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

The basketball season kicked off Friday night with a flourish. There were high scorers abound, some upsets and some high expectations that were given foundations for the rest of the season.

For starters, Chichester upended host Ridley, 50-39, behind 12 points and nine rebounds from Dan Clapp and 11 from Malik Carter (pictured).

The Eagles, who have just two wins in their last six openers, desperately needed to get off to a good start. In the always-competitive Del Val, their toughest tests are ahead of them.

Marple Newtown's Soutiri Sapnas scored 13 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter of a win at Harry S Truman.

Strath Haven's Calvin Newell dropped 28 on Carlisle, the hosts of a tipoff tournament and losers to the Panthers.

Glen Mills' Aaric Murray lived up to all the hype, tossing in 32 points.

And Archbishop Carroll escaped a three-overtime thriller over La Salle, 86-84, behind 21 from D.J. Irving and 19 from Juan'Ya Green.

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Daily Times reporters are scattered about the East Coast today, covering some bigtime games. I'm taking a day off from the high school beat to visit Lincoln Financial Field and the 109th Army-Navy Game. A lifelong Philadelphian, it's hard to believe that I've never covered one of these games. In fact, I've never even attended one. Today should be a treat.

Terry Toohey is in Harrisonburg, Va., for Villanova's second-round FCS playoff game against top-seeded James Madison. And Anthony SanFilippo is down in Carolina for a Flyers-Hurricanes game.

It's a big day for sports, certainly, so pick up Sunday's Daily Times for all the latest.