The basketball season is over, but not before three Delaware County teams brought home state championships.

Penn Wood, picked as favorites at season's outset, stepped up to that high praise and claimed the Class AAAA crown by topping William Penn-York, 72-53, at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center Saturday.

Senior All-Delco Duane Johnson and sophomore Aaron Brown chipped in with 20 points apiece, Tyree Johnson had 14 and Will Brown added 12 for the Patriots, who wrapped up their first state-title season with a 28-4 record.

The Archbishop Carroll boys did it Friday, then the girls followed suit by beating Lampeter-Strasburg for the Class AAA championship.

Erin Shields and Hollie Mershon each put in 13 points for the Patriots, who finished their season 30-1 with the 68-45 rout of the Pioneers. Kerri Shields tallied 12 in the last game of her fantastic Carroll career.

That's all there is to report from Happy Valley. Make sure to read it all in the Sunday Times and thanks for your readership through basketball season, both at Gettin' Schooled and Live at the PIAA Championships.

The spring sports season is here, but I need a blogging breather. I'll take a few days off from the blogosphere but keep reading the Daily Times until I get back.

At Villanova's Pavilion, two of Delaware County's remaining playoff basketball teams moved on to their respective brackets' semifinals. Here are some final scores:

BOYS PIAA CLASS AAAA

Penn Wood 54,

Pennsbury 50

Notes: Duane Johnson scored 16, Aaron Brown had 13, and Tyree Johnson added 11 more for the Patriots, who advanced to the state semifinal round for only the second time in school history.

GIRLS PIAA CLASS AAA

Archbishop Carroll 56,

Mount St. Joseph 35

Notes: Kerri Shields, who had only four points at halftime, struck for five 3-pointers after the break to lead the Patriots past the defending state champions.

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So here's what next week's schedule looks like. Sites and times have not been announced. For whatever reason, the PIAA site has not been updated with the same rapidity as in earlier rounds (Go figure. It should be easier. There are fewer teams to deal with.) In any case, a preliminary schedule:

Tuesday:

• Archbishop Carroll boys vs. York Suburban
• Cardinal O'Hara girls vs. Downingtown West

Wednesday:

• Penn Wood boys vs. Mount Lebanon
• Archbishop Carroll girls vs. Trinity

Senior guard Kerri Shields had the all-around game Monday night that Archbishop Carroll needed to reclaim the Catholic League Championship. It was Shields' 3-pointer that lifted the Patriots past Archbishop Wood, 35-22, at The Palestra to give them their second league crown in three seasons.

Shields, a McDonald's All-America nominee and a Boston College commit, was stellar: eight points, six rebounds, two steals, one assist, one block. In their first year of PIAA eligibility, the Patriots (24-1) will vie for the District 12 Class AAA title Friday.

For more on the game, pick up a copy of Tuesday's Daily Times. Girls basketball beat writer Harry Chaykun was on the scene.

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In the boys title game ... David beat Goliath.

Class AAA school Neumann-Goretti topped perennial favorite Roman Catholic - a Class AAAA institution - in convincing fashion, 86-53, at The Palestra. The Saints look untouchable these days. Two of Archbishop Carroll's three losses are to them, and District One Class AAAA semifinalist Penn Wood lost to them, too.

There was a pep rally Friday at Archbishop Carroll, employed to get everyone excited for the game that was going to determine (one way or another) the champion of the Catholic League's Blue Division.

There also was a scrimmage ... between Carroll's boys team and its girls team.

Kasheef Festus, (pictured), a senior who measures in at 6-4, 240 pounds, decided to sit this one out.

"Juan'Ya (Green) hit the game-winner at the end," Festus said. "Me, Andre (Wilburn) and D.J. (Irving) didn't play.

So you didn't want to get hurt for Friday's big game, huh?

"No, it's not like that," Festus said. "We had to make it a little more fair. That's not to say they're not good. They were actually really tough the whole game. They were hitting every jump shot."

Festus said the best individual matchup was Green versus senior guard Kerri Shields, a Boston College signee who earlier this week was named a nominee for the McDonald's All-America Game.

"Kerri guarded him really well," Festus said. "But he hit the game-winning shot off her, so he got the last laugh."

Two of last year's All-Delco boys basketball selections - Aaric Murray of Glen Mills (pictured) and Duane Johnson of Penn Wood - were among those chosen as candidates for the McDonald's All-America Game.

Calvin Newell (Strath Haven) and Rahlir Jefferson (Chester) also were named nominees. They are among the 1,500 nominated players who are vying for 24 roster spots.

On the girls side, three Delco players were nominated for spots on the McDonald's teams: Notre Dame's Devon Kane, Cardinal O'Hara's Stephanie Holzer and Archbishop Carroll's Kerri Shields. They are three out of 1,000 who are vying for only 24 roster spots.

The teams will be announced later this month. The games will be played April 1 in Miami.