The PIAA playoff brackets were released Sunday night. Some of Delaware County's five boys teams have brief drives; others, well, aren't so lucky.

Here's the breakdown...

PIAA CLASS AAA - FRIDAY
***Springfield (18-8) vs. Murrell Dobbins (16-8)
At South Philadelphia High, 6 p.m.
What to know: The Cougars, District One's runnerup, probably has a better draw against their opponent from the Public League than district-champ HGP. Yeah, about that...

***Archbishop Carroll (22-4) vs. Holy Ghost Prep (24-3)
At Norristown High, 8 p.m.
What to know: The Firebirds, who won the District One crown, were rewarded with a first-round draw against the reigning state-champion Patriots. Fair? No. But it is what it is.

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PIAA CLASS AAAA - SATURDAY
***Penn Wood (23-3) vs. Penn Manor (17-10)
At Norristown High, 3:30 p.m.
What to know: The newly-crowned District One champion Patriots knocked off the Comets, of District Three, in the first round of states a year ago. Probably enough said.

***Penncrest (24-5) vs. Bethlehem Liberty (22-5)
At Freedom High, Bethlehem, 4:30 p.m.
What to know: The Central League champion Lions have a 90-minute drive that covers 70-plus miles for this game. Liberty has a three-mile drive that takes eight minutes. Fair? No. But it is what it is. (See above.)

***Chester (16-10) vs. La Salle (19-5)
At Archbishop Carroll High, 4:30
What to know: The Clippers are in the unfavorable spot of losing three straight heading into states; meanwhile, the Explorers won a hotly-contested District 12 title game. It seems like the teams are going in opposite directions.

Friday night, Penn Wood put the finishing touches on its first District One Class AAAA championship in 18 years ... and the Daily Times was all over it. (Game story and column can be found here.)

The Times was on the baseline, too, with staff photographer Bob Gurecki nabbing some shots of the action:
Penn Wood reserve forward Jeff Kyem pulls down a rebound in front of Plymouth-Whitemarsh's C.J. Aiken in the first half.

Shawn Oakman (center) embraces Aaron Brown (left) and Will Brown (right) in the moments following the Patriots' upset of the Colonials.

Reserve guard Jerry Price (No. 1) rushes to the court after the buzzer to meet Will Brown and Aaron Brown (back) following the Patriots' first district championship victory since 1992.

AROUND THE STATE
In a major upset, Reading dispatched Hempfield, 54-46, Saturday in the District Three Class AAAA title game. Hempfield, the top seed, had gone 27-0 en route to the title game.

What that does is make Penn Wood's road to a repeat as state champion a little more bumpy, with Reading winning and going to the West side of the PIAA bracket. The weekend is long, so let's see how the rest of the bracket shakes out before we reach any conclusions.

AROUND THE COUNTY
In the District One Class AAAA seventh-place game. Penncrest toppled Chester, 56-53, at West Chester East High School. The Lions' Rodney Duncan went off for 31 points, a career high. The Clippers trailed by 10 with two minutes to go before closing the gap. According to Penncrest coach Mike Doyle, Duncan's point tally is the best for any Lion in more than eight years.

Congratulations, Penn Wood Patriots: You are the 2009-10 District One Class AAAA champions.

For the first time since 1992, the Patriots own that distinction, after having beaten Plymouth-Whitemarsh, 54-49, Friday night at the Pavilion.

The Patriots needed an overtime session to overcome a deficit that seemed to last the entire game ... and overcome the top-ranked team in the state and top-seeded team in the district.

Here's what we know about the Patriots:
***They still haven't lost to a team from Pennsylvania.
***They needed every ounce of veteran leadership and playoff experience against the Colonials.
***And, most importantly, they will face District Three's seventh seed, Penn Manor, a team the Patriots beat by five in the opening round of states a year ago.

Ahh, states --- now, the real fun begins.

Penn Wood made it all the way back to the District One Class AAAA championship game.

A year after winning the PIAA title, the Patriots get a shot at winning the one crown that eluded them during a magical 2008-09 season. The Patriots solidified their return trip to the district title game Tuesday with a 71-49 win over Souderton.

