascots. Who isn't? But Penn Wood's version of the colonial patriot was weak. The person in the costume had rhythm and energy but the shabby suit was too big and the giant head kept falling off. Thumbs down to that.

The Daily Times was there Tuesday, with columnist Jack McCaffery turning in a great piece on the level of trust Penn Wood coach Clyde Jones has in Johnson. I handled the game story duties, and photographer Julia Wilkinson grabbed pictures and some video footage.

(Photo of Tyree Johnson by the Philadelphia Daily News)

###

THE 1,000-POINT CLUB
Marple Newtown's Soutiri Sapnas needed 13 points Tuesday to break the 1,000-point plateau for his career. He scored that much in the first quarter.

Sapnas, on the fast track to becoming the school's all-time leading scorer, became the third player in Delaware County this season to crack 1,000 points. The others were Sun Valley's Tom Brennan and Strath Haven's Calvin Newell.

###

DROPPING THE BALL
From the night's crazy-upset file, Harriton (6-13, 3-11) knocked off Penncrest (15-4, 10-4), 47-43. The loss to Harriton, a Class AAA team, does serious damage to Penncrest's hopes of attaining a top-10 seed in the District One Class AAAA bracket, which is announced Feb. 8.

Marple Newtown coach Jerry Doemling knew he had something special when a diminutive and spry sophomore named Soutiri Sapnas was in the midst of setting a school record last season.

Sapnas, the school's single-season scoring champ, will make history again tonight when the Tigers face Radnor at home at 7:30 p.m.

Now a junior, Sapnas needs only 13 points to cross the 1,000-point plateau for his career. That's nothing for the point guard, who averages 26 points per contest this season.

Stay close to the Daily Times for the latest on Sapnas.

Just got word from Penn Wood High School's Athletics Department: the game is on.

The highly-touted rematch between Penn Wood and Chester will be played tonight at 7 p.m. at Penn Wood Middle School in Darby. The impending snow and ice storms will not cause it cancellation.

Penn Wood, ranked No. 4 in the latest PIAA Class AAAA poll, lost its first meeting of the season with Chester, the current third-ranked team in the state. Making matters worse, the Patriots (15-2, 5-1) are coming off a loss to Lower Merion in the Kobe Bryant Classic.

The Clippers (15-1, 6-0) meanwhile could lock up (basically) an 11th consecutive Del Val League championship with a win tonight.

See you at the gym tonight.

Fred Pickett is the Daily Times' 2008 Sports Figure of the Year.

Surprised? You shouldn't be. Aside from molding Chester into a state and national powerhouse, Pickett had the uncanny ability of turning basketball-playing teenagers into upstanding young men with real promise in the classroom. I'm not sure how many players Pickett helped send to college in his 13 years with the Clippers, but it's got to rank up there with the best of them.

Being a Temple alumnus, I have a lot of respect for guys like Pickett. John Chaney employed the same set-up at Temple, giving student-athletes with questionable academic standings a place to grow and learn. But don't take my word for it. Daily Times columnist Jack McCaffery said all of this far more eloquently than I have, in his story on Pickett in Monday's Daily Times.

###

SPEAKING OF CHESTER...

Here's some information on Tuesday's game, Chester at Penn Wood:

Tickets will be sold during school hours at each school’s athletic office. The game, slated for a 7 p.m. start, will be played at Penn Wood Middle School. All tickets are $5.

Fans are urged to take advantage of the presale opportunities, as fewer than 100 tickets will be available tonight at the door. Seating capacity at the middle school, located at 121 Summit Street in Darby, is estimated at 700.

Chester (15-1, 6-0) and Penn Wood (15-2, 5-1) are ranked Nos. 3 and 4, respectively, in the latest PIAA Class AAAA poll. The Clippers won the teams’ earlier meeting, 57-48, Jan. 8. Questions regarding ticket sales for the game can be referred to Penn Wood High School’s athletic department, at 610-284-8058.

Some things just never cease to amaze me - one of them being District One's respect around the state. In the latest PIAA Class AAAA poll, assembled by the Patriot News, of Harrisburg, seven teams from District One earned spots among the top 10 rankings. For the Delco teams, there was no movement at the top. But Lower Merion's win Saturday over Penn Wood launched the Aces into the top 10:

CLASS AAAA
Record (District) Previous
1. Pennsbury (1) 14-2 -- 1
2. Roman Catholic (12) 11-5 -- 2
3. CHESTER* (1) 15-1 -- 3
4. PENN WOOD (1) 15-2 -- 4
5. Conestoga (1) 19-0 -- 5
6. York (3) 19-0 -- 7
7. Williamsport (4) 12-2 -- 10
8. Norristown (1) 14-3 -- 6
9. Lower Merion (1) 14-4 -- NR
10. Plymouth-Whitemarsh (1) 14-3 -- 9
Honorable mention: CD East (3) 15-3; GLEN MILLS (1) 13-4; Harrisburg (3) 15-3; John Bartram (12) 15-3; Parkland (11) 15-2; Peters Twp. (7) 16-1; Pocono Mountain East (11) 14-2; Reading (3) 16-3.

