Blogs > Gettin' Schooled

A boys basketball blog hosted by Daily Times reporter Christopher A. Vito



Friday, January 30, 2009

RADOMICKI, DUNCAN LEADING THE WAY FOR PENNCREST

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.

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Tuesday, December 23, 2008

NEWS + NOTES

The wait is over.

Not your wait for the gifts, or even the wait in department store lines (sorry, last-minute shoppers.) The wait is over for the first boys basketball notebook, which hits news stands Friday.

Here are some items featured within that will whet your appetite:
  • The first Super 7 poll
  • Radnor staying afloat since its bump to Class AAAA
  • Why the hot starts for Interboro and Penncrest
  • The Game of the Week
  • And more.

With this being a holiday week, I likely won't be posting with regularity. I can't promise daily posts this week, but check back as often as possible.

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Movin' on up: Penn Wood, at 5-0 through Monday, has ascended to No. 37 in this week's ESPN/Rise Fab 50 national poll.

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Gifts first, Daily Times second: I know presents will be the first thing on your to-do list come Thursday, Dec. 25, but pick up a copy of that day's Daily Times for the run-down on this year's Jameer Nelson Classic.

I had a good 20 minutes on the phone last weekend with the Orlando Magic guard, and he had some insightful things to say - about his own giving ways (in the spirit of the holidays), about his alma maters, and about his brother, Maurice Nelson, and the Chester Clippers.

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Former Delco File: Lamont 'Mo Mo' Jones, a standout junior last season at American Christian, is doing well for himself down at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, where he and his teammates have raced out to a 17-0 record and a No. 3 ranking by PrepNation's weekly poll. Jones, as you may know, took backseat to Tyreke Evans, but was as gifted a shooter as the now-Memphis guard.

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Wednesday, October 15, 2008

HAVE YOU SEEN OUR WEB SITE?

If you've navigated your way to this blog, you likely have seen the new interface of our Web site. I have to admit, it's pretty awesome. For high school sports fans, here's why:

  • Video features are in an easy-to-find slot on the right side of the High School Sports page.
  • Blog access is right beneath the video.
  • The search bar allows readers to read stories that were written more than a year ago.

There's plenty more there, too. The one downside: My boys soccer notebook from last week got lost in the shuffle. I was going to post it today, but I can't. Hopefully everyone got a chance to read about Delco Christian's Mike Schmid, who's not just playing out his senior year. He wants a District One Class A title.

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I was out at an Inter-Ac game yesterday, one with plenty of bearing on the league standings.

Jake Winoski of the Haverford School put one past Hayden Walling of Episcopal Academy for the only goal of the game. It was in the eighth minute and made the difference in a 1-0 win for HS.

FOR MORE: The final boys soccer notebook hits the pages Thursday, and from there --- it's playoffs time. Keep an eye on the Daily Times for all the latest.

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Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Lauding, applauding determination

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.

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Thursday, September 25, 2008

Haven's Beck-Cullen is lights out

No, he's not Superman. Ask him. Kelsey Beck-Cullen will tell you he's not invincible.

But he's doing his best Brad Lidge impersonation.

The Strath Haven goalkeeper (pictured) has been lights out for the Panthers this season, posting a county-best seven shutouts through the season's first three weeks. And to think that he had been a varsity newbie at season's onset.

To read more about Beck-Cullen's stunning success, take a look at this week's installment of the boys soccer notebook.

Other cool stuff featured in the notebook include:
  • Updates on Chichester's Zach Woods, who suffered a concussion Tuesday in a game against Penn Wood. His coach, Kingsley Donaldson, said Woods should be back on the pitch after a two-week respite.
  • Where is Lower Merion's Greg Robbins headed to college?
  • Where have all the unbeaten teams gone?
  • Who's leading Sun Valley through some difficult times?

And much more, only in the Daily Times.

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Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Chichester's Woods recovering

Chichester boys soccer player Zach Woods is recovering Wednesday after suffering a "severe concussion" a day earlier in a game against Penn Wood.

