So Friday night, two teams that spent all season hoping for a shot at the Central League title had those hopes dashed.

Top-seeded Conestoga dispatched No. 4 Upper Darby, 55-49, by erasing the seven-point lead the Royals carried into the fourth quarter. Sophomore Montrail Talford played beyond his years with 13 for UD.
No. 2 Lower Merion knocked out third-seeded Penncrest, 44-43, on a questionable 3-pointer in overtime. The Aces forced the OT and Harley Williamson converted a trey that was not as down-the-middle as believed.

It's not the All-Delco championship game everyone was hoping for, but Penncrest and Upper Darby have the District One Class AAAA playoffs to look forward to.

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Coming Saturday morning: More with Archbishop Carroll's Kasheef Festus, from Friday's loss to Neumann-Goretti.

Bad news for Penncrest fans: According to Lions coach Mike Doyle, the first-round matchup Friday in the Central League championship tournament between Penncrest and Lower Merion has been sold out.

I know what you're thinking: "Already?"

Yep, it's true. This should come as no surprise, as the site of the game (Bala Cynwyd Middle School) is considerably smaller than almost all high school gymnasiums. It sold out in a hurry earlier this winter, too, when the girls teams from Lower Merion and Upper Darby played there to determine first place in the league standings.

There are two things Penncrest fans can do:
1. Hope the Lions advance to Saturday's title game, at Ridley.
2. Stay close to the Daily Times for the latest hoops results.

OK, so Conestoga losing to Lower Merion assured us that there will be - for the first time in the league's history - a playoff to determine the Central League champion. Here's what I know so far:

TEAMS INVOLVED: Conestoga, Lower Merion, Penncrest and Upper Darby.

SEEDS: Conestoga is the No. 1 seed and Lower Merion is No. 2. Those cannot change. Penncrest is third in the standings, followed by Upper Darby. The Royals (14-8, 12-4) put pressure on the Lions (17-4, 11-4), who were inactive Tuesday, by defeating Ridley in their season finale. Penncrest plays Marple Newtown Wednesday night to determine final seeding.

LOCATIONS: Friday night's games will be held at the gyms of the higher seeds, so Conestoga and Lower Merion will host. Lower Merion's game will be played at Bala Cynwyd Middle School. Saturday's championship will be at Ridley.

TIMES: Conestoga's first-round game is set for 7 p.m. Lower Merion's opener will tip off at 7:30 p.m. And the title game will start at 7 p.m. Saturday.

PRE-SALE TICKETS: Only Lower Merion will sell tickets beforehand, as Bala Cynwyd Middle School does not have as many seats as normal high school gyms.

QUESTIONS: Springfield athletic director and Central League boys basketball chair Glenn Mallon asks that all further questions be addressed by the respective schools' athletic departments.

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.

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.

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 PIAA hears about 20 appeals each year from student-athletes wishing for an extra year of athletic eligibility.

Sometimes it's personal issues that prompt the request. Sometimes it's something completely out of their control.

Such was the case with Marvin Holman-Little, who attented two schools before transferring to Penncrest last year in the middle of his junior year. In that time he missed plenty of school - close to 100 days actually.

Earlier this month, Holman-Little's story was compelling enough to be granted an extra year of eligibility. A Division I talent, Holman-Little won't know his full potential until next season - which marks just his second full season of playing organized basketball.

For more on Marvin, pick up a copy of Sunday's Daily Times.

The winter really wasn't all that long. The Delaware Valley didn't even get a lot of snow.

But there's something special about baseball season.

New to the baseball beat, I got out to the season opener for both Penncrest and Sun Valley. The nonleague game went to pitcher Pat Smith (pictured) the host Lions, 5-3.

Be sure to check back throughout the baseball season for updates on players' stats, college committments and everything else you'd want to know about Delaware County teams on the diamond.