Chester Comes Back to Win 1st-Ever Allentown Stellar Boys Basketball Classic

From Chester Clippers: Chester boys add Stellar crown to long list of hoops titles Clippers avenge earlier loss to Emmaus in tourney finals (MICHAEL KUBEL, THE MORNING CALL / July 10, 2011)

BY KEITH GROLLER, Of The Morning Call

11:48 p.m. EDT, July 10, 2011

With seven state titles to its credit, nine PIAA runner-up finishes, 1,747 career wins and an all-time state playoff record of 95-33, Chester is the premier name in Pennsylvania scholastic basketball.

The Clippers have won just about everything there is to win, except they had never won the Stellar Construction "Catch A Rising Star" Classic. At least, not until Sunday night.

Chester avenged an earlier loss to Emmaus with a 53-39 win over the Green Hornets in the championship game of the 64-team, four-day, 125-game tournament.

Erikk Wright, Mike Williams and Kareem Robinson combined for 39 points as the Clippers started fast and never looked back in winning their first Stellar title.

Emmaus, which defeated Chester 54-40 earlier, was limited to four field goals and 13 points in the first half and trailed by 12 at intermission.

Greg Bobal scored eight points in the second half, but the Green Hornets never were able to sustain a charge.

"We lost to them earlier when I thought they shot really well," said Chester's acting coach Derick Spence. "Their No. 2 [Derek Tannous] really hurt us in the first game [17 points], but we made a conscientious effort to have someone on him and not leave him alone. Michael Williams and Kareem Robinson did a great job on him."

Tannous was limited to two points and all-tourney selection Matt Wiseley was held to two points in the first half before finishing with eight.

"This actually means a lot to us and it's a good feeling to win the championship," Spence said. "In the years that I have been coming, we've always been home by noon on Sunday. We just haven't had success. There are a lot of great teams in this tournament. It's a great tournament. I enjoy coming here."

Chester was able to win despite being down three guys, including highly-touted recruit Rondae Jefferson who played earlier Sunday, but was injured. Darrius Robinson and Rashaun Dejornette were also sidelined.

"Even down three guys, we knew we could still win," Spence said. "Other guys just had to step up. It's special to be a Chester player. We have a special program and we have kids who work hard 10 months out of the year." 

Something special seems to be brewing in Emmaus and the title-game loss did nothing to diminish the promise of the coming 2011-12 season for the Green Hornets. 

"I love being around these kids because they're special kids," said Emmaus coach Steve Yoder, who won the J. Milo Sewards Coaches Award.  "In the first game against Chester I called a timeout and I used the old Rocky Balboa line 'They ain't so bad.' I was just joking to loosen them up. But they went out and proved we could play with them and beat them." 

Yoder said, however, that the first game got Chester's attention and the Clippers came back much more focused the second time around. 

"The second time, they played Chester basketball," Yoder said. "I don't know if they took us lightly the first time, but they gave us an opportunity. The second time around, they were just a different team."

Emmaus was the last local team standing, but not the only local team to do well. The final eight featured Northampton, Pocono Mountain West, Easton, Norristown, Glen Mills and Freedom.

Northampton was routed by Pocono Mountain West and Easton lost a heartbreaker in double-overtime to Pocono Mountain East.

Then in going from the last six final to final four, Chester eliminated a fatigued Pocono West team, 55-52, and Freedom routed Norristown.

Freedom gave a valiant effort, but lost to Emmaus 56-50 in the semis.