CLASS AAA
Record (District) Previous
1. Neumann-Goretti (12) 14-2 -- 1
2. Chartiers Valley (7) 17-0 -- 2
3. York Suburban (3) 17-1 -- 3
4. Eastern York (3) 17-1 -- 4
5. Abington Heights (2) 13-1 -- 5
6. ARCH. CARROLL (12) 17-1 -- 6
7. Susquehanna Twp. (3) 14-3 -- 7
8. Crestwood (2) 14-2 -- NR
9. Farrell (10) 11-4 -- NR
10. Shamokin (4) 14-1 -- 10
Honorable mention: Archbishop Wood (12) 14-3; Blackhawk (7) 11-5; Girard (10) 11-4; Hampton (7) 15-3; Hickory (10) 13-2; Perry (8) 12-1; Phoenixville (1) 15-4; Steel-High* (3) 9-7.
CLASS AA
Record (District) Previous
1. Imhotep (12) 17-1 -- 1
2. Strawberry Mansion (12) 13-2 -- 2
3. Prep Charter (12) 12-4 -- 3
4. Communications Tech (12) 15-2 -- 6
5. Jeannette* (7) 14-3 -- 5
6. Holy Cross (2) 13-1 -- 7
7. Beaver Falls (7) 13-4 -- 4
8. Mercyhurst Prep (10) 15-1 -- 9
9. Loyalsock (4) 13-1 -- 10
10. North Catholic (7) 14-1 -- 8
Honorable mention: GAR Memorial (2) 13-3; Holy Name (3) 16-3; Hughesville (4) 12-3; Notre Dame-Green Pond (11) 16-2; Quaker Valley (7) 12-3; South Fayette (7) 15-3; St. Pius X (1) 16-3; Trinity (3) 11-6.

CLASS A
Record (District) Previous
1. Kennedy Catholic (10) 13-2 -- 1
2. Girard College (1) 11-4 -- 2
3. Math, Civics & Science (12) 14-3 -- 3
4. Serra Catholic* (7) 14-2 -- 5
5. Sewickley Academy (7) 11-4 -- 7
6. Paul Robeson (12) 15-3 -- 4
7. DuBois C.C. (9) 12-2 -- 6
8. Millville (4) 15-0 -- 9
9. Bishop Carroll (6) 14-2 -- 8
10. O.L. Sacred Heart (7) 13-4 -- 10
Honorable mention: Faith Christian (1) 10-5; Greenwood (3) 14-2; High Point Baptist (3) 12-2; Homer-Center (6) 13-2; Keystone (9) 14-2; Reading Central Catholic (3) 13-5; Scotland (3) 9-4; Williams Valley (11) 16-1.

NOTES: An asterisk (*) denotes the 2007-08 PIAA champion. The number in parentheses corresponds to the team's PIAA district.

###

Saturday night, I was at Temple University (my alma mater) for legendary coach John Chaney's induction into the Owls' Athletic Hall of Fame. Through the controversy and charity - the polar opposites of Chaney - there has always been a desire to lend a hand to the underdog. It was a staple of Chaney's character and it was present even in his HOF induction. Read more here.

Penncrest senior Marvin Holman-Little was hospitalized Friday, feeling feverish after playing in the Lions' afternoon victory over Avon Grove.

The 6-6 forward scored two points in 18 minutes against Avon Grove in a game that started at 3 p.m. After the game, Holman-Little went to his job at Borders Bookstore at the Granite Run Mall, according to Penncrest coach Mike Doyle.

Holman-Little's coworkers called for an ambulance and he was taken in for testing. Doyle said Holman-Little could return to the lineup as early as this Friday.

Holman-Little, who is receiving Division I recruiting attention, leads the Lions (15-3, 11-3) in scoring and rebounding. He received some attention last spring when he was granted an extra year of eligibility by the PIAA for extenuating circumstances in his home life, a story which was first reported by the Daily Times.

For more on Holman-Little and Saturday's games, check out the Daily Times' Sunday edition.

Episcopal Academy senior Cory Goodman's situation is not what you would call 'made in the shade.'

As a freshman, he had to watch from the bench as Gerald Henderson and Wayne Ellington stole the spotlight. A year later, he tore up his knee and required surgery. As a junior, he reclaimed his game. But, as a senior, he isn't EA's leading scorer.

Go figure. Read all about Goodman's story in this week's boys basketball notebook, which also features an item on the likelihood of there being a Central League Championship playoff tournament at the conclusion of the regular season.

###

A REMINDER
Saturday is the 10th annual Kobe Bryant Play-By-Play Classic, and there are four teams playing some meaningful games at Norristown High School.

