Sunday, March 10, 2024

Chester Falls Short Against Reading

By Terry Thomas

Chester suffered a hard-fought defeat, 63-65, in the opening round of the State Tournament against the Reading Red Knights. Today's contest marks the 43rd meeting between the storied programs and with the win Reading now hold s a 22-21 edge. Reading and Chester are the only programs in the state of Pennsylvania with over 2,000 wins. Reading has won 2,266 games and Chester has won 2,025 games. The Clippers ended the season losing three consecutive games, finishing with a 20-5 record.

Reading took advantage of Chester's early first quarter miscues and sprinted to a 16-3 lead. Chester called timeout with 3:22 to play to settle themselves down. With basketball being a game of runs, the Clippers responded with an 11-0 run to close the quarter, trailing 14-16. Sophomore Daron Harris got the Clippers started by connecting on two free-throws. Dominic Toy stole the next possession and converted an offensive rebound into two points. Daron then rebounded his missed free-throw for a put-back and two more points. Senior Dante Atkinson blocked a shot and sprinted to the other end where he knocked down two free-throws. Sophomore Jalen Harris hauled in a defensive rebound and junior Dallas Thompson hit a trey from the corner to end the quarter.

Chester tied the score at 16 in the second quarter when senior Andre Brown fed Daron on their second possession of the quarter. After committing a turnover, Daron stole a pass and converted it, tying the score once again, this time at 18 with 3:20 to play. Unfortunately for the Chester, Reading put their feet to the peddle and ran of a 15-2 run to close the second quarter. Chester now trailed 20-33 at the intermission.

The Clippers uncharacteristically had a sluggish beginning in the third quarter. They missed on several opportunities to close the gap which the Red Knights capitalized on pushing their lead to 34-52 with 3:12 to play. Once again, Coach Taylor called for a time-out to refocus his troops. The team answered the call with a 12-0 run, scoring on the last five possessions and trailed 46-52 as the period ended. During the run, Daron scored 5 points including a trey, Jalen and Dominic each added 2 points and Dallas completed the scoring with a trey as the third quarter buzzer sounded. Junior Dallas Thompson led Chester's third quarter thrust with 11 of his 14 points. Jalen Harris scored all 6 of his points in the quarter while Daron Harris added 5 and Dominic Toy dropped in 4 points.

Daron Harris opened the fourth quarter with a steal that led to a basket by Dante Atkinson and the Clippers were with 48-52 with 7:20 to play. Reading was up six when Atkinson hit a trey at 6:25 pulling the Clippers within three, 51-54. Ater another Reading basket, Atkinson hit his second trey of the quarter, getting Chester within two, 54-56. With 3:02 seconds on the clock, Dallas Thompson was fouled hard and had to be removed from the game. Junior Jaseir Thompson came off the bench and hit both free-throws (his only points in the game) tying the game at 58. The teams continued to trade baskets and with 1:33 to play, Dominic Toy connected on both his free-throws and a score of 60-62. On Chester's next possession, Atkinson failed at his attempt for an old-fashioned three-point play. The Clippers now trailed 62-64 with 56 second left in the contest. Dominic Toy grasped a defensive rebound, was fouled and headed to the free-throw line with 35.1 seconds left. He hit the back end putting Chester within one, 63-64.

With Chester trailing 63-64, the Clippers applied full court pressure and the Red Knights were forced into a time-out with 26.6 seconds on the clock; just before a 10-second violation was called. Reading inbounded the ball and with 16.2 seconds on the clock was called for double dribbling thus turning the ball over to Chester. Reading called for the last time-out of the game. Out of the time-out, Dallas Thompson drove to the basket where a jump-ball was called. With the possession arrow belonging to Reading, they took possession with 10.7 seconds on the clock. The Clippers were forced to foul sending Reading to the charity stripe. They made the front-end, Daron Harris rebounded the missed second shot and Chester called their final time-out with 5.5 second left in the contest. Chester - 63, Reading - 65.

