skip navigation

District 1 5A: Chester handles Academy Park to advance to second round

02/21/2018, 11:15pm EST
By Matt Chandik

Brian Randolph III (above) dropped 25 points as Chester advanced into the District 1 5A second round. (Photo: Matt Chandik/CoBL)

Matt Chandik (@MChandik26)
--

Keith Taylor’s thoughts on his Chester team’s District 1 Class 5A playoff opener against a familiar foe in Academy Park vacillated back and forth.

The initial thought was the mindset that it’s hard to beat the same team three times in a season, and the Clippers had swept the Knights in Del Val play. Chester, though, had won both games with ease by margins of 17 and 37 points.

When the game got closer, though, Taylor started to get a little more worried.

“I get a little nervous about different things,” Taylor explained. “I didn’t know if they picked up anyone else since the last time we saw them, but once the game starts and the ball goes up, everything changes.”

Taylor didn’t have to worry too much as No. 3 Chester routed the visiting No. 14 Knights, 72-54, Wednesday night at the Clip Joint. Backed by 25 points from Brian Randolph III and 12 apiece from Michael Smith and Karell Watkins, the hosts overwhelmed the Knights early, building a 40-17 halftime lead on the strength of a 25-point second-quarter blitzkrieg, and never let AP get close.

“We’ve got team chemistry,” Watkins said. “Every day in practice, we work hard, and it shows in the game. It’s beautiful when everyone is passing because it means teamwork and IQ are on point, and we’re working hard as a team.”

The Clippers move on to play No. 6 Sun Valley on Saturday night. The Vanguards downed No. 11 Marple Newtown, 62-56, in their first home playoff game since 2000. The Chester-Sun Valley winner will book a spot in the state tournament, while the loser will have to navigate through playbacks to earn one of District 1’s seven berths in the state tournament.

It didn’t take long to realize that one team had a significantly more impressive postseason résumé than the other. The Clippers have players that have played in the postseason before, many of whom helped Chester make it to the quarterfinals of the state tournament last year before bowing out to Abington Heights.

The Knights looked very much like a team with only two seniors, struggling to adapt to Chester’s press in a muggy gym. Academy Park turned the ball around 20 times in the opening half, part of which was due to the Clippers’ length and aggressiveness, but part of which could also be traced back to players experiencing their first taste of playoff basketball.

“We’ve seen them twice already, but there’s just something, especially playing here, they just play with a different type of intensity,” Academy Park coach Frank Wolf said. “It’s tough to prepare for it. You try to throw six guys out there at practice and try different things, but when you step on the court and you’re here, it’s just a different type of atmosphere. I think it was a little eye-opening in the second quarter and I think they just needed to settle down, but halftime couldn’t come quick enough for us.”

That monster second quarter for Chester featured seven Clippers getting in on the scoring fun, paced by five points from Smith and Rahmaad DeJarnette and four apiece from Randolph III and Watkins. The third quarter, though, was when Randolph III got to work. His aim was true on all three of his 3-pointers, and the Knights simply had no answer for him.

“I already know that I can shoot the ball very well, so I made two straight, and when you realize you’ve made two straight, you keep shooting,” Randolph III said. “I just kept making them. I like playing in that offense because everybody gets open shots, everybody gets a lot of shots up and no one is selfish. It’s better for everyone when we play as a team.”

Much of the talk surrounding Chester usually comes back to its longtime calling card of a nasty defense. The Clippers did plenty on that end, but when they’re moving the ball on the offensive end like they did against the Knights, it’s a nice reminder that it’s not a one-dimensional team. And if teams can’t stop Chester from making the game a track meet? Good night.

“We think they can make more passes,” Taylor said. “If there’s a wide-open layup (with a pass), we always encourage them to make the pass instead of going in and being selfish. You’ve got to look out for your teammates. If somebody’s open, pass them the damn ball.”

The bright side for Academy Park is that this was merely the foundation for a talented group of underclassmen returning. Freshman Tahriq Marrero was the ringleader against the Clippers, dropping 20 of his game-high 27 points in the second half on the strength of five 3-pointers. At one point, Marrero connected on four straight attempts from beyond the arc, and the Knights won the final quarter 17-13, albeit against Chester’s backups. Still, there’s a lot for Wolf to build on.

“We have two seniors, and then everybody else coming back next year,” Marrero said. “We have a lot to build on and we have a lot to learn. A lot of people doubted us, saying we were going to lose by 50, but when it came down to it, we didn’t lose by that much. It’s a great opportunity for everybody to learn from their mistakes for next year.”


HS Coverage:

Recruiting News:

Tag(s): Home  Old HS  Boys HS  Delaware Valley (B)  Academy Park  Chester