• Arch. Carroll vs. Norristown, 2 p.m.: Let's see what the No. 3 team in the Super 7 is all about against the PIAA Class AAAA runner-up.
• Chester vs. Academy of New Church, 4 p.m.: The Clippers should be able to handle ANC.
• Monsignor Bonner vs. Williamsport, 5:45 p.m.: The Friars should put up a fight against the Millionaires, a state finalist last year.
• Penn Wood vs. Lower Merion, 7:30: The game of the night pits the Patriots against the Aces in Penn Wood's last big test before Chester.

The losing hasn't worn on Tom Brennan. It affects the Sun Valley senior, of course. He'd be lying if he said it didn't.

But the 6-3, 195-pound forward has kept his head up. He averages 23.3 points per game this year, nearly identical to what he did on a game-to-game basis as a junior.

His future looks bright, too, with either a collegiate career in either basketball (his first passion) or baseball. (Editorial Note: Brennan was the last player left off the Daily Times' baseball All-Delco team last spring. He had a stellar season in which he saved five games on the mound, batted better than .330 and knocked in 19 runs for the District One Class AAA champs.)

But I digress. Brennan is an interesting subject, in that he succeeds while his team flounders. Get a glimpse into his life on the hardwood.

###

THURSDAY NIGHT RECAP
Glen Mills 60, Academy Park 38: The Battlin' Bulls (12-4, 4-2) went up by 40-18 at halftime and never looked back. They got 19 from All-Delco Aaric Murray.

Penn Wood 86, Chichester 50: Sophomore forward Aaron Brown, a Roman Catholic transfer, had his second 20-point game in the last seven to boost the Patriots (14-1, 5-1). All-Delco Duane Johnson had 16 as did super sub Will Brown, the lastest in a long line of talented bench players at Penn Wood.

Chester 69, Interboro 42: Twelve different Clippers (that's an unreal number, folks) scored at least a point to keep Chester (15-1, 6-0) undefeated in league play. Erikk Wright and Rahlir Jefferson led the way with 12.

For all the rest, check out Friday's Daily Times.

When Bob Ruoff takes calls from the media, it's usually to address one of three things:
1. The playoffs are around the corner.
2. Some news story recently broke.
3. He's asked to answer a variety of questions from an inquisitive reporter.

Tuesday, I fell into the third category. The District One Executive Secretary, Ruoff is a great resource in the Southeastern Pennsylvania high school sports scene. He was there for me last season, when snow canceled the Class AAAA boys basketball semifinals. He was there when I wrote about baseball pitchers taking line drives to the face.

And he was there for me Tuesday.

Daily Times: District One Class AAAA is getting another seed - its ninth - into the PIAA playoffs this March. How will it be determined which team goes?
Bob Ruoff: The eight teams that win their second-round games will make the state field and the ninth will be determined in an eight-team playoff between the teams that lost in the second round. The one that wins those three games gets the ninth (seed).

DT: Doesn't it seem funny that the eighth seed heads to states on a three-game losing streak but the ninth seed is on a three-game winning streak?
BR: I know. Who the heck wanted this ninth seed anyway? But if one team more than usual can go to states, that's what the whole thing is all about.

DT: Determining district-playoff seeding is based on a computerized system. Any chance I can get a look at where the teams are before they're announced Feb. 8?
BR: We can't do that.

DT: What do you mean?
BR: Well, (boys) basketball is not as easy as football, which has weekly power rankings on the Web site. We're constantly trying to get those scores. (With) football, it's once a week and you can get scores around the state. (With) basketball, you're trying like gangbusters to figure out what Conestoga did in a tournament in California. When we come out of the meeting at Council Rock-South that Sunday (Feb. 8), everyone will know.

DT: There's more to it than that, though.
BR: The whole thing is computerized, but those last seeds, things can be changed. People bring schedules from every team and their league and we compute it right away. When we leave there, we say to everyone, "Is everybody OK with is?" And that's it.

###

Pick up a copy of Wednesday's Daily Times for a feature story on Tom Brennan. The 6-3, 195-pound senior forward at Sun Valley is playing like normal - he's averaging 23 ppg this season, just like he did a year ago - but the Vanguards can't seem to find their way.

Strath Haven's Calvin Newell went off for 39 points against Haverford last Thursday. Not only was the point total a county-best for the year (Newell previously had scored 38 points three times), the senior guard breached the 1,000 point plateau for his career.

Newell, who has scored 470 points this year for a 31.3 points-per-game average, needed 38 to reach the milestone. Above is a photo of Newell receiving an honorary basketball from Haven coach Steve Lewis. Thank you to Wallingford resident Bob Quinn, who snapped the shot and submitted it to the Daily Times.

