City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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The fall edition of the 2022 Delco Hoops Showcase takes place this upcoming weekend at Penncrest High School, with 54 teams from around the Delaware Valley (including a few from New Jersey and Delaware) coming to Media for some competition. 

Each team plays two games in the event, which goes from 8 AM until 7 PM on Saturday and from 8 AM until 1:30 PM on Sunday. There’s good competition all weekend, but a few sets specifically are worth nothing:

• Saturday morning’s games include an appearance by: Unionville, which has a terrific junior class and one of the area’s freshmen-to-watch in James Brennan; Marple Newtown, which features sophomore Matt Gardler and is fresh off a PIAA state quarterfinal appearance; Del-Val contender Penn Wood, which features 6-6 senior Mekhi Shillingsford and guard Sadiq Fountain; and Pennridge, which features Catholic commit Matt Campione.

• Saturday afternoon’s games include: Downingtown West, led by West Point commit Dylan Blair at point and impressive sophomore Donovan Fromhartz on the wing; plus quality programs in Constitution, Methacton, Rustin, Conestoga and Upper Moreland, plus a few smaller-school programs from the Public League and Bicentennial. 

• Sunday morning gets off with a strong group of schools including one of the top teams in the Central League, Lower Merion, featuring Penn commit Sam Brown, along with Neshaminy, Bishop Shanahan, Phoenixville, Pope John Paul II and Caravel Academy (Del.). Lots of college-level talent throughout, including the Caravel trio of Miles White (‘24), Dom Wyatt (‘24) and John Clemmons (‘23) and the Neshaminy trio of Sean Curley (‘23), Emeer Combs (‘24) and Nate Townsend (‘24).

• Another Central League favorite, Radnor, plus Suburban One League favorites Plymouth Whitemarsh and potential Ches-Mont contenders West Chester Henderson all play in the final two sets on Sunday, marking a strong close to the event. Radnor is led by Princeton commit Jackson Hicke, plus fellow seniors Charlie Thornton, Jackson Gaffney and Danny Rosenblum (Rochester); P-W features senior Qudire Bennett and juniors Chase Coleman and Jaden Colzie; Henderson has the junior trio of Nyle Ralph-Beyer, Connor Fleet and K’Mari Smith. And don’t forget about CB East, another strong squad in this set, with seniors Kyle Berndt and Joey Giordano plus junior Jacob Cummiskey.

Admission will be $5 for spectators. Here’s the complete schedule:

Saturday, October 29
8:00 AM
Main 1: Penn Wood vs. Strath Haven
Main 2: Pottsgrove vs. Delco Christian
Aux: Upper Merion vs. Unionville

8:55 AM
Main 1: Calvary Christian vs. Daniel Boone
Main 2: Church Farm vs. Upper Dublin
Aux: Pennridge vs. Marple Newtown

9:50 AM
Main 1: Penn Wood vs. Unionville
Main 2: Upper Merion vs. Delco Christian
Aux: Pottsgrove vs. Strath Haven

10:45 AM
Main 1: Calvary Christian vs. Marple Newtown
Main 2: Upper Dublin vs. Pennridge
Aux: Church Farm vs. Daniel Boone

11:40 AM
Main 1: Holy Cross (N.J.) vs. Penncrest
Main 2: CR North vs. Garnet Valley
Aux: Methacton vs. Harriton

12:35 PM
Main 1: Spring-Ford vs. Downingtown West
Main 2: Dock Mennonite vs. Robeson
Aux: Phil-Mont Christian vs. Eng. & Sciences

1:30 PM
Main 1: Methacton vs. Garnet Valley
Main 2: Holy Cross (N.J.) vs. Harriton
Aux: CR North vs. Penncrest

2:25 PM
Main 1: Spring-Ford vs. Eng. & Sciences
Main 2: Dock Mennonite vs. Phil-Mont Christian
Aux: Downingtown West vs. Robeson

3:20 PM
Main 1: Hatboro-Horsham vs. Freire Charter
Main 2: Quakertown vs. West Chester Rustin
Aux: Conestoga vs. Constitution

4:15 PM
Main 1: Plumstead Christian vs. Hatboro ‘B’
Main 2: Avon Grove vs. Chester Charter
Aux: Upper Moreland vs. Faith Christian

5:10 PM
Main 1: Hatboro-Horsham vs. Constitution
Main 2: Quakertown vs. Conestoga
Aux: Freire Charter vs. West Chester Rustin

6:05 PM
Main 1: Hatboro ‘B’ vs. Faith Christian
Main 2: Chester Charter vs. Upper Moreland
Aux: Avon Grove vs. Plumstead Christian

~~~

Sunday, October 30
8:00 AM
Main 1: Bishop Shanahan vs. Pope John Paul II
Main 2: Caravel Academy (Del.) vs. Neshaminy
Aux: Lower Merion vs. Phoenixville

8:55 AM
Main 1: Bishop Shanahan vs. Phoenixville
Main 2: Lower Merion vs. Neshaminy
Aux: Caravel Academy (Del.) vs. Pope John Paul II

9:50 AM
Main 1: Truman vs. Parkway CC
Main 2: Downingtown East vs. CB West
Aux: CR South vs. Boyertown

10:45 AM
Main 1: CR South vs. Parkway CC
Main 2: Boyertown vs. CB West
Aux: Downingtown East vs. Truman

11:40 AM
Main 1: CB East vs. Cherokee (N.J.)
Main 2: West Chester Henderson vs. Plymouth Whitemarsh
Aux: Wissahickon vs. Radnor

12:35 PM
Main 1: Wissahickon vs. Cherokee (N.J.)
Main 2: West Chester Henderson vs. Radnor
Aux: CB East vs. Plymouth Whitemarsh