City of Basketball Love

By Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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The area’s biggest boys’ preseason showcase, the West Chester ‘Big 64,’ is taking place earlier than usual this year — this coming weekend, September 12-14 (Friday-Sunday). 

Nearly 140 teams from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland are taking part in the showcase, which has games at three different venues around West Chester’s campus: the Hollinger Gymnasium, WCU’s main home court in the middle of campus, will be split in half to hold two games; the school’s Student Recreation Center (275 N. Campus Drive) will host three games at once and the South Campus’ Sturzebecker Health Sciences Center (855 S. New Street) will host four courts of action for a few sets.

All participating teams will play two back-to-back games, with teams playing on either Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Action begins on Friday night with four sets of games at Hollinger and the Rec Center; games will run all day Saturday (9am-9pm) at those gyms with a few afternoon sets at the South Campus, with eight sets on Sunday morning and into the afternoon to finish things off. 

The field includes many of the top teams from the region, from Catholic League contenders (Roman Catholic, Father Judge, Archbishop Wood, Neumann-Goretti) to District 1 powerhouses (Coatesville, Plymouth Whitemarsh, Lower Merion, Conestoga), league contenders in the Friends’ Schools and Philadelphia Public Leagues, and some of the best from the Garden State and the First State. 

Some of the best games of the weekend will be taking place at Hollinger on Saturday, with matchups including the likes of Wood, Judge, Roman, Camden (N.J.), St. George’s (Del.), Plymouth Whitemarsh, Perkiomen School, and more. 

Here’s the full schedule: 

Friday, September 12
5:00 PM
Hollinger 1: Ridley vs. Souderton
Hollinger 2: St. Elizabeth (Del.) vs. Garnet Valley
Rec 1: Bishop Eustace (N.J.) vs. La Salle
Rec 2: Lower Merion vs. Salesianum (Del.)
Rec 3: Upper Dublin vs. Chester

6:00 PM
Hollinger 1: Ridley vs. St. Elizabeth (Del.)
Hollinger 2: Souderton vs. Garnet Valley
Rec 1: Bishop Eustace (N.J.) vs. Upper Dublin
Rec 2: La Salle vs. Lower Merion
Rec 3: Salesianum (Del.) vs. Chester

7:00 PM
Hollinger 1: Rocktop Academy vs. Bensalem
Hollinger 2: Dobbins Tech vs. Downingtown East
Rec 1: Eng. & Sciences vs. Downingtown West
Rec 2: Abington Friends vs. Life Center (N.J.)
Rec 3: Cardinal O’Hara vs. Penn Wood

8:00 PM
Hollinger 1: Rocktop Academy vs. Dobbins Tech
Hollinger 2: Downingtown East vs. Bensalem
Rec 1: Downingtown West vs. Life Center (N.J.)
Rec 2: Eng. & Sciences vs. Penn Wood
Rec 3: Cardinal O’Hara vs. Abington Friends

~~~

Saturday, September 13
9:00 AM
Hollinger 1: Kennett vs. CB South
Hollinger 2: Hatboro-Horsham vs. Delco Christian
Rec 1: West Chester Henderson vs. Liberty
Rec 2: Unionville vs. Pennridge
Rec 3: Haverford High vs. Muhlenberg

10:00 AM
Hollinger 1: Hatboro-Horsham vs. Kennett
Hollinger 2: CB South vs. Delco Christian
Rec 1: West Chester Henderson vs. Muhlenberg
Rec 2: Unionville vs. Liberty
Rec 3: Haverford High vs. Pennridge

11:00 AM
Hollinger 1: St. George’s (Del.) vs. Archbishop Wood
Hollinger 2: Camden (N.J.) vs. Riverdale Baptist (Md.)
Rec 1: Cumberland Valley vs. Conestoga
Rec 2: West Catholic vs. New Hope (Md.)
Rec 3: Red Lion vs. Broome Street (N.Y.)

12:00 PM
Hollinger 1: St. George’s (Del.) vs. Camden (N.J.)
Hollinger 2: Archbishop Wood vs. Riverdale Baptist (Md.)
Rec 1: Cumberland Valley vs. West Catholic
Rec 2: New Hope (Md.) vs. Broome St. (N.Y.)
Rec 3: Conestoga vs. Red Lion

1:00 PM
Hollinger 1: Father Judge vs. St. Joe’s-Metuchen (N.J.)
Hollinger 2: DeMatha (Md.) vs. Morris Catholic (N.J.)
Rec 1: Bishop Shanahan vs. York
Rec 2: Chichester vs. Carlisle
Rec 3: Constitution vs. Williamsport

2:00 PM
Hollinger 1: Father Judge vs. Morris Catholic (N.J.)
Hollinger 2: DeMatha (Md.) vs. St. Joe’s-Metuchen (N.J.)
Rec 1: Bishop Shanahan vs. WIlliamsport
Rec 2: Chichester vs. York
Rec 3: Constitution vs. Carlisle

2:30 PM
South 1: Avon Grove vs. Lincoln
South 2: Dieruff vs. Rocktop Academy
South 3: Octorara vs. Harriton
South 4: Hempfield vs. West Chester Rustin

3:00 PM
Hollinger 1: Central Dauphin vs. Kennedy (Md.)
Hollinger 2: Neumann-Goretti vs. Eleanor Roosevelt (Md.)
Rec 1: Milton Hershey vs. Sankofa Freedom
Rec 2: Garden State Prep (N.J.) vs. New Hope Regional (Md.)
Rec 3: Reading vs. Woodbury (N.J.)

3:30 PM
South 1: Hempfield vs. Lincoln
South 2: Avon Grove vs. Dieruff
South 3: Rocktop Academy vs. Octorara
South 4: West Chester Rustin vs. Harriton

4:00 PM
Hollinger 1: Central Dauphin vs. Eleanor Roosevelt (Md.)
Hollinger 2: Neumann-Goretti vs. Kennedy (Md.)
Rec 1: Milton Hershey vs. Woodbury (N.J.)
Rec 2: Garden State Prep (N.J.) vs. Reading
Rec 3: Sankofa Freedom vs. New Hope Regional (Md.)

4:30 PM
South 1: JV Game
South 2: JV Game

5:00 PM
Hollinger 1: Montgomery (N.J.) vs. Roman Catholic
Hollinger 2: Plymouth Whitemarsh vs. Perkiomen School
Rec 1: Cherokee (N.J.) vs. Conwell-Egan
Rec 2: Neshaminy vs. Middletown (Del.)
Rec 3: Perkiomen Prep vs. Lansdale Catholic

5:30 PM
South 1: JV Game
South 2: JV Game

6:00 PM
Hollinger 1: Montgomery (N.J.) vs. Plymouth Whitemarsh
Hollinger 2: Roman Catholic vs. Perkiomen School
Rec 1: Conwell-Egan vs. Perkiomen Prep
Rec 2: Lansdale Catholic vs. Neshaminy
Rec 3: Cherokee (N.J.) vs. Middletown (Del.)

7:00 PM
Hollinger 1: SCH Academy vs. Coatesville
Hollinger 2: Middle Twp. (N.J.) vs. Great Barrington (Mass.)
Rec 1: Pope John Paul II vs. Sanford School (Del.)
Rec 2: Pottsgrove vs. Cherry Hill West (N.J.)
Rec 3: West Chester East vs. Great Valley

8:00 PM
Hollinger 1: Middle Twp. (N.J.) vs. Coatesville
Hollinger 2: SCH Academy vs. Great Barrington (Mass.)
Rec 1: Sanford School (Del.) vs. Great Valley
Rec 2: Pottsgrove vs. Pope John Paul II
Rec 3: Cherry Hill West (N.J.) vs. West Chester East