The Patriot News, of Harrisburg, unleashed its latest PIAA boys basketball polls for the week of Jan. 18. The usual suspects are still making appearances, and there haven't been any significant drops, though Chester leaped two spots - and past Penn Wood. Take a look:

CLASS AAAA
Record (District) Previous
1. Pennsbury (1) 10-2 --1
2. Roman Catholic (12) 9-5 --2
3. CHESTER* (1) 12-1 --5
4. PENN WOOD (1) 13-1 -- 3
5. Conestoga (1) 16-0 -- 4
6. Norristown (1) 11-2 -- 6
7. York (3) 17-0 --7
8. John Bartram (12) 14-1 -- 8
9. Plymouth-Whitemarsh (1) 12-3 -- 9
10. Williamsport (4) 9-2 --10
Honorable mention: CD East (3) 12-3; GLEN MILLS (1) 10-4; Harrisburg (3) 13-3; Lower Merion (1), 11-4; Parkland (11) 13-1; Peters Twp. (7) 13-1; Pocono Mountain East (11) 12-2; Reading (3) 13-3.

CLASS AAA
Record (District) Previous
1. Neumann-Goretti (12) 11-2 -- 1
2. Chartiers Valley (7) 14-0 -- 2
3. York Suburban (3) 15-1 -- 4
4. Eastern York (3) 15-1 -- 5
5. Abington Heights (2) 12-1 -- 6
6. ARCHBISHOP CARROLL (12) 14-1 -- 7
7. Susquehanna Twp. (3) 11-3 -- 3
8. Archbishop Wood (12) 12-2 -- 9
9. Hickory (10) 12-1 -- NR
10. Shamokin (4) 12-0 -- 10
Honorable mention: Blackhawk (7) 10-4; Crestwood (2) 11-2; Girard (10) 10-3; Hampton (7) 13-2; Perry (8) 11-1; Phoenixville (1) 13-4; Steel-High* (3) 6-6; Thomas Jefferson (7) 11-2.

CLASS AA
Record (District) Previous
1. Imhotep (12) 14-1 -- 1
2. Strawberry Mansion (12) 11-2 -- 3
3. Prep Charter (12) 9-3 -- 4
4. Beaver Falls (7) 12-2 -- 5
5. Jeannette* (7) 12-3 -- 7
6. Communications Tech (12) 11-2 -- 8
7. Holy Cross (2) 12-1 -- 2
8. North Catholic (7) 12-0 -- 9
9. Mercyhurst Prep (10) 12-1 -- NR
10. Loyalsock (4) 11-1 -- NR
Honorable mention: Catasauqua (11) 10-5; Delone (3) 11-3; GAR Memorial (2) 12-2; Holy Name (3) 14-3; Hughesville (4) 9-3; Notre Dame-Green Pond (11) 13-2; Quaker Valley (7) 11-2; Southern Columbia (4) 9-3.

CLASS A
Record (District) Previous
1. Kennedy Catholic (10) 11-2 -- 2
2. Girard College (1) 8-2 -- 3
3. Math, Civics & Science (12) 12-3 -- 4
4. Paul Robeson (12) 13-2 -- 5
5. Serra Catholic* (7) 12-2 -- 1
6. DuBois C.C. (9) 10-1 -- 6
7. Sewickley Academy (7) 8-4 -- 7
8. Bishop Carroll (6) 13-1 -- 8
9. Millville (4) 12-0 -- 9
10. O.L. Sacred Heart (7) 11-3 -- 10
Honorable mention: Camp Hill (3) 10-4; Greenwood (3) 13-1; High Point Baptist (3) 11-1; Homer-Center (6) 11-2; Keystone (9) 12-2; Reading Central Catholic (3) 11-4; Scotland (3) 7-4; Williams Valley (11) 12-1.

NOTE: An asterisk (*) denotes a 2007-08 PIAA champion.

The subject comes up everywhere I go: Who's the best? When I give my answer, it usually comes with some rebuttal: Why them?

Here's a chance for me to make the best argument for the top six teams in Delaware County (in no particular order):

***CHESTER CLIPPERS
Record: 12-1 (4-0 Del Val)
Key Wins: Penn Wood, Norristown, E&S.
Key Losses: None.
More: Take a look at most of the preseason picks in Southeastern Pa. - they all had Chester out of the No. 1 slot. But the defending PIAA Class AAAA champs have rebounded and are perfect (except for a 2 OT loss vs. Reading). I still don't think we've seen the best of senior Rahlir Jefferson.


***PENN WOOD PATRIOTS
Record: 12-1 (3-1 Del Val)
Key Wins: North Catholic, Glen Mills, Bartram.
Key Losses: Chester.
More: Once nationally-ranked, the Patriots took a step back (in the league standings, too) with the loss to Chester. But they have beaten the best of the Catholic League and previously 12-0 Bartram, of the Pub. Behind junior point guard Tyree Johnson, the Pats are on course for a deep run in states.


