Whereas most teams would be disappointed with a season-ending defeat – and not to be misunderstood, the Friars were – Monsignor Bonner's five seniors took comfort Saturday after their loss to North Catholic in the Catholic League quarterfinals.

The seniors - Henry Smith, Brian Boyle, Jerry Colvin, Matt Cummings and Bill Scanlan - helped establish a budding legacy at Bonner. Prior to their enrollment at the school in 2005, the Friars had not been in the playoffs in five seasons. They had not won a playoff game since their coach Brian Daly was wearing a green and white jersey. Now, the Friars are coming off their fourth consecutive playoff berth.

“Unfortunately, we had dreams of going a little further and winning the championship,” Boyle said, “but every guy who walked out of our locker room was satisfied with how our careers went. It could’ve been better, but none of us would trade it for anything.”

Well, except for maybe another win. “Maybe,” Boyle said, with a half-smile.

Senior Lijah Thompson is out at Monsignor Bonner, the player confirmed Tuesday night. He transferred from Bonner at the conclusion of last school week.

The 6-7 forward is amidst his first week at Communications Tech High School in Southwest Philadelphia, which is within walking distance of Thompson's home.

Thompson attended the Friars' 59-50 home win over Academy Park Tuesday. He sat at midcourt in the front row, across from the team's benches.

The Robert Morris commit averaged 13 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots per game last year, when the Friars advanced to the Catholic League semifinals.

For more on Thompson's transfer, pick up a copy of Thursday's Daily Times.

You've got to respect the student-athletes who keep their heads up despite posting losing records.

I remember my playing days at Holy Ghost Prep. Back then, our baseball team didn't lose too much but when we'd go on three- or a four-game losing streak, it was the worst feeling in the world.

Anyway, enough about me: Cardinal O'Hara topped Monsignor Bonner, 5-2, Wednesday behind a two-goal day by Jeff Signora (pictured, in blue). Both teams' seasons will end next week bereft of playoff berths.

Yet the guys I talked to were proud of their efforts and seasons. They weren't afraid to pat each other on the back, and overall, they played like a team should: passing well and looking for an open teammate before forcing a shot on his own.

Kudos to student-athletes who demonstrate determination, even in the face of a sub-.500 season.

ALSO: Keep an eye out for Thursday's Daily Times, which is loaded with scholastic notebooks. The boys soccer, volleyball and football notebooks will be in print.

Two seasons ended while two more are extended following Tuesday afternoon's playoff games.

Sun Valley and Marple Newtown, the first and second Delco teams to ever make a state-baseball final, both qualified for the state tournament with wins Tuesday. In fact, the two will face each other in Thursday's District One Class AAA final.

Monsignor Bonner's fall in the Catholic League title game wasn't without a solid effort from Conor Kerins, pictured, who was lifted by coach Joe DeBarberie after five-plus strong innings. He gave everything had against St. Joseph's Prep, which looked like one of the strongest teams I've seen all season.

In the Class A bracket, Delco Christian lost to Morrisville on a walk-off grand slam in the eighth inning.

So the fine folks at Shippensburg University - bless their hearts - have incorporated some sort of Wireless Internet block against the Daily Times' blogging program. Apparently it's a personals page and it could not be accessed while I was covering the PIAA Class AAA track meet.

So since it's been awhile since my last post, here's what you've probably missed:

BASEBALL PLAYOFFS
Four Delaware County teams are still alive for Tuesday afternoon's action. Monsignor Bonner is going for its first Catholic League title since 1989, in a 4 p.m. start against St. Joseph's Prep. In Class AAA, Sun Valley and Marple Newtown will play in separate semifinals, and Delco Christian is in the final four of the Class A bracket.

Let's hope there's less rain and more shine in the forecast. For previews of the games, pick up Tuesday's Daily Times.

STATE TRACK MEET
Penncrest thrower Karen Shump went out in a blaze of glory, ending her track and field career with a fourth straight shot put title at states. The defending All-Delco Track Athlete of the Year stands alone in her events. Here are two other stories (link and link) from the girls side of the track meet.

On the boys side, Glen Mills jumper Johnny Jenkins was the Delco area's lone state champion. And he only started long jumping three months ago. Here's my account from states on Friday.

Overall, the experience was a blast. Though the Shippensburg people need to lighten up on their Internet standards. More to come soon, especially with four baseball teams still alive in the playoffs.

And lest we forget Delaware County's team in the Carpenter Cup.

Sorry for the recent lack of blogging, folks. Life's been busy, but that's nothing new.