With 5.5 second remaining in the game, Chester was inbounding the ball under the Reading baskets. The tying or winning basket was now 94 feet away. Reading applied token pressure in an attempt to slow Chester's progress. The Clippers advanced the ball into the frontcourt, Dallas Thompson took possession and drove to the baskets where contact was made. The referee blew his whistle, raised his arm and Chester's fans thought a foul had been called. However, it was not the case. The game ended as the officials ran off the court. In the fourth quarter, Chester was led by Dante Atkinson with 10 of his 16 points.

It was a hard-fought defeat, but the team battled until the final buzzer sounded. 

Senior Dante Atkinson scored 16 points and recorded 2 blocked, 1 assist and 1 steal in his final game at the Clip Joint. Fellow senior Dominic Toy finished his careers at the Clip Joint with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 blocked shot and 1 assist. Junior Dallas Thompson added 14 points to go along with his 3 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals. Sophomore Daron Harris filled the stat sheet with a season high of 13 points. He also contributed 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 blocked shot. Sophomore Jalen Harris contributed 6 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists. Junior Jaseir Thompson completed the scoring with 2 points.

Thank you to Coach Kenny Tate for providing the statistics. Your work is greatly appreciated. 

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Chester Finishes 4th in District-1 Tournament

By Terry Thomas

Chester (20-3) came up short finishing 4th in the District-1 Tournament after a 65-61 setback at West Chester Henderson (24-5). The Clippers will begin their run towards a State Championship on Saturday, March 9 when they will host the Reading Red Knights. Reading finished 4th in the District-3 Tournament. The time of the game will be announced at a later date. The State Tournament is a single elimination - "Win or Go Home Affair" -affair.

In the first quarter of today's game, the Clippers ran into a red-hot Warriors team who had a jump shot response to whatever Chester had to offer. They scored the first and last baskets of the quarter. The Clippers found themselves in a 4-14 deficit halfway through the period. Chester continued to fight and closed the quarter with a 7-4 advantage and now trailed 11-18 as the quarter ended. Dante Atkinson led the way with 6 of his 11 points.

Chester continued their push into the second quarter and when Jalen Harris scored with 4:25 remaining, the game was knotted at 23. They accounted for a 12-5 outburst by Chester. The Warriors countered with a 4-0 spurt taking a 27-23 lead. Chester answered with a 5-0 run capped by a steal and layup from Daron Harris. Chester now led 28-27 with 2:25 to play. The Warriors recaptured the lead with a trey and Dominic Toy tied the game at 30 at the 1:50 mark. On Henderson's next possession, Toy stole a pass and converted it into 2 points giving the Clippers a 32-30 lead with 1:24 on the clock. The teams went scoreless for the remainder of the quarter. Chester took the margin into intermission. Jaseir Thompson scored 6 of his 10 points in the quarter. Jalen Harris contributed 5 of his 7 points. Daron Harris added his four points on the night. Toy chipped in 4 points and Andre Brown flipped in his only 2 points on the night. In all, Chester outscored Henderson 21-12 in the second period.

The third quarter was truly a back-and-forth affair. Chester scored first and Henderson answered with a slight 4-0 run tying the game at 34. Toy's two free throws gave Chester 36-34; he scored their next basket which was followed by a Calvin Williams free throw. Chester now led 39-34 with 4:43 to play. The Warriors drew within 39-38 before Dallas Thompson scored for a 41-38 Chester led at the 2-minute mark. The Warriors tied the game at 41 with a trey. Calvin Williams scored again for a 43-41 Chester lead. After the Warriors took the lead on an "And-1", Jalen Harris scored his final two points and the quarter ended with Chester ahead, 45-44. 