***ARCHBISHOP CARROLL PATRIOTS
Record: 13-1 (9-1 Catholic Blue)
Key Wins: Archbishop Wood, La Salle, Camden Catholic.
Key Losses: Neumann-Goretti.
More: The Main Line Patriots are deep. They usually employ a six-man rotation, but they can use as many as eight or nine, with all of them contributing. I like their backcourt, with D.J. Irving and Juan'Ya Green. If those two are on target, these Pats are hard to slow down offensively -- they have scored fewer than 54 points only twice.


***GLEN MILLS BATTLIN' BULLS
Record: 10-4 (2-2 Del Val)
Key Wins: University City, Holy Ghost Prep.
Key Losses: Chester, Penn Wood, Frankford.
More: Senior center and La Salle commit Aaric Murray had his second career triple-double Saturday ... in a blowout win, which goes to show that as he goes, so go the Bulls. There is a nice supporting cast around him, with guards Reginald Miles and Tyrik Gass, but they need to slay some of the Del Val's big guns to be taken seriously. They have an upset (or two) in them.

***UPPER DARBY ROYALS
Record: 12-3 (9-2 Central)
Key Wins: Lower Merion, Penncrest.
Key Losses: Springfield, Conestoga.
More: It's easy to justify losing to Conestoga, the unbeaten titan of the league. But when you drop a decision to a Springfield team that is a step below in the PIAA classifications (after Springfield had lost to a one-win team only two days prior) it raises serious questions. Forward Chase Peterson and guard Khayri West need to carry the load if the Royals are to rebound.


***PENNCREST LIONS
Record: 12-3 (8-3 Central)
Key Wins: West Chester Henderson, Radnor.
Key Losses: Conestoga, Lower Merion, Upper Darby.
More: After 10 straight wins to start the year, the Lions' three-game slide had everyone fearing the worst. Senior center Marvin Holman-Little, who is averaging 14 points per game, has been a steadying force for a young, green crew. They lack big-game experience, but it has not come back to get them thus far. Don't sleep on the Lions.


Of course, if I let a team out that you deem worthy, let me know. As for which team is No. 1, that's yet to be sorted out. But these are definitely the big guns in Delco through the first half of the season. There's no argument there.

Last week, we debuted on here a weekly post called 'No Excuses', in which I'll give my take on a couple of the night's games. Here's the second installment of this new feature:

1. With 26 points from Rahlir Jefferson, Chester defeated Erie Cathedral Prep, the host of the McDonald's Classic where the Clippers had gone 1-5 in three previous appearances, but ... appear on the fast track toward winning this one. Today they play Archbishop Carroll (Md.), a 7-6 team, for the title.

2. Roman Catholic and Villanova commit Maalik Wayns (pictured) almost doubled up Monsignor Bonner Friday night, 83-42. The Cahillites are unbeaten in league play, but ... they still have North Catholic (8-5) and Archbishop Ryan (5-7), the league runners-up last year.

3. Penncrest has followed three consecutive losses with back-to-back wins, against Ridley and Garnet Valley, but ... could use a lengthy run to bolster their District One ranking. Marvin Holman-Little and Rodney Duncan, who are having mid- to high-double figures, have been playing great of late.

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LONGEST BASKET IN H.S. HOOPS HISTORY?

In Spain Park, Ala., last week, a player rebounded a missed free throw with less than two seconds remaining in his high school game. The player - Jake Lee - turned around and fired an 82-foot shot that banked off the glass and in to win the game.

Curiosity got the best of the opposing team's coach, who brought out the tape measure just to be certain how long the shot was. "I measured it at 82 feet," said Clay-Chalkville (Ala.) coach Marty Smith. "I had to know. I had to measure it."

See the shot for yourself here.

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DID YOU SEE FRIDAY'S DAILY TIMES?

If you didn't, you missed three full pages of Delco boys basketball coverage ... including:

• A feature story on seniors Dan Clapp and Malik Carter, who have led a mini-renaissance at Chichester
• The weekly notebook, which leads with the powerful 1-2 punch of Strath Haven's Calvin Newell and Jack Roberts
• A Central League game story. I picked the game of the week, in which Springfield stunned Upper Darby behind 15 points from Zack DeVito

It would have been easy for Springfield to float Upper Darby a win Thursday night. Hey, the Cougars hadn't exactly been tearing it up of late. So when the Royals pieced together a late charge, the Cougars had their opening.

They did not take it.

Instead, they played old-school basketball (they hit their free throws, they made crisp passes and they read up on the rule book) to overtake the Royals, 46-45.

By far the best play of the night came in the final 15 seconds. Springfield junior center Wally Rutecki was prepared to inbound the ball out of a timeout, with his team ahead. Rutecki turned on the baseline and passed to sophomore guard Zack DeVito, who inbounded the ball to Rutecki.The furious passing confused the heck out of the Royals, and killed a couple important ticks off the clock. According to DeVito, it was a play the Cougars had used in a game against Ridley earlier this season.

