March madness for Carroll, Clippers

Welcome to March Madness.

No, I'm not talking about the NCAA Tournament, although I have to admit I wouldn't mind owning a sports bar today. The hoops gods must love Philly. We have three local teams in action, and they line up perfectly, one after another.

I imagine eyes will be glued to big-screen TVs all over the area. If you have Temple or La Salle products working in your office, don't expect a lot to get done this afternoon.

Here's the lineup: Temple faces North Carolina state at 1:40 on TBS. Then it's La Salle vs. Kansas State at 3:10 on TruTV. Take a quick dinner break and plop back in front of the tube for Villanova vs. North Carolina at 7:20 back on TNT.

But what I really am talking about is not the college game, but high school hoops. This is a huge weekend for both Archbishop Carroll and Chester High.

Carroll kicks things off tonight as they play for the PIAA AAA boys title vs. Imhotep Charter in Hershey. Staffer Matt Chandik offers a preview here.

Then tomorrow night the majestic Chester High Clippers will seek their third consecutive PIAA AAAA crown when they tangle with old foe Lower Merion up at Chocolatetown. Matt also has that preview here.

Chester is seeking a little bit of history. Even at a school steeped in hoops hallmarks, this team is on the brink of doing something no other Clippers squad has ever done before. Chester High has never won three straight state titles. If they complete the three-peat, it will be the first time it's happened since 1988, when Carlisle accomplished the rare feat.

And in an odd coincidence, here's a hint at the kind of coverage you can expect. The Pennsylvania Newspaper Association yesterday announced the winners of their Keystone Awards for the best newspaper work in 2012. Our gang of Chris Vito, Jack McCaffery, Matt Smith and Eric Hartline won a first-place award for sports event coverage for their wall-to-wall coverage of the Clippers' win last year that capped a perfect, undefeated season. How about a repeat, guys?

Stick with us all weekend for complete coverage of both Carroll and Chester. They don't call us the Delaware County Sports Authority for nothing.

Go Clippers and Patriots!

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