His coach, Kingsley Donaldson, said Woods will see a specialist later this week. Donaldson expects Woods to miss up to two weeks while recovering. Donaldson, who has suffered a couple concussions during his playing career, said it would take a doctor's orders for Woods to return to the pitch.

"In Jamaica, it's not like it is here," said Donaldson. "Here, there are medical lawsuits all over the place. We want to make sure Zachary is OK before he returns to play."

For more on Woods, check out the weekly boys soccer notebook in Thursday's Daily Times.

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Thursday, September 18, 2008

Boys Soccer teams off and running

This week marked the first installment of the boys soccer notebook, which will print weekly every Thursday in the Daily Times.

You can always count on the Super 7, which has Thomas Arkue and the Upper Darby Royals, pictured, at the top of the county rankings.

In this week's notebook, we take a look at Penn Wood's Menuh Wiah, a Liberia native who leads the county with 12 goals in the early going. There's also good stuff about Haverford coach Jorge Severini, who notched his 200th win, and much more.

Keep an eye out every Thursday for the latest in Delco boys soccer.

ON THE GRIDIRON:
There are plenty of intriguing matchups to keep an eye on tonight, Week 4. (Can you believe it? We're already a quarter of the way into the season.)

For starters, the Central League game between Strath Haven and Garnet Valley has the makings of being the game of the week. Haven needs a huge game from Lonnie Richardson, a running back/safety, if it is to upset the Jaguards.

For the rest of the games, here are the quick-hitters and our expert panel's picks. (Note our loose use of the word 'expert'.)

ON THE HARDWOOD:
The Daily Times was the first to report on the college commitments of Chester's Rahlir Jefferson and Glen Mills' Aaric Murray to Temple and La Salle, respectively. Here are the official stories, found only in Friday's edition of the Daily Times.

Have a good weekend and check back next week for more.

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Thursday, May 8, 2008

Central League champions named

Every Central League track and field athlete got his or her last tune-up Wednesday in the league's championship meet.

The last tune-up, that is, before the District One Class AA and AAA meets, which begin next weekend. It also marked one final opportunity for those who had not yet qualified for districts to meet the standards in their events and move on.

For more on the boys side or the girls side, be sure to check it out here or in the print edition of Thursday's Daily Times.

Also, staff photographer Bob Gurecki assembled a video show from Wednesday's meet, which was held at Lower Merion. Check it out.

ON THE DIAMOND
The baseball season is still in full bloom, so be sure to read the latest in this week's installment of the baseball notebook.

Featured are the Marple Newtown Tigers. Behind second baseman John Rutecki and pitcher Steve DeCecco, the Tigers are back to their old tricks and competing for a spot in the district playoffs. Last season, they snuck up on everybody and made it all the way to the state final. Is that a possibility again? The players think so.

In the notebook:
Academy Park coach Nick Russo is happy to have back pitcher Tom Rhoads, who left for a bit to further his swimming skills. ... Monsignor Bonner will host its first-ever homecoming game this Saturday. ... Delco Christian coach Jeff Wisnewski has been wary of using his best player - Mike Connelly - because of the shortstop's broken finger. But Connelly leads the team in almost every category. ... And much more.

For all the latest, pick up a copy of the Daily Times.

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Friday, January 18, 2008

Boys basketball notebook

There's an assortment of topics covered in this week's boys basketball notebook, so be sure to pick up a copy of today's Daily Times:

  • A feature story on Penn Wood and the junior with the hot hand, Duane Johnson.
  • An update on Chester's national ranking.
  • A piece on Delco Christian's top two scorers, Jake Godino and Jon DeShields, who have been scoring in bunches lately.
  • Something on the three seniors (Michael Barrett, Dave Kerzner and Seth Cartmell) keeping Interboro afloat during a rough season.
  • A recruiting item on Glen Mills junior Aaric Murray.
  • Games of the week, the Super 7 and so on.
Every week, I pick the three biggest games of the week. If there's a game coming up that I should have my eye on, let me know. I always take reader feedback and suggestions.

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