"Our coach (Kevin McCormick) knew about that rule and we practice it sometimes," DeVito said.

"It's a good way to get the ball in at the end of the game," Rutecki said. "When they're in a man-to-man press like that, they have no one guarding the ball."

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KUDOS:
... to Strath Haven's Calvin Newell, who became the county's second player to breach the career 1,000-point plateau this season. He needed 38 against Haverford, which would have matched the county's 2008-09 highwater mark that he established three times. Instead, Newell got 39 -- one more for good measure.

"I wasn't really shooting that good but I just let the game go to see what would happen," he said.

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...to Radnor's Corey Dunson, who scored 10 points. He took a backseat offensively in the Red Raiders' 52-50 overtime win over Ridley, but limited Marc Dziadon to five points. Dziadon had averaged 14.5 points in his last five outings.

Curiosity got the best of me Wednesday, prompting me to look up just how the District One Class AAAA playoff system will operate this year.

While up at State College for Chester's state-title victory last March, I overheard a rumor that District One was getting an additional seed in the PIAA bracket. This is true. District One now gets nine teams into the 36-team state-playoff field.

It used to be that the eight teams that make the district quarterfinal round make states automatically, then volley for seeding in a series of three games that follow. That still will be the case, but the ninth seed will be up in the air among an additional eight teams, those which lose in the round-of-16 second round.

The ninth-seed playoffs and the traditional District One playoffs will coincide, with each playing on Feb. 20, 24 and 27. For more information on this, check out the district's Web site.

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At the midway point of the basketball season, I'm sure a lot of folks are feeling down about their teams' chances at making the postseason.

Well, don't feel so bad.

It appears Palisades High School, in nearby Bucks County, suffered its 85th consecutive loss Tuesday night. (Just for kicks, the state record is 88, established by Mifflinburg from 1972-75). The hardest pill to swallow is that the Pirates actually led with a minute and a half remaining in their most recent loss.

The Patriot News of Harrisburg released its latest state-wide boys basketball polls and there are four teams from Delaware County represented:

CLASS AAAA Record -- Previous Rank
1. Pennsbury (1) 7-2 -- 2
2. Roman Catholic (12) 6-5 -- 3
3. PENN WOOD (1) 10-1 -- 1
4. Conestoga (1) 13-0 -- 4
5. CHESTER* (1) 8-1 -- 5
6. Norristown (1) 9-2 -- 7
7. York (3) 15-0 -- 8
8. John Bartram (12) 12-0 -- 9
9. Plymouth-Whitemarsh (1) 9-3 -- 6
10. Williamsport (4) 8-2 -- NR
Honorable mention: CD East (3) 10-2; Coatesville (1) 11-2; GLEN MILLS (1) 9-2; Harrisburg (3) 10-3; Parkland (11) 10-1; Peters Twp. (7) 11-1; Pocono Mountain East (11) 9-2; Reading (3) 11-3.

CLASS AAA Record -- Previous Rank
1. Neumann-Goretti (12) 9-1 -- 1
2. Chartiers Valley (7) 11-0 -- 2
3. Susquehanna Twp. (3) 9-2 -- 3
4. York Suburban (3) 13-1 -- 5
5. Eastern York (3) 12-1 -- 4
6. Abington Heights (2) 10-1 -- 6
7. ARCHBISHOP CARROLL (12) 11-1 -- 7
8. Thomas Jefferson (7) 9-1 -- 8
9. Archbishop Wood (12) 11-1 -- 9
10. Shamokin (4) 10-0 --10
Honorable mention: Crestwood (2) 9-1; Girard (10) 9-2; Hampton (7) 11-2; Hickory (10) 10-1; Indiana (7) 8-4; Phoenixville (1) 11-3; Steel-High* (3) 5-5; Uniontown (7) 11-2

NOTE: The number directly after a team's name refers to its district. And the asterisk designates if a team is the defending champion in its classification.

Seeing as the Class AA and A polls lack Delco teams, I did not post them. If you're interested, you can find them here.

Monday night, Archbishop Carroll had something to prove.

The Patriots were the last of Delaware County's unbeaten teams to lose, falling to Neumann-Goretti last weekend.

So Kasheef Festus and Andre Wilburn, who combined for 28 points, made sure the Pats didn't lose another one, in beating Archbishop Wood 54-45.

Festus, a hulking forward, looked good when all things are considered. The 6-6 senior suffered a debilitating ankle injury in the summer, which required surgery and prohibited him from playing much basketball in the offseason.

He's not 100 percent, but he's back and looking strong:

Daily Times: What kept you sharp when you weren't playing?
Kasheef Festus: Well, I gained a lot of weight, man. I probably got up to about 280, and now I'm down to 240. I don't remember ever being that much.