Henderson started the fourth quarter with a 5-2 spurt taking the lead 49-47. They held a slight edge, 54-50, until Calvin William putback of a missed Atkinson free throw at the 3:16 mark gave the Clippers the lead, 55-54. The Warriors reclaimed the lead before Toy's free throw tied the game at 56 with 2:39 to play. Dante Atkinson rebounded a missed Williams' free-throw and converted it into two points and a 58-56 Chester lead with 2:06 to play. Toy tied the game once again at 59 with 1:50 on the clock. Atkinson converted another offensive rebound into a bucket tying the game at 61 with 1:14 left in the quarter.  Chester failed to score on the next three possessions, turning the ball over on two of the three possessions.

Senior Dominic Toy led the Clippers, tying his career high of 19 points. He also filled the stat sheet with 7 rebounds, 2 blocked shots, 2 steals and 1 assist. Senior Dante Atkinson finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds. Junior Jaseir Thompson added 10 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 assists. Sophomore Jalen Harris scored 7 points to go along with his 5 rebounds. Calvin Williams chipped in 5 points and a team high 9 rebounds. Sophomore Daron Harris put in 4 points and accounted for 3 steals. Junior Dallas Thompson contributed 3 points, 2 rebounds and 1 steal. Senior Andre Brown completed the scoring with 2 points. He also added 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. 

The team will get a much-needed break before starting the third phase of their season, "The State Championship Tournament", on Saturday, March 9. When ticket sales are announced, we hope you will fill the Fred Pickett Jr Gymnasium "Clip Joint" in support of these young men. The losses they have suffered this season have not been due to lack of effort. This will be their last home game and you can show them that you truly appreciate their hard work by filling the building in "Orange & Black". 

Chester Comes Up Short at Lower Merion

By Terry Thomas

The 4th seeded Chester Clippers (20-3) came up short on their quest for the District-1 Championship falling 54-48 to the #1 seeded Lower Merion Aces (25-1). The game was played before a sold-out standing room only crowd at the Kobe Bryant Gymnasium on Lower Merion's campus. The Clippers will travel to West Chester on Friday night to face number 2 seeded West Chester Henderson for the District's third seed in the upcoming State Tournament.

Chester silenced the home fans opening the game with a trey from senior Dante Atkinson. The Clippers fed off the energy of their fans and pushed the lead to 13-5 off a steal and layup from Daron Harris forcing Lower Merion into a timeout at the 2:01 mark. Neither team would score over the next 60 seconds. However, the Aces closed the last minute of the quarter after a 7-2 run. The Clippers led 15-12 with the buzzer sounded. Dante Atkinson led the way for Chester, scoring 7 of his 9 points in the frame.

Lower Merion had the possession to start the second quarter; the teams exchanged baskets with the Aces tying the score at 18 with 6:20 on the clock. After the Aces took the lead on their third consecutive trey, 21-18, the Clippers fought back to tie the game at 21 off a blocked shot and layup from Jalen Harris at the 4:25 mark. From here the Clippers ran aground scoring just two points the remainder of the quarter. Chester's drought coupled with their four turnovers allowed the Aces to produce an 11-2 run. Chester now trailed 23-32 at the intermission.

Once again, the Aces had the possession arrow to start the quarter (third). This fell right into their strategy of running a four-corner (Dean Smith stall) offense. Having the lead and with no time clock to force them to shoot, they could hold the ball letting the clock run out and thus limit the number of possessions for their opponent. After being saddled with fouls in the first half, Dominic Toy made his presence felt scoring 6 of his team high 12 points in the third quarter. The Clippers were able to draw slightly closer, 36-44, at the end of the quarter.

Chester opened the final quarter with increased defensive intensity and produced an 11-3 run tying the score at 47 with 1:50 to play. Lower Merion again used the four-corner offense approach, but the Clippers stayed patient defensively, not allowing the back door to cut nor the open look from their kick-outs. The Clippers scored on 5 of their first 7 possessions in the quarter and the Chester crowd got louder and louder with each basket. Jalen Harris scored first, then came Dominic Toy who was followed by an old-fashioned three-point play by Daron Harris. Next came a steal from Jalen and another Toy bucket. Jalen hauled in another defensive rebound and on the other end his brother Daron scored the tying basket at 47. The Clippers could not find their mark over their next 5 possessions while the Aces began their parade to the foul line. Lower Merion went 7 for 10 from the charity stripe over the remaining 1:50 of the contest. Chester meanwhile only had 2 free throw attempts over the same time period.