Here's what's up in Delaware County:
Unless you've been living in a cave the last two months, you know Conor Kerins is the talk of the town. The Monsignor Bonner left-hander has been on fire. He's posted a 6-0 record overall and a 5-0 mark against Catholic League opponents.

On top of that, he's averaging two strikeouts an inning and has stifled opponents with an ERA slightly above 1.oo. If he keeps up this pace, there's a good chance he could lead the Friars to their first Catholic League title since 1989. I've covered the CL playoffs before and a few years back, Conwell Egan won on the strength of one strong arm. But the Friars have three. They might be tough to take down.

Elsewhere in baseball:

• Two unlikely heroes - J.J. Sims and D.J. DiPaola - led Haverford past Ridley Tuesday.
• Dave Hallinan is single-handedly keeping Interboro in the Del Val League race.
• Nearly a month after it began, a darkness-shortened game between Haverford and Penncrest will finally conclude Thursday.
  
  
  A WEEKEND AT THE PENN RELAYS
  For the baseball fans out there, please understand that we at the Delco Times are giving some love to track, too.
  
  And the Penn Relays are always a good time.
  
  In case you missed it last weekend, a couple individuals and teams from Delaware County had a good go of it at Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania.
  
  Penncrest pole vaulter Jerry Thompson, pictured, had trouble clearing 14 feet, 9 inches and placed eighth in the championship flight. And Chester's Martin Soloman came in 18th in the 400m hurdles final.
  
  For a pair of Cardinal O'Hara jumpers, Steve Werner drew the short straw and Jason Johnson came up an inch short. Werner's long jump scores were miscalculated and he missed out on the championship flight. Meanwhile, his teammate, Johnson, in the triple jump, was an inch off of qualifying for the title run.
  
  Delco had a winner, though: Chester's girls 4x400 relay team topped the field in the Philadelphia Area final, outrunning eight other teams in the process. Kudos to the foursome.
  
  I made a promise earlier this year, a vow to blog more frequently. I will make good on that, starting ... ... now!

And then there were three.

A field of 17 Delaware County teams to make the postseason has narrowed to just three after the elimination of two local teams on Wednesday.

Class A Delco Christian lost in the district semifinals. Offering up the quote of the night was Knights senior Jake Godino, who was truly hurt by his team's loss: "I don’t know what happened," Godino said. "A loss is a loss … and we worked hard. But things didn’t work out for us."

And Jamal Melvin (pictured) and Monsignor Bonner dropped a heartbreaker in the Catholic League semifinals. The Friars tied the game with five seconds remaining, but subsequently fouled an Archbishop Ryan player with 0.8 ticks left. A la Villanova / Georgetown, this one was decided at the free-throw line.

Only three Delco teams are still playing this season: Chester will tipoff Friday with a district championship on the line; and Penn Wood and Ridley are in Class AAAA's play-back games before heading to states. As for Ridley, the Green Raiders' loss Wednesday means they can attain no higher than District One's seventh seed in states.

EVANS NETS HONOR
McDonald's All-American team was announced Wednesday, and star guard Tyreke Evans of American Christian made the cut. The two-time All-Delco averages 33.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 4.3 steals for the Eagles (26-4).

It appears recruiting services are making their marks on youth basketball players earlier and earlier these days.

The Dallas Morning News reports today that, according to recruiting service HoopScoop.com, some of the nation's top elementary school basketball players hail from Texas. My question is this: When did recruiting services begin rating kids before reaching high school?

Then I remembered how Sebastian Telfair (pictured) was heralded among national media only years ago. He was ranked among the nation's top fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders before heading to Brooklyn's Lincoln High. In the end, he's a middle-of-the road NBA player averaging 7.5 points per game.

So is all the attention necessary? Does it set the bar too high? Does it only set these kids up for failure and missed expectations? I welcome your thoughts.

In Saturday's playoff games:
I was at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School Saturday, where Radnor's season came to an end. The Red Raiders weren't alone. Also in the District One Class AAA tournament, Springfield's season concluded in defeat.

Elsewhere, Monsignor Bonner and Delco Christian advanced to the second rounds of their respective tournaments. The Friars knocked off Neumann-Goretti in the Catholic League playoffs, while the Knights took down Renaissance Academy in the District One Class A tourney. Check out Matt Smith's report on the Radnor/Holy Ghost game and Terry Toohey's account from the Delco Christian game.

This is one of the best times of the year: the playoffs have just begun, and soon enough it'll be time to name the All-Delco Team. This is where you, the reader, enter into the equation.