Shawn Oakman (pictured), a junior center for coach Clyde Jones' team, had a breakout game. The 6-9, 245-pound Oakman scored a career-best 22 points, pulled in 10 rebounds, dished three assists and blocked three shots in the rout of the Indians. He was one of four players to score in double figures.

And about that championship game...

Everyone with any knowledge of District One has been saying since November that it's going to be an all PW title game. Now, that's official. Top-seeded Plymouth-Whitemarsh knocked off West Chester Rustin to move on to play Penn Wood for the crown.

And we're not just talking about the best two teams in the district --- they're the best two in the state. More incentive to get your tickets ASAP for Friday's final.

Penn Wood junior Aaron Brown needed only 10 points Thursday to notch a career milestone.

Mission accomplished.

Brown scored 14 to lead the Patriots past Glen Mills, 73-49, in a win that clinched Penn Wood's undefeated season in the Del Val League portion of their schedule. Brown joined the 1,000-point club in the win. Shawn Oakman and Tyree Johnson, the reigning Daily Times Player of the Year, joined Brown as the team's leading scorers -- all having scored 14 apiece. A senior, Johnson also eclipsed the 1,000-point mark this year.

For those who don't know about Brown, you need to see the kid play. The 6-5 forward thrives on the wing. His jumpshot works well in his game, but he's at his best when he can get to the rim on his dribble-drive attack. He's even worked on his 3-point shot, too.

Brown emerged as a legitimate threat for the Patriots late last season in their district- and state-playoff runs en route to the PIAA Class AAAA championship. In the state semifinal victory against Mt. Lebanon, his worth really shone through when he shot 10-for-10 from the floor. This season, he has ranked within the county's top-five scorers from the first game of the year.

And scoring his 1,000th career point is only the latest milestone on Brown's resume.

Tyree Johnson finally knows where he'll play his college basketball.

Penn Wood's senior point guard gave Hartford coach Dan Leibovitz a verbal commitment by telephone late Wednesday night. How late? Try 10 p.m.

"I wouldn't call it late. I wanted to weigh my options," said Johnson, the 2008-09 Daily Times Player of the Year. "I had to make the right decision and the right decision was to play for him. I had talked to my coach (Clyde Jones) earlier and I told him I was thinking about it. I told him that, most likely, I was going to do it (Wednesday) night."

Johnson had interest from a bevy of Atlantic 10 schools and had offers from Siena and Northeastern before committing to Leibovitz and the Hawks. Johnson plans on being academically eligible next fall. He said he's taking the SAT again just to make sure.

As for his first game after giving his verbal, well, Johnson was just trying to have fun. He did just that in Penn Wood's 57-40, Del Val League-clinching win over Chester. He couldn't help but smile after the Clippers' Maurice Nelson picked Johnson clean on one possession and then Johnson returned the favor on Chester's next trip up the court.

"It's basketball. I love it," Johnson said. "You've got to have fun with it."

Next season, Johnson will be having fun at Hartford.

I know this hasn't gotten much pub in our paper - because most of the games feature non-Delco teams - but here's the schedule for this weekend's Kobe Bryant Classic.

Games of interest include Saturday, when Archbishop Carroll hosts Inter-Ac foe Malvern Prep, and Sunday, when Penn Wood faces off with St. Frances (Md.), which narrowly slipped past the Patriots in December at the City of Palms Classic.

SATURDAY, Jan. 23
At Archbishop Carroll High
Westtown v. Satellite Academy, Noon
Pennsbury v. Holy Ghost Prep, 1:45 p.m.
Academy of the New Church v. Imhotep Charter, 3:30 p.m.
Lower Merion v. Reading, 5:15 p.m.
Archbishop Carroll v. Malvern Prep, 7 p.m.
Life Center v. South Kent (Conn.), 8:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, Jan. 24
At Widener University
Shipley v. Susquehanna Township, Noon
Friends Central v. Germantown, 1:45 p.m.
Roman Catholic v. Plymouth Whitemarsh, 3:30 p.m.
Boys and Girls v. Bartram, 5:15 p.m.
Penn Wood v. St. Frances (Md.), 7 p.m.