Chester scoring: Dallas Thompson - 5, Jaseir Thompson - 4, Dominic Toy - 12, Dante Atkinson - 9, Calvin Williams - 2, Daron Harris - 9, Jalen Harris – 7 

Clippers Return to District Tournament

By Terry Thomas

After missing the District Tournament for the first time in the last 53 years, Chester made its presence felt opening with wins over familiar foes Plymouth Whitemarsh and Coatesville. By virtue of their earning the 4th seed in the Tournament; they were awarded a first-round bye.

The 13th seeded Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials earned their way for a trip down the Blue Route to face the Clippers at the Clip Joint. The second-round game was played on Tuesday, February 20. Chester turned up the defensive pressure in the second quarter reversing a 10-15 first quarter deficit into a 27-24 half-time lead. The young Colonials bounced back to reclaim the lead 42-38 as the third quarter ended. The Clippers put on their patented fourth quarter press and sailed away with a 21-12 fourth quarter resulting in a 59-54 victory. Dominic Toy led the way with 13 points followed by Jaseir Thompson with 11 and Calvin Williams with 10 points. Dante Atkinson produced 8 points including a clutch 4 for 4 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter. Daron Harris also scored 8 points in the contest, but it was his defensive presence that really made the difference.

With the win over Plymouth Whitemarsh, Chester secured a spot in the upcoming State Tournament. This will mark their 51st trip to the State Tournament.

On Friday, February 23, a rematch was set up for Chester and Coatesville. Coatesville, seeded 5th, got here with a victory over Cheltenham in their second-round contest. The game was highly anticipated as their previous contest ended abruptly with 1:35 remaining back on January 26. The Fred Pickett Jr Gymnasium "Clip Joint" was electric from start to finish in this second installment. Yes, the sequel was just as exciting as the original. The Clippers held on for a 67-64 victory.

Chester trailed 14-21 at the end of the first quarter and 34-26 at half-time. With every attempt the Clippers made to close the gap, the Red Raiders would respond with a short run of their own.

Chester was able to hold Coatesville to single digits in the third quarter and was within 3 points, 40-43, when the third quarter ended. The fourth quarter was all about the Chester "Press". It totally confused and rattled Coatesville resulting in numerous turnovers and easy baskets by the Clippers. Chester stretched their lead at one point in the quarter to 13 points, 61-48, with 1:29 play. Just as fast as the Clippers built their lead it began to vanish as Coatesville hit five consecutive 3-pointers. All of their treys were contested, they even hit one off the glass. Chester kept their composure and senior Dante Atkinson once again came through at the free-throw line going 4 for 4 to secure the win.

Jalen Harris led the way with 14 points including 9 during the fourth quarter push. Dominic Toy joined him in double figures with another 13-point game. Jaseir Thompson, Calvin Williams and Dante Atkinson each contributed 9 points in the game.

Sunday, January 28, 2024

Chester puts away Penn Wood

By Terry Thomas

Chester (15-1) used a 29-12 first half enroute to an easy 60-39 victory over the visiting Penn Wood Patriots. The Patriots attempt to slow the game by holding the ball - failed. With the win the Clippers increased their win streak to 14 games and sits atop the Del Val at 5-0.

Chester led 10-3 after the first quarter behind six points from Dante Atkinson and a pair of baskets from Andre Brown and Dallas Thompson. The Clippers limited the Patriots to 2 field goals in the second quarter while Andre Brown took control with 10 of his team high 15 points. Dallas contributed a trey and Dante, Calvin Williams, and Daron Harris each added 2 points for the Clippers. Chester went into intermission leading 29-12.

