Was it The Doors who said 'This is the end'?

I think it was the Penn Wood boys and the boys and girls programs from Archbishop Carroll who said 'Farewell' to Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center in style. It's only happened once where Delaware County teams have won multiple state basketball times. Never have three teams done so, until this weekend.

Deputy sports editor John Lohn and girls basketball writer Harry Chaykun are on their way back to Delco as we speak, and staff photographer Eric Hartline and I will hit the road in the morning. So goodbye from Penn State and enjoy some of Eric's work from Saturday night.

And be sure to pick up a copy of the Sunday Times for your very own little piece of Delco history:

Penn Wood unfurls its elation after winning the Class AAAA crown.

Sophomore forward Aaron Brown (20 points) blocks Chemin Lambert's shot.

Penn Wood coach Clyde Jones barks out a play.


The Archbishop Carroll girls gesture to the crowd following their Class AAA title win.

Kerri Shields, left, and Kaitlin Cole celebrate the win.

Carroll's Erin Shields, left, tangles with Lampeter-Strasburg's Lisa Boyer for a loose ball.

The Penn Wood Patriots solidified this as a historic weekend in Delaware County basketball history.

By beating William Penn-York, 72-53, in Saturday's PIAA Class AAAA final at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center, the Patriots became the third team from Delco to win a state basketball final this weekend. Only once had multiple teams from our county won crowns in the same weekend - in 1983, when the Chester boys and the Nether Providence girls went all the way.

Duane Johnson and Aaron Brown had 20 points each for the Patriots, who also picked up 14 and 12 points respectively from Tyree Johnson and Will Brown.

The lead was never in question, as the Pats led the Bearcats from start to finish. Read more on Saturday's win in the Sunday Times.

Keep close to Live at the PIAA Championships for the latest scores, updates, stats and more on the final state title game of the weekend - the Class AAAA boys final: Penn Wood vs. William Penn-York.

9:24 p.m.: Penn Wood is eight minutes away from a state championship. The Patriots hold a 57-42 advantage through three quarters. Will Brown, off a pass from Tyree Johnson, nailed a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter.

9:10 p.m.: Midway through the third quarter, Penn Wood holds a nine-point lead, 43-34. Aaron Brown has scored seven points in the period.

8:38 p.m.: In the first 10 minutes of play, there have been 17 fouls called. Penn Wood has a 22-16 edge with 6:17 left in the second quarter.

8:26 p.m.: Penn Wood on 8-0 run to take 19-4 lead with 1:37 left in first. The Patriots have 10 steals.

8:12 p.m.: Three steals, two by Tyree Johnson, and seven points from Duane Johnson give Penn Wood a 7-0 lead in the first 36 seconds.

8:04 p.m. - Warm-ups are through. The tearaways have been, well, torn away. It's gametime.

7:38 p.m. - More than 26 minutes from tipoff, both teams have taken the floor and are warming up.

Archbishop Carroll's girls basketball team completed a feat that has been done only four times before: by winning the Class AAA title over Lampeter-Strasberg, 68-45, the Patriots' boys and girls teams have won state crowns in the same year.

It's only happened on four other occasions:
1979 York Catholic (District 3) AA Boys, A Girls
1999 Blackhawk (District 7) AAA Boys, AAA Girls
2001 Kennedy Christian (District 10) A Boys, A Girls
2001 Trinity (District 3) AA Boys, AA Girls

The Patriots' huge margin of victory Saturday at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center is the largest in five years and the second-largest in the state-title game in the last 14 years. In 2005, Mercyhurst Prep dispatched St. Basil Academy, 67-33.

Hollie Mershon and Erin Shields had 13 apiece to pace the Patriots. Kerri Shields scored all of her 12 points on first-half 3-pointers, and Kaitlin Cole and Jen Carney tallied eight each in the win.

Check out the Sunday Times for more on the game.

Return to Live at the PIAA Championships throughout the night, where you'll find consistent updates on the Class AAA girls title game between Archbishop Carroll and Lampeter-Strasburg:

7:13 p.m. - Carroll 66, L-S 39: Creighton pulls his starters with 3:41 left. Hugging commences on the Carroll bench.