Take one look at Shawn Oakman and you'll likely run the other way. He's scary big. At 6-9, 240, Oakman is the real deal when it comes to post players in Delaware County.

A Penn Wood junior, Oakman spent a couple minutes with me following the Patriots' 66-48 victory over Chester Sunday. We talked everything from his offense to his defense, his turning point, where he'd like to play college basketball ... and even what jersey number he's lobbying for:

Daily Times: Do you feel like you've turned a corner
Shawn Oakman: I'm definitely more patient. I read the defense better and make a better decision with the ball. I used to rush. Now, I'm finishing better. The whole coaching staff has told me to relax. It all started when I came back from Florida (the City of Palms Classic). The first two games, I didn't do too good. The last two games, I got dunks. So that's why I try to get a dunk every game. I had a reality check down in Florida.

DT: What part of your game are you most proud of - scoring? Rebounding? The blocked shots?
SO: I like my defense. But eight points? I know I can do better than that. I can get double-digits every night. I missed (four) free throws and that was the difference.

DT: So a triple-double is within reach for you?
SO: Oh, most definitely. I'm trying to be like Rap Curry. When he was (the Daily Times) Player of the Year, he averaged a triple-double. He's said to me, 'As soon as you get a triple double, you can wear my jersey.' So now I'm working on wearing that No. 33.

DT: When's the offense going to come your way?
SO: Oh, I tell all the guys to give me the ball. I say, 'Look my way' because if it's not there for me, I'll just kick it out to them, you know? Someone's going to be wide open, so feed me the ball first.

DT: What schools really like you?
SO: Saint Joseph's, Miami (Fla.), Providence, Georgetown, Houston, Rice, Marquette and Pittsburgh. They've all called. I think only St. Joe's has seen me play. Miami is supposed to come out.

DT: The way you played this football season, earning All-Delco honors, you've got to be leaning that way, right?
SO: No, I'm stuck in the middle. I don't want to do both, either. I want to focus on one. I'll make the choice senior year. That's when I'll make my decision.

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If you pick up a copy of Wednesday's Daily Times, you'd read about:
---Penncrest suffering its first loss of the season, 54-32, to Lower Merion. The Lions got close and even took the lead, 26-25, in the third quarter, before the host Aces ripped of 20 of the game's next 23 points. (Check back to the blog today for more on this game.)
---Sun Valley's Chris Nelson hit the game-tying and game-winning shots to lift Sun Valley in overtime.

Here's an up-close look at the Chester/Penn Wood game:
Early in the second quarter and with the game's outcome still in doubt, Penn Wood junior forward Aaron Brown (pictured) was whistled for a technical foul. The call was questionable, causing spectators and reporters, alike, to scratch their heads.

Brown is not an overly aggressive player. And players from both sides were jawing. Turns out he was whistled for running into his teammate, Shawn Oakman, which had to have been perceived as a sign of boasting, because there was no blatant contact between players from opposing teams.

"They all talk (trash) and any kind of bump would be seen as a form of aggression," Penn Wood coach Clyde Jones said. "Aaron is always emotional. But I know his emotions are going to lead to production."

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BY THE NUMBERS
10-11: Chester's proficiency at the free-throw line, a 91-percent clip.
19-34: Penn Wood's proficiency at the free-throw line, a 55-percent clip.
37-21: Penn Wood's rebounding advantage.
1: Technical foul, against Penn Wood's Aaron Brown.
3:28: Time it took Chester to get on the board.
4: Points scored by Will Brown during a dynamic second-quarter play. He hit a 3-pointer from the right side of the arc and, after sustaining a foul by Chester's Laquan Robinson, made the subsequent free throw.

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The arrangement to bring the first meeting of the season between these two Pennsylvania titans to Saint Joseph's University was the product of internal connections. Penn Wood alumnus Rap Curry, also the Patriots' athletic director, played a fruitful college career on Hawk Hill. So did Jameer Nelson, whose younger brother, Maurice Nelson, plays for Chester.