~~~

Sunday, September 14
9:00 AM
Hollinger 1: Germantown Academy vs. Holy Cross (N.J.)
Hollinger 2: Friends’ Central vs. Cherry Hill East (N.J.)
Rec 1: Upper Darby vs. Gloucester Catholic (N.J.)
Rec 2: Cheltenham vs. William Allen
Rec 3: Pennsbury vs. William Penn (Del.)

10:00 AM
Hollinger 1: Germantown Academy vs. Cherry Hill East (N.J.)
Hollinger 2: Holy Cross (N.J.) vs. Friends’ Central
Rec 1: Upper Darby vs. William Penn (Del.)
Rec 2: William Allen vs. Pennsbury
Rec 3: Gloucester Catholic (N.J.) vs. Cheltenham

11:00 AM
Hollinger 1: Plymouth Whitemarsh vs. Mt. Zion National (Md.)
Hollinger 2: Westtown vs. Mt. Zion Prep (Md.)
Rec 1: Abington vs. Phelps Prep
Rec 2: Dover (Del.) vs. Friends’ Select
Rec 3: Frederick Douglass (N.Y.) vs. Timber Creek (N.J.)
South 1: Collegium Charter vs. Delaware Military (Del.)
South 2: Great Oakes (Del.) vs. Oxford
South 3: Junior Varsity Game
South 4: Junior Varsity Game

12:00 PM
Hollinger 1: Roman Catholic vs. Mt. Zion Prep (Md.)
Hollinger 2: Westtown vs. Mt. Zion National (Md.)
Rec 1: Dover (Del.) vs. Phelps Prep
Rec 2: Friends’ Select vs. Frederick Douglass (N.Y.)
Rec 3: Timber Creek (N.J.) vs. Abington
South 1: Collegium Charter vs. Great Oakes (Del.)
South 2: Delaware Military (Del.) vs. Oxford
South 3: JV Game
South 4: JV Game

1:00 PM
Hollinger 1: Fairfax Christian (Va.) vs. Academy New Church
Hollinger 2: Perkiomen School vs. Lincroft Colts (CBA) (N.J.)
Rec 1: CB West vs. Chambersburg
Rec 2: CB East vs. Scranton Prep
Rec 3: Great Barrington (Mass.) vs. Northhampton

2:00 PM
Hollinger 1: Lincroft Colts (CBA) (N.J.) vs. Fairfax Christian (Va.)
Hollinger 2: Academy New Church vs. Perkiomen School
Rec 1: CB West vs. Scranton Prep
Rec 2: Great Barrington (Mass.) vs. Chambersburg
Rec 3: CB East vs. Northampton 

3:00 PM
Hollinger 1: Bethlehem Catholic vs. Episcopal Academy
Hollinger 2: Caravel Academy (Del.) vs. Upper Moreland
Rec 1: Ewing (N.J.) vs. Lancaster Mennonite
Rec 2: Phoenixville vs. Germantown Friends
Rec 3: North Penn vs. Prestige Prep (N.Y.)

4:00 PM
Hollinger 1: Caravel Academy (Del.) vs. Bethlehem Catholic
Hollinger 2: Episcopal Academy vs. Upper Moreland
Rec 1: Phoenixville vs. Lancaster Mennonite
Rec 2: Ewing (N.J.) vs. Prestige Prep (N.Y.)
Rec 3: North Penn vs. Germantown Friends