The Patriots made a push in the third quarter, but the Clippers had just enough to keep them at a distance. Jaseir Thompson scored 5 of his 7 points, Dominic Toy dropped in his 4 points, Jalen Harris hit a trey and Calvin Williams added a bucket. Chester led was now 43-28 at the end of the quarter.

Chester managed to keep the lead at fifteen points, 52-37, with 3:30 to play. But closed the game on an 8-2 run. Chester used six players to account for their 17-point fourth quarter production. The Patriots frustrations became physical, and the officials called the game with 39.6 seconds remaining.

The Clippers will continue league play on Thursday, January 25, when they travel to Sharon Hill to take on the Academy Park Knights. JV tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 pm with the Varsity to follow.

JV GAME SUMMARY

After losing a close one (47-46) at Penn Wood, Chester "Mercy Ruled" Penn Wood to the tune of 57-26. The Clippers opened with an 18-4 first quarter and never looked back. Germaine Glover led the way with 14 points. Tae'Qwann Naylor and Kristian Chambers also scored in double figures each with 10 points. The other Chester scorers were Shadrach George (7), Jawan Paynter (4), Christian Spann (2), Ra'Shaad Dorsey (6), Tyson Scott (2) and Dante Lee (2). The JV record is now 11-3.

 


Clippers sail pass the Buccaneers

By Terry Thomas

Chester continued its domination of the Interboro Buccaneers with an 82-34 win in Glenolden. The Clippers are now 14-1 overall with a 13-game win streak and sitting atop Del Val with a 4-0 record. Jaseir Thompson led three Clippers in double figures with 15 points. Dante Atkinson finished with 14 and Andre Brown added 13 points.

Chester opened the contest with a 10-0 run. The Bucs scored three and the Clippers responded with a 17-0 outburst. Chester ended the first quarter ahead 29-7. Atkinson scored 11 including three treys, Jaseir dropped in 8 with 1 trey and Dallas chimed in with 5 also adding a trey. Dominic Toy and Calvin Williams finished the scoring with 3 and 2 points respectively.

The Clippers started their second unit in the second quarter and continued to increase their lead. They led 47-21 into intermission. Andre Brown led the way with 9 points followed by four points from Germaine Glover. Daron and Jalen Harris each picked up three fouls in the second quarter forcing Coach Taylor's hand in putting Dallas and Jasier back into the game. Dallas added a basket and Jaseir ended the quarter with his second trey of the night.

The Bucs scored first to open the third quarter and the Clippers answered back with an old-fashioned three-point play from Dominic Toy. On their next possession, Toy fed Atkinson in the corner for a trey giving Chester a 53-23 lead at 6:45 thus invoking the Mercy Rule. Chester outscored their opponents 15-10 in the quarter taking a 62-31 lead into the final eight minutes of play. Toy finished the quarter with 6 of his nine points and Jaseir dropped in his final 4 points.

With his starters firmly seated on the bench, Coach Taylor used the opportunity to give minutes to the reserve players. With a running clock in the final eight minutes, the team continued to run the offense and defense according to the game play. The result was a 20-point quarter for the Clippers and a miniscule 3 points for the Bucs. Brown, Kristian Chambers and Tyson Scott each scored 4 points. Ra'Shaad Dorsey, Daron Harris, Germaine Glover, and Jalen Harris scored 2 points apiece.

Chester will return home to the Clip Joint on Tuesday, January 23 to face the Penn Wood Patriots. JV tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 pm with the Varsity to follow.

JV GAME SUMMARY

The JV squad set the stage for the Varsity with an easy 65-25 win over Interboro. Chester's JV is now 10-3 on the season. The Clippers held a slight 15-10 lead at the end of the first quarter then went on a 32-5 run in the second quarter. The end result was a 47-15 lead at the intermission thus invoking the Mercy Rule to begin the third quarter. Shadrach George and Germaine Glover led the way with game highs of 10 points.