7:05 p.m. - Carroll 61, L-S 29(end of 3rd): Kerri Shields has 12 points, while Merson, Carney and Cole each have eight in the Patriots' rout. There are eight minutes separating Carroll from becoming the fifth school to win boys and girls titles in the same year:

• 1979 - York Catholic (District 3) AA Boys, A Girls
• 1999 - Blackhawk (District 7) AAA Boys, AAA Girls
• 2001 - Kennedy Christian (District 10) A Boys, A Girls
• 2001 - Trinity (District 3) AA Boys, AA Girls

7:00 p.m. - Carroll 58, L-S 29: Being outscored during a current 7-2 run, Carroll coach Chuck Creighton implements wholesale changes with 2:30 to play in the third in - five in, five out.

6:55 p.m. - Carroll 56, L-S 22: Only 6 points away from a running clock. In the state final. Wow.

6:49 p.m. - BREAKING DOWN THE BOX: The halftime stat sheet just reached us. Here are some of the numbers to keep an eye on - Carroll is shooting 65.4 percent (17-for-26), while L-S is at 30 percent (8-for-25). .... Carroll is 7-for-10 from beyond the arc. .... Carroll owns an 11-0 advantage in points off turnovers and an 11-0 edge in bench scoring. .... L-S is being outscored 16-8 in the paint.

6:41 p.m. - Carroll 45, L-S 19 (halftime): The Patriots outscored the Pioneers, 19-4, in the second quarter. Hollie Mershon found Kerri Shields in the left corner for her fourth 3-pointer of the game. The shot, with 4.8 seconds left, buried L-S. ... Girls basketball writer Harry Chaykun, a fan of the blogosphere, wishes everyone the best from press row.

6:37 p.m. - Carroll 40, L-S 19: Freshman Rachel Pearson, in the game less than 10 seconds, takes and hits the first shot she sees - a 3-pointer - to cap the Pats' 12-2 run.

6:34 p.m. - Carroll 35, L-S 17: Jen Carney has scored five in a row, and just seconds ago completed a 3-point play, to help the Patriots double up the Pioneers.

6:29 p.m. - Arch. Carroll 30, L-S 17: Other than being more selective in the second quarter, not much has changed for the Patriots in the way of their huge lead.

6:22 p.m. - Arch. Carroll 26, Lampeter-Strasburg 15: Kerri (nine points, three 3s) and Erin (10 points) Shields have scored 19 of the Patriots' 26 1st-quarter points. Carroll shot 10-for-14 in the frame, good for 71.4 percent.

6:17 p.m. - The Shields sisters are off to a hot start, combining for three 3-pointers and 11 points in the first five minutes. Erin Shields has eight points, including a pair of treys, while Kerri also has a 3-pointer. Carroll leads, 15-9.

6:05 p.m. - Pre-game warmups conclude. Introductions commence.

The writers have some of the best seats in the house at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center, but Eric Hartline's can't be beat. Check out the photos from Friday night's games in a pair of slideshows at Delcotimes.com, where Eric's vantage point on the baseline is on full display.

We posted some of Eric's shots earlier today, but a more complete gallery can be found by clicking the link above.

The Daily Times news team is back at the Bryce Jordan Center for the second and final day of the PIAA Championships. We're 32 minutes from tipoff of the Girls Class AAA championship between Archbishop Carroll and Lampeter-Strasberg.

Here are some recaps from the early games:

Girls Class A: Bishop Guilfoyle 49, Nativity BVM 27

Ali Williams scored 22 points for the Lady Marauders, almost single-handedly outscoring the Golden Girls, whose biggest scoring quarter was an eight-point third. Kayleigh Floyd poured in 11 more for Guilfoyle.

Boys Class AA: Imhotep Charter 75, North Catholic 67 (2 0T)

Southeastern Pennsylvania is 3-for-3 in boys championships, with the last one hinging on Penn Wood later tonight. The Panthers overcame a 12-5 first-quarter deficit to win a stunning, 2-overtime final. Sam Prescott finished with a game-best 21 points for Imhotep, which finished the year with only one loss (t0 Chester in Game 2 of the regular season).

While John Lohn, Harry Chaykun and I were manning press row, Daily Times staff photographer Eric Hartline was roaming the baseline.

Here are some of his shots from Archbishop Carroll's PIAA Class AAA boys title-game win and Cardinal O'Hara's loss in the PIAA Class AAAA girls final:

Andre Wilburn hoists the championship trophy.

