Let’s talk about the best sports story in town.
No, not the fact that the Eagles have slapped the franchise tag on DeSean Jackson. Don’t get too excited Bird brains. In the past this has soon been accompanied by a ticket out of town.
The Flyers? Call us when the playoffs start.
Sixers? Donut team. Big hole in the middle.
Phillies? I can’t stand looking at those pictures of how gorgeous it is in Clearwater.
I’m talking about “The High.”
If you don’t know what that refers to, you obviously are not into Delco hoops.
Much has been made of the “Miracle in Drexel Hill,” the gargantuan fundraising effort launched to save Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast High School.
But it’s not the only one.
Meet the Chester Clippers.
Basketball in Chester is not just a passion. It’s a way of life.
Few teams can point to such an illustrious history as the Orange and Black.
But even in a town as steeped in hoops lore as Chester, this Chester High team is approaching an uncharted stratosphere.
The Chester Clippers’ record this year is unblemished, a glistening 26-0. So good is this team you have to go back two years to point to the last time they were not victorious on the hard wood. They have won 52 straight games.
Tonight they will seek their 21st District One title when they face off against an old nemesis, Lower Merion. The two legendary teams have faced off four times in the District One finals, and are all even at two wins apiece.
Maybe you’ve heard of the guy who led those victorious Lower Merion teams. His name is Kobe Bryant.
Reagardless of what happens tonight, the Clippers will seek their eighth state title in the coming weeks. They will be the favorite, and if they return to the finals it will be the 26th time they have done so.
You read that correctly. Chester High has appeared in the Pennsylvania Final Four 25 times.
And yet all of that does not fully explain what is truly miraculous about Coach Larry Yarbray’s current squad.
They have managed to do this while all around them the district has been in shambles.
To put it bluntly, Chester Upland School District is broke. Again.
While the Chester Clippers were defeating every team that took the court against them, their school had to go to court to get the money to keep the doors open.
At one point, shutting down the schools - including Chester High - loomed as a distinct possibility.
Teachers did their part, continuing to show up for work even when there was no guarantee that they would be paid.
The problems with Chester Upland School District go back decades. Too often the schools have been used as a patronage mill. Now they are paying a steep price for the economic downturn and brutal budget cuts enacted by Gov. Tom Corbett.
In short, the district is once again fighting for its life.
If they’re looking for a champion, they could do worse than looking in their gym.
At a school known for its powerhouse basketball teams, this version of the Clippers has faced challenges both on and off the court.
They are the best team in town. Tonight they will get a chance to prove they are once again the best team in District One.
In what is truly a school of hard knocks, they are an inspiration, champions in every sense of the word.
A lot of people complain that too much is made of Chester basketball. That too often the kind of effort that is exhibited by their basketball team is lacking in other areas.
Certainly the district a lot more of whatever it is that Coach Yarbray has instilled in his young charges.
The Clippers basketball team will not solve what ails Chester Upland.
But they are a reminder of what can be done with hard work, passion and resolve.
They have overcome every hurdle placed in front of them.
A miracle? Maybe not.
But you could fool me.
Go Clippers!
CLICK HERE to ready Chris Vito's advance on tonight's District One title game.
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