DT: How'd you drop the weight?
KF: Practice. (Coach Paul Romanczuk) was like, 'Not going to make the time for your sprints? Then you have to keep running.'

DT: What was the specific injury exactly?
KF: I tore ligaments completely off my foot, so they had to go in there and pin them back into place. And I popped a piece of bone in my foot. The doctors said I'm not supposed to be 100 percent until the end of the school year, which would be a year (since the injury), but I feel good.

DT: How did it happen?
KF: I was playing summer league for Carroll and I went up for a rebound and came down on someone's foot. Simple as that.

DT: At 280, did you consider going out for football?
KF: I did think about it, yeah. I didn't want to grow up and wonder if I could have played or made the team even. Being as though the injury happened, it didn't work out. I think I would've been a good tight end. I probably would've played defense or offense because I like hitting people.

Banging on the boards Monday, Festus finished with 13 points and eight rebounds for the Patriots (12-1, 7-1), who are in sole possession of second place in the Catholic League Blue Division.

What a game.

Thursday, when Chester played host to Penn Wood, the fans at the Clippers' gym were witness to something Delco basketball fans had been waiting for since March 15.

The day Chester won it all, fans had to be wondering what a Penn Wood team (with four of its losses that season coming against Chester) would be like a year older, more seasoned and champing at the bit.

The Daily Times triple-teamed coverage of the game, with staffer Matt Smith reporting on the game itself - a 57-48 win by Chester in which Learon Pray (pictured) scored five of his six points in a critical stretch in the fourth quarter.

As for me, well ... let's just say I wrote the column Chester fans have been waiting to read, the one that says the Clippers aren't ready to give up their throne.

And staff photographer Bob Gurecki not only snapped the photo you see on this entry, but he took video of the game.

Who else was there?
**Temple head coach Fran Dunphy
**Temple assistant Dave Duke
**St. Joseph's head coach Phil Martelli
**Oh, and an announced crowd of 1,821

Penn Wood and Chester. Chester and Penn Wood.

You can basically assume that these two took a good look at their schedules before the season and circled this one.

Tonight, the defending PIAA and District One Class AAAA champions host the team everyone is picking to unseat them. The Chester Clippers (7-1, 1-0) will take on the Penn Wood Patriots (10-0, 1-0) in what is sure to be a fantastic basketball game.

Make sure you pick up a copy of Friday's Daily Times for the following:
An in-depth, insightful game story from staffer Matt Smith
A column by yours truly, breaking down the game

And visit delcotimes.com. Photographer/videographer extraordinaire Bob Gurecki will be there to capture some video highlights from the game, as well.

As of Wednesday night, there is only one undefeated team in the Central League - and that's Conestoga.

Penncrest found out the hard way - by losing its own perfect season - just how good Conestoga is. It appears, to me at least, that the Pioneers are deserving of their No. 4 ranking in the latest state Class AAAA poll.

Here's why:
1. They traveled more than 3,000 miles to a holiday tournament in San Diego, where they beat three teams handily, including one nationally ranked (and previously unbeaten) team.

2. They are 7-0 in the Central, and have beaten all takers by an average of 18.3 points per contest.

3. They knocked off Penncrest, which looked untouchable after taking care of business against all six of its Central opponents prior to Wednesday.

Oh yeah, and the Pioneers (12-0, 7-0) have Jake Cohen (pictured), a 6-10 senior forward who has committed to Davidson.

It's not just Cohen though.

"It's a credit to the players. They've all bought in to what we're trying to do," said Conestoga coach Mike Troy. "...I'm happy with how Jake has progressed, but I'm happy with how all the kids have progressed.

"Mike (D'Angelo) played in a tremendous amount of pain tonight and gave us a great effort. ... Whether it's Jake, or Matt (O'Hara) making a decision, or Zack (Shapiro) getting a shot, or Doug (Jakiela) getting a board, it's been tremendous this season."

The Pioneers look as balanced as any team I've seen this season. They're a team to keep your eyes on for the rest of the year, for sure.

Read more about the game in Thursday's Daily Times.

Tuesday night brought the first real 'weather threat' to the boys basketball season, with some freezing rain and slippery streets.

But there were six games played and a couple had interesting developments:

1. Chester took care of business in its Del Val League opener against Interboro, but needed the second half to close the deal and expand on a one-point halftime lead. No need to call the optometrist - you read that correctly. One point? Wow.

2. Episcopal Academy sent the game to overtime on a buzzer-beating three, but stumbled two OT sessions later. This EA team, for being so young, is pretty darn good.

3. Glen Mills beat Academy Park in what I like to call a 'four corners kind of game.' Park held the ball throughout and the Mills almost lost because of it. But isn't it a little too early in the season to be trying to beat a team by taking advantage of the lack of a shot clock?

***NOTE: If you didn't notice, I italicized the word but throughout this post, which is going to be a weekly segment on Gettin' Schooled called "No Excuses." It gives me a chance to delve a little deeper into some of the games throughout the week. Let me know what you think.