D.J. Irving waits for his gold medal from coach Paul Romanczuk.

Steph Holzer and Natasha Cloud (front) embrace.

Steph Holzer limps off the court early in the third quarter.

The Lions watch across the court, as Mt. Lebanon receives its gold medals.

The wait is over, as if it was a long one.

Only one year into its PIAA eligibility, Archbishop Carroll won the PIAA Class AAA state championship, beating Greensburg-Salem, 75-54, at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center.

Junior guard D.J. Irving, pictured, led the way with 17 points and backcourt mate Juan'ya Green had 16 for the Patriots (27-3).

The Patriots' lead was never really in question. They pieced together 19-2 and 20-6 runs in the second and third quarters, respectively, to run away with the game.

More to come on the Patriots' state-title victory in Saturday's Daily Times.

Check back to Live at the PIAA Championships for the oft-updated live blog of Archbishop Carroll vs. Greensburg-Salem in the Class AAA boys title game:

9:27 p.m. - Carroll 75, Salem 47: Most of the starters are out because, well, it's a blowout.

9:15 p.m. - Carroll 57, Salem 34 (end of 3rd): And the rout is on. Green has 16, Festus 12 and Irving 14.

9:01 p.m. - Carroll 46, Salem 30: Mingledough converts a pair of free throws midway through third.

8:43 p.m. - Carroll 37, Salem 25 (halftime): The Pats can't score all the time. The Lions put together seven straight, five on a pair of buckets by Chris Klimchock, who has been playing with three fouls since the nine-minute mark of the game.

8:38 p.m. - Carroll 33, Salem 18: The Lions can't stop the bleeding. Wilburn, Festus and Green each have buckets since the Lions' last timeout, stretching their lead to 15 and their current run to 17-2.

8:35 p.m. - Carroll 27, Salem 16: Since the Lions tied the game at 16, the Pats are on a 9-0 run. Kasheef Festus, Ben Mingledough, Irving and Green all have buckets during that run. Talk about a balanced offense.

8:28 p.m. - Arch. Carroll 16, Greensburg-Salem 14 (end of 1st): After falling behind 2-1, the Patriots ran off the next eight points and have led ever since. Juan'ya Green had six points in the first quarter, and Andre Wilburn and D.J. Irving have three apiece. ... Jake Matthews has two NBA-range 3-pointers for Salem.

8:08 p.m. - Player introductions and national anthem.

Cardinal O'Hara had to play the final 13 minutes of its PIAA Class AAAA championship game without All-American center Steph Holzer.

It was 13 minutes too many.

The Lions never recovered after losing Holzer to an undisclosed ankle injury early in the third quarter. They lost to Mt. Lebanon, 67-58, at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center. The champion Blue Devils finished their season 31-0.

Holzer had 14 points in 18 minutes. She made two attempts (both in vain) to return to the court. The pain was too much and she retreated back to the bench both times.

Natasha Cloud finished with 20 points and Alicia Manning had 10 for the nationally-ranked Lions.

Pick up a copy of Saturday's Daily Times for the latest on the Lions.

Check back throughout the game for updates of the Cardinal O'Hara - Mt. Lebanon PIAA Class AAAA girls championship at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center:

7:41 p.m.: FINAL SCORE - Mt. Lebanon 67, Cardinal O'Hara 58. Pick up a copy of Saturday's Daily Times for all the latest on O'Hara.

7:35 p.m. - Mt. Lebanon 59, Cardinal O'Hara 56: Cloud and Manning hit back-to-back threes to pull O'Hara within four. Then Womack knocks down one of two free throws to get the Lions thte closest they have been in a long while. Only 48.3 seconds left.

7:31 p.m.: The Lions are running out of time. Only 1:52 remaining, they trail 56-47.

7:19 p.m.: The ankle injury that has plagued Steph Holzer for the majority of the postseason appears to be too much too overcome tonight. The Vanderbilt-bound center made a second attempt at returning to the lineup, and again, she was unable to re-enter the game. She's sitting on the bench, next to assistant Chris Genther, with a bag of ice on her ankle. In her absence, Mount Lebanon has taken a 52-42 lead with 5:04 remaining.