Chester Scorers: Tae'Qwann Naylor - 2, Jawan Paynter - 2, Kameron Wilson - 2, Christian Spann - 6, Kristian Chambers - 8, Ra'Shaad Dorsey - 9, Nymeer Madison - 2, Hamza Payne - 6, Dante Lee - 8

Sunday, January 21, 2024

Clippers Streak Reaches Twelve

By Terry Thomas

Chester (13-1) extended their winning streak to 12 games with a 64-54 win over the William Penn (York) Bearcats at the Clip Joint.

Prior to the start of the game, Coach Cliff Wilson was honored with the renaming of the portion of Barclay Street in front of Chester High School to "Cliff Wilson Way". Coach Wilson brought the first Boys Basketball State Championship to Chester in 1983. Coach Wilson was surrounded by his family, members of the 1983 State Championship Team and his predecessor Juan Baughn. A special moment was held as the only living Chester Head Coaches, Cliff Wilson, Juan Baughn and Keith Taylor Sr, had a Kodak moment at center court. Cliff Wilson amassed 239 wins in his career, Juan Baughn finished with 94 and Keith Taylor Sr is currently guiding the Clipper ship with 123 wins.

Dominic Toy dominated the first quarter scoring 10 of his career high 19 points. Junior Dallas Thompson drained two treys, Dante Atkinson chipped in three points and Calvin Williams added a free throw. The Clippers raced out to a 20-9 lead before the Bearcats scored the final four points of the quarter. Chester led 20-13 when the buzzer sounded. With Toy watching from the sidelines due to foul trouble, the Clippers went cold scoring a mire 7 points thus allowing the Bearcats to close the gap at the intermission. Chester held a narrow 27-26 edge.

The third quarter was a different ball game. The Bearcats took the lead on their first possession and Toy tied the game at 28. York went on a 5-0 run earning their largest lead of the afternoon, 28-33, forcing Chester to call a time-out at the 5:14 mark. Toy answered with a 4-0 run of his own capped with a trey from the top of the key closing the gap to 32-33 with 4:14 to play. Atkinson's trey tied the game at 35 and another Toy basket and Chester was back in front 37-35. The Bearcats recaptured the lead for the final time at 37-38. Daron Harris responded with a bucket giving the Clippers the lead 39-38 with 2:10 to play. A trey from Jaseir Thompson followed by another Toy basket and the lead was up to 44-38 with just over a minute to play in the period. Toy's impact was felt as he scored both inside and outside, scoring 9 of the team's 17 points. Toy finished with 19 pts, 5 rebounds, 4 blocked shots, 3 assists and 2 steals. Chester led 44-40 at the end of the quarter.

The Clippers sailed into the fourth quarter off the wind generated in the third quarter. They pushed out to an 11-5 run and with 4:10 to play Jalen Harris scored giving the Clippers a 55-45 lead. Chester had an answer for whatever York sent their way. With 35 seconds left in the contest Jaseir Thompson stripped his opponent and scored giving Chester a 64-52 lead. Daron Harris was a key contributor in the final eight minutes, scoring 7 of his 9 points. Andre Brown scored his only 5 points in the quarter helping to keep the Bearcats at bay.

The Clippers will return to league action on Monday, January 22 when they travel to Glenolden to take on the Interboro Bucs.

JV GAME SUMMARY

Chester won their fifth straight pushing their record to 9-3 with a 64-57 win over York. Kristian Chambers and Germaine Glover led the way with 16 and 14 points respectively. The Clippers led 46-27 at the end of the third quarter and put the game on cruise control. With the bench starting and playing against the York starters, the game became very interesting in the final quarter. Chester called in the calvary (the starters) to close out the game and secure the win. Ten of the eleven Clippers that saw action put their names in the scoring column.

FRESHMAN GAME SUMMARY

Chester fell a little short against York, 39-50, in the first game of the afternoon's triple-header. Chester trailed by 13 at the half, 27-14, but fought back to close the gap to 10 at the end of the third quarter, 35-25. Zane Thomas finished with a team high of 14 points. The other Chester scorers were Quann Starkey (7), Jabree Davis (9), Julian Clark (1) and Vanel Melendez (8).