***ALSO: Take a look at Matt Smith's game story from Tuesday's paper. He does a real nice job of writing up the latest installment of the neighborhood rivalry between Cardinal O'Hara and Monsignor Bonner, in which Jerry Colvin and the Friars took down the Lions.

After Tuesday night, there will still be two unbeaten teams in the Central League.

The Penncrest (10-0) at Conestoga (11-0) game that was scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday has been cancelled, according to Penncrest coach Mike Doyle. The Conestoga Athletic office said it was a "preemptive move" because of the ice storm headed our way.

The game is the only meeting this season between the teams, which are in the Central League's small- and large-school "divisions" (enrollment-based groupings used for scheduling purposes). Doyle said the game has been moved to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

For more information on the game and for future rescheduling of it, fans are urged to call Conestoga's sports hotline at 610.240.1042.

You heard it here first, folks.

The tentative schedule for this year's Primetime Shootout fell into my lap recently, so I figured I'd toss this up. There are some local games of interest:

Friday, Jan. 23 – Rutgers University
5:00 PM – Immaculata (NJ) vs. St. Joseph’s (NJ)
6:30 PM – Duncanville (TX) vs. LeFlore (Mobile, ALA)
8:00 PM - Paterson Catholic (NJ) vs. Lincoln (Brooklyn,NY)
9:30 PM – Plainfield (NJ) vs. Piscataway (NJ)

Friday, Jan. 30 – Villanova University
6:00 PM – ANC (PA) vs. Bishop McNamara (MD)
7:30 PM – Penn Wood (PA) vs. Neumann-Goretti (PA)
9:00 PM - Chester (PA) vs. Roman Catholic (PA)

Saturday, Jan. 31 – Villanova University
12:30 PM – Our Savior New American (NY) vs. N. Guilford (NC)
2:00 PM – Pennsbury (PA) vs. Norristown (PA)
3:30 PM – Lower Merion (PA) vs. Coatesville (PA)
5:00 PM - Camden Catholic (NJ) vs. Malvern Prep (PA)
6:30 PM - Plymouth-Whitemarsh (PA) vs. Holy Ghost Prep (PA)
8:00 PM - North Catholic (PA) vs. Jamesville-DeWitt (NY)

The obvious dates to keep an eye on are Jan. 30 and 31, with Penn Wood and Chester playing the traditional Catholic League powers. And Lower Merion and Coatesville, two teams that fell one win shy of the Class AAAA state playoffs in 2007-08, seems like a decent matchup. And Holy Ghost, my alma mater, is a team to watch out for in the Class AAA playoffs.

Two of Delaware County's three undefeated boys basketball teams won again Saturday night, but their perfect seasons face serious threats this week.

Penncrest pushed around Unionville, 58-28, and Penn Wood subdued Central, 76-46. The challenges ahead will be covered by the Daily Times.

Tuesday: The Lions (10-0) take on fellow unbeaten Conestoga (12-0) Tuesday night in a game between the only loss-less Central League teams. Count on a solid low-block matchup with the Lions' Marvin Holman-Little (a physical 6-6 forward) and the Pioneers' Jake Cohen (a 6-10 Davidson commit).

Thursday: The Patriots (9-0) have to get past Chichester Tuesday before they can look ahead to an early-season game of the year candidate against Chester. In Thursday's meeting, look for the backcourt play of Penn Wood's Tyree Johnson and Aaron Brown to be on full display against the Clippers' talented duo in Kareem Robinson and Laquan Robinson.

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AROUND THE CORNER: No Delaware County teams has Pennsbury on its schedule, but they should keep an eye on their foes to the North.

The Bucks County-based Falcons (6-2) are fresh off an impressive showing in the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Behind senior West Virginia commit Dalton Pepper (pictured), they beat two teams that recently fell out of PrepNation.com's Southeast Region top 10.

They were drubbed by St. Patrick's (N.J.), the fourth-best team in the nation, and lost in a close one to an unranked Martin Luther King (Calif.) team.

Pennsbury resumed Suburban One play Saturday by whalloping Abington, 67-44. Look out.

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BULLS KEEP ROLLING: Around this time of year, the students at Glen Mills get a lengthy break to go home and enjoy the holidays with their families. So you'd think a two-week layoff would hurt the Battlin' Bulls, right?

Wrong. The 14 days since beating Downingtown West Dec. 20 had no effect in the Bulls' 16-point win over Bensalem Saturday. Aaric Murray scored 23 points, and Reggie Miles contributed 10 points, 11 assists and a solid defensive showing.

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MY RESOLUTION TO YOU: The infrequency with which I've posted lately is due to a couple things, namely though it was the holidays. Now that we're in the New Year (and I've resolved to not have another three-day week until July), I'll be posting with more regularity. So stay close to Gettin' Schooled.