I have a general idea of who will make this year's All-Delco Team, but I'd like your thoughts on the matter. As the Daily Times continues ushering in the digital age of journalism, I've opted to use my blog as a medium for such a task. Either leave a comment on the blog or e-mail me who you think should make the team and why. My only request is that your responses be clear, concise and clean (no trash-talking on other players or foul language, please). I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Now back to the playoffs.

The results are in: two Delaware County schools are in the Catholic League playoffs. Well, sort of. Monsignor Bonner picked up the Southern Division's third seed by posting a 9-5 league record. The Friars will play No. 2 Neumann-Goretti on Saturday.

Archbishop Carroll and Saint Joseph's Prep will partake in a play-in game Wednesday for the fourth and final Southern Division seed. Both teams finished at 8-6 in league play. The Catholic League playoffs begin next weekend. The Patriots and the Hawks will play at Cardinal O'Hara Wednesday at 7 p.m. for the right to advance.

The Catholic League playoffs are right around the corner, and two Delaware County teams are on the cusp of getting in. Four teams from each division earn berths. Here's how the Southern Division breaks down, with Sunday's regular-season finales factoring in:

Team (League record) ....... Remaining game
Roman Catholic (13-0) ............... vs. Cardinal O'Hara
Neumann-Goretti (9-4) ............ vs. Saint Joseph's Prep
Monsignor Bonner (8-5) ........... vs. Kennedy-Kenrick
Saint Joseph's Prep (8-5) ......... vs. Neumann-Goretti
Archbishop Carroll (7-6) .......... vs. West Catholic

In other local basketball news:
Academy Park Anthony King is close to giving his commitment to play at Division II Bloomsburg, the senior said following the Knights' loss to Lower Merion in the first round of the District One Class AAAA tournament. King has yet to commit but hasn't gotten a solid scholarship offer from Penn State, which had sent several letters declaring its interest in the power forward. I'll keep you posted.

You wouldn't be able to tell by the clear lack of snow, but February is around the corner. And that means the district and league playoffs will soon follow. Here's a look at where your team stands and what that could mean for the playoff picture:

Del Val League
Chester ....... 8-0, 18-1
Penn Wood ... 6-2, 15-5
Glen Mills ....... 5-2, 12-8
Acad. Park ... 5-3, 11-11
Chichester ... 4-4, 10-10
Interboro ....... 2-5, 5-14
Harriton ....... 1-6, 7-13
Sun Valley ... 0-8, 1-20

Central League
Ridley ...... 13-2, 18-3
L. Merion ... 12-3, 15-5
Conestoga ... 12-3, 17-4
Haverford ...... 9-6, 12-8
Up.Darby ... 9-6, 11-10
Penncrest ....... 7-9, 9-12
Strath Haven ....... 6-9, 8-12
Marple Newtown ... 5-10, 9-14
Radnor ....... 3-12, 6-14
Springfield ....... 1-14, 3-18

Catholic League Southern Division
Roman Catholic ....... 9-0, 12-2
Monsignor Bonner ....... 6-3, 14-5
Archbishop Carroll ....... 6-3, 12-7
Neumann-Goretti ........ 5-4, 10-8
St. Joseph's Prep ....... 4-5, 10-9
Cardinal O'Hara ....... 3-6, 9-10
West Catholic ....... 3-6, 12-7
Kennedy-Kenrick ....... 0-9, 3-16

Inter-Ac League
Germantown Academy ....... 5-1, 14-8
Chestnut Hill ....... 4-1, 16-5
Malvern Prep ....... 3-3, 12-8
Penn Charter ....... 2-2, 4-14
Episcopal Academy ....... 2-3, 12-8
Haverford School ....... 0-6, 7-13

Independent
Christian Academy ....... 13-6
Delco Christian ....... 12-7
Garnet Valley .......10-9

And from the hardwood, where just two teams played Sunday:
Monsignor Bonner drew the short straw (again). The Friars lost for the third time in six games, with the defeats coming by a combined five points. Ouch. And Chester improved to 19-1 behind four scorers reaching double digits. Rahlir Jefferson's 16 points led the way.

For 32 minutes, Academy Park's Anthony King and Chester's Nasir Robinson (pictured) played like a state title was on the line. Loose balls were pounced on. The glass was cleaned after clanged shots. But after the game, though, the two shook hands and smiled at one another as if they hadn't just done battle.