7:10 p.m. - Mt. Lebanon 45, Cardinal O'Hara 40 (end of 3rd): Cloud nails a 3-pointer to end Lebo's 11-2 run without Holzer. On the last possession of the third quarter, Cable hits a bucket as time expires to give the Devils their biggest lead of the game. ... Holzer appears to be heading to the scorer's table for a return. She has missed the last 5 minutes, 48 seconds of the game.

7:03 p.m. - Mt. Lebanon 40, Cardinal O'Hara 37: Holzer returns to the scorer's table to check back into the game late in the third quarter, but winces in pain and hurries back to the bench. She had missed critical minutes of the game as her ankle was being heavily taped. The Lions have been outscored, 8-2, without her on the floor for the last 4:41.

6:57 p.m. - Holzer, while crossing midcourt, grabs at her right ankle. Callahan tumbles over her. After two minutes on the floor, Holzer is escorted off the floor with two O'Hara officials. She was walking gingerly on it. The Lions lead, 35-32, when Holzer checks out.

6:55 p.m. - Cardinal O'Hara 35, Mt. Lebanon 32: Four free throws by Danielle Callahan put the Lions ahead for the first time since the first quarter.

6:42 p.m.: Is there anything worse than the guy who fires t-shirts into the crowd at halftime using an air gun? This guy is an all-timer, representing Sheetz, a convenience-store chain.

6:40 p.m. - Mt. Lebanon 30, Cardinal O'Hara 29 (halftime): The Lions looked stale in the final minute of the first half, committing three turnovers - offensive foul, over-and-back and a travel - to lose the lead. Holzer's buzzer-beating jumper, which prompted a fist pump from the senior, gives her 12 points at the break. ... The Blue Devils' scoring is spread out, with 13 by Madison Cable and eight by Lauren Abrogast. ... For the Lions, Natasha Cloud has Alicia Manning has seven at the break.

6:23 p.m.: After the first quarter, O'Hara and Mount Lebo are deadlocked at 16-16. The Lions' Steph Holzer finished the first eight minutes with six points, three rebounds, four blocks and a steal. She also altered two shots.

6:15 p.m. - Mt. Lebanon 11, Cardinal O'Hara 6: At the first timeout, Steph Holzer has four points and Alicia Manning accounts for the other two for the Lions.

Here are the scores and some notes from the early games at PSU:

Girls AA: Villa Maria Academy 56, York Catholic 51
Kayla McBride and Kaylyn Maruca scored 21 and 15 points respectively for the Victors, the District X champs who held a 32-17 halftime lead and never looked back. Kady Schrann scored 20 points for the Irish, the District Three champs.

Boys A: Girard College 80, Kennedy Catholic 70
Lance Devero led the Cavaliers with 20, and John Johnson wasn't far behind with 19 for the District One champions, who dispatched the District X champion Golden Eagles.

-Chris

As the football guy at the Daily Times for the past decade, it's hard to pull away from that sport. Not surprisingly, two of the first people I saw at the Bryce Jordan Center were Dan Algeo, the current football coach at O'Hara, and George Stratts, who guided the program before Algeo took over. Both were on hand to cheer the Lions to their first state title in any sport. We're about 20 minutes from that quest starting.

-John Lohn

The Daily Times - all four of us - are checked into our hotel rooms and stretching the typing fingers before a long night of writing, reporting, photo-taking and blogging. This is Night 1 of 2 here at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center.

We're seated on press row as the Cardinal O'Hara girls stretch before shootaround. Only 30 minutes until tipoff of the Lions' PIAA Class AAAA title game against undefeated Mount Lebanon.

Not having covered the Lions all season, I'm impressed off the bat with the poise they are demonstrating. New members to the PIAA, they walked onto the floor and to their bench as if they had done this before. Coach Linus McGinty has had his players thinking this stage was a realistic goal all season (I guess that comes with being nationally ranked).

More to come as the night rolls along. Stay close to Live at the PIAA Championships.

-Chris

Hello, Delaware County basketball fans, and welcome to the Daily Times' blog from Penn State University's Bryce Jordan Center.

The historic occasion - having four teams vying for state titles - prompted the creation of this blog. The Daily Times hopes to bring you the sights and sounds from Happy Valley. Throughout the weekend, you'll see photos by staff photographer Eric Hartline and various postings by me, boys basketball writer Chris Vito, girls basketball writer Harry Chaykun and columnist John Lohn.

Stay close to the blog, Live at the PIAA Championships, for everything Delco basketball.
See you at State College,
Chris