The younger Nelson, who had 17 points, was playing on the floor of Hagan Arena - formerly the Fieldhouse - for the first time in his life. And hanging about the court, in the rafters, is a banner bearing his brother's No. 14 and his likeness.

"I didn't even look up there today," Mo Nelson said. "I have in the past. Not today."

PHOTO BY DAILY TIMES' PHOTOGRAPHER BOB GURECKI

Today, the Daily Times is at Hagan Arena at Saint Joseph's University. Rather, we're bringing you to Hagan Arena.

The first meeting between longtime Del Val League rivals Penn Wood and Chester will be written about, photographed and video-taped for your sporting pleasure. Check back throughout the night for the latest, pick up a copy of Monday's Daily Times for the print coverage, and visit delcotimes.com for some video and audio coverage of the game.

It's sure to be a good one.

HALFTIME UPDATE: Penn Wood 39, Chester 24 -- The Patriots took an 8-0 lead only 80 seconds into the game. Will Brown has 17 points, Shawn Oakman has seven rebounds and three blocks and Dequan Pelzer has five rebounds and three steals for Penn Wood. Chester's Mo Nelson has 10 points despite missing all of the first quarter for an unspecified reason.

FINAL: Penn Wood 66, Chester 48 -- Pick up Monday's Daily Times for the complete breakdown...

No one told Penn Wood that defending its PIAA Class AAAA championship was going to be easy. They're not even into the Del Val League portion of their schedule but the Patriots are fighting an uphill battle.

Coach Clyde Jones (pictured) and the Patriots went 1-3 this week at the City of Palms Classic, an exclusive, invite-only basketball tournament held in Fort Myers, Fla. Only the best of the best make it there. That's why the Pats got the call this offseason.

Among their losses were defeats at the hands of Paterson Catholic (N.J.) and Westchester (Calif.), both ranked within the top 50 in the nation by ESPN/Rise Magazine. The Patriots also lost to St. Frances (Md.) Wednesday.

Here's how Jones sizes up Penn Wood's performance down south:
On his level of frustration after these games were:
“Well, (Wednesday) we lost on a last-second shot to St. Frances. Against Paterson Catholic, we were up 20 and we turned over the ball late. Shawn (Oakman), Darian (Barnes) and Dequan (Pelzer) all fouled out. And (Tuesday), against Westchester, we tied it late and had another turnover. It's really been turnovers in late minutes that have hurt us.”

On accepting these losses because of who they were against:
“No losses are acceptable for me. But it's something the kids needed to experience. It's a measuring stick for us. It'll help us when we play teams back home. We were a turnover away from beating Westchester, the No. 6 team in the country (according to ESPN/Rise Magazine). And we were taking apart Paterson Catholic, another nationally ranked team, for three quarters. It's probably the best three quarters I've seen us play since I've been at Penn Wood. I feel for the kids because they deserved to win one of these games. They deserve them.”


On the play of junior forward Aaron Brown (pictured), who averaged 20.3 points and 7 rebounds in four games:
“He hit a wall (Wednesday), but he's really made it known that he's become a big-time recruit and a big-time player. The last two games, teams have seen what he can do. And it's not just Aaron. With Shawn, we've had coaches ask us why he isn't a top-10 Division I recruit. In Will Brown, you're starting to see what he can do when he comes out of his shell.”

On what he heard from college coaches while there:
“Tom Crean from Indiana told me he hasn't see a team play this well together in a long time. He also said it was encouraging to see kids interacting with each other and pushing each other the way our guys do. I also heard from coaches at Auburn, who saw our game against Paterson Catholic, that we were one of the best functioning high school teams in the country. The people running the tournament told us our kids were the most well-mannered, well-behaved team that's ever come through. That all means a lot to me, because when you're a coach, you're a lifelong learner. And it shows that our kids can learn, too.”

Penn Wood (3-3) returns to action Monday against Academy of the New Church at Widener.