"I've known Nasir since he was four, so I can't be mad at him for winning," King said of Chester's 87-63 win. "He lived around the corner from me when we were kids. I've known him all my life."

Robinson, who has given his word to Pittsburgh, and King remain good friends to this day. Thus explaining all their pleasantries after the game, which is written about in detail in today's Daily Times.

"When he patted me on the back, he was saying 'Keep doing what you're doing,'" said King, the Knights' leading scorer who has narrowed his college choices to Penn State and Bloomsburg.

In other hoops news:
...Chester native Mark Medley scored 10 points in Delaware-based Tatnall's win over Delco Christian Friday.
...A crazy finish in tonight's only Delco Catholic League game. Archbishop Carroll snuck into a second-place tie with Monsignor Bonner by beating the Friars in overtime on two free throws with three seconds to go by Kasheef Festus. That's good, solid basketball right there.
...Ridley stayed in a tie with Lower Merion for first in the Central League with a win. The Green Raiders own the tie-breaker over second-place Conestoga, which they've beaten twice.
...My alma mater - Holy Ghost Prep - improved to 18-3 Friday. So for fans of any Class AAA teams, look out. Ghost will be a force in the district playoffs.

There were only a handful of boys basketball games in Delaware County Tuesday, but here's what we learned:

1. Chester has all but locked up the Del Val League title. Penn Wood, which had suffered just a single loss in league play, was the last hope to upset Chester. But the Clippers won by an 82-70 margin, and in fact haven't lost to a Pennsylvania team since last season's Class AAAA state title game.

2. Monsignor Bonner is for real in the Catholic League. Longtime power St. Joseph's Prep couldn't even slow down the red-hot Friars, falling 51-48. The only team standing in Bonner's way in the CL South is Roman Catholic, with whom the Friars have a rematch next month.

3. Garnet Valley will be a handful next season. The Central League might not be rolling out a red carpet when the Jaguars join the league for the 2008-09 season. GV beat up on Kennett, 64-55, and improved to 10-7 on the year. But the Jags could very well be 15-2. Five of their losses were by two or fewer possessions, including two 1-point defeats.

On a related note: You should definitely make time to check out one of the many Central League matchups tomorrow and help a good cause in the process. Some of the proceeds from Wednesday's Central League boys-girls hoops doubleheaders will be donated to Coaches vs. Cancer, a very worthy charity. For a full schedule, pick up today's Daily Times.

Any boxing fans out there? You know those long, drawn-out heavyweight bouts in which every round gets more intense than the next? We're going to see some parallels between those fights and the fights for first place in the next couple weeks.

Take a look at the top two teams in each Delaware County league and the late-season matchups that will have postseason implications:

DEL VAL LEAGUE
1. Chester 16-1, 6-0
2. Penn Wood 14-4, 5-1
The Clippers beat the Patriots by 36 points on Dec. 11, but they square off Tuesday with first place on the line.

CENTRAL LEAGUE
1. Lower Merion 14-4, 11-2
2. Ridley 16-3, 11-2
The Aces hold the tiebreaker, having beaten the Green Raiders, 47-44, on Jan. 8. They play again at Villanova on Feb. 2.

CATHOLIC LEAGUE SOUTH
1. Roman Catholic 10-2, 7-0
2. Monsignor Bonner 13-4, 5-2
The Friars have a chance for revenge on Feb. 5, when they will play the Cahillites at their cramped gym in North Philadelphia.

INTER-AC
1. Germantown Academy 12-7, 4-0
2. Chestnut Hill 14-5, 3-1

OTHER SCHOOLS
Christian Academy 12-8
Delco Christian 9-6
Garnet Valley 9-7

For complete league standings, be sure to pick up Tuesday's edition of the Daily Times.

Last night's Monsignor Bonner-Cardinal O'Hara game was a doozy. If a tight, 46-41 game wasn't enough for you, perhaps some physical play on the low post did the trick.

Fans at the packed house at O'Hara saw two of the Catholic League's underappreciated big men do battle - Bonner's Lijah Thompson and O'Hara's Mark Wedderburn. Thompson (pictured, No. 42) said he enjoyed the physicality of Wedderburn, a football commit to Penn State.

"It was a test going against him. Always is," said Thompson, who had 11 points. "I don't get the chance to play like that everyday, so I liked it."

On another note, Bonner coach Brian Daly and Saint Joseph's University coach Phil Martelli were seen chatting on the court following last night's game. Could a Friar be headed to Hawk Hill? Only time will tell, I guess.

For more on last night's game, pick up today's Daily Times.
Chris