The time, date and location are set for Archbishop Carroll's PIAA Class AAA quarterfinal.

The Patriots (20-7) will face Hampton (24-4), the runner-up from District Seven, at 7 p.m. Friday at Chambersburg High School.

For those unfamiliar with Chambersburg, that's roughly a 2-hour, 30-minute drive from this neck of the woods.

Friday's game will be Carroll's third appearance in the PIAA Class AAA quarterfinals in four seasons. The Patriots are 1-1 in quarterfinal games, having won one in 2008-09 en route to earning the state crown and dropping one a season later.

If you haven't been paying attention, Archbishop Carroll and Chester will continue their postseasons Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Here's where, when and against whom:

TUESDAY: Archbishop Carroll vs. Octorara, Coatesville H.S., 7:30
WEDNESDAY: Chester vs. Norristown, Coatesville H.S., 7

Tickets to Chester's second-round game are available at the high school's athletic office today, from 3 to 7 p.m. They will not be available for purchase gameday. (Sorry, Carroll fans, I do not have information for ticket presale for your team.)

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If you're a Chester High hoops aficionado, you had to appreciate the atmosphere at Norristown High School Saturday.

The stands dotted with fans in orange and black T-shirts, it was a distinct home-game feel for the Clippers, the nation's fourth-best team. It seemed as though everyone who's anyone came out to the game. Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson (Temple junior forward, 2009 Chester All-Delco, 2008 state champion), Nasir Robinson (Pitt senior forward, 2007-08 Chester All-Delco, 2008 state champion) and D.J. Irving (Boston U sophomore guard, 2009 Archbishop Carroll All-Delco, 2009 state champion, Chester native) were among the fans in attendance.

You can imagine even more familiar faces will turn out as the Clippers continue their quest for their second consecutive PIAA Class AAAA championship, and their eighth state title overall.

Archbishop Carroll knocked off Trinity, 63-40, Friday night at Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pa., in the first round of the PIAA Class AAA tournament.

Senior Alec Stavetski torched the District Three runner-up Shamrocks for a career-best 28 points, on 7-for-13 shooting and 12-for-14 from the free-throw line. Carroll (19-7) draws Octorara, a double-overtime winner Friday, in a second-round state game Tuesday at a site and time to be determined.

Here's more from Stavetski after the win:

In 2010, it was D.J. Irving's time to shine. In 2011, all eyes were affixed to Juan'ya Green. Tonight, when Archbishop Carroll opens the PIAA Class AAA tournament against Trinity, Yosef Yacob knows this could be his year to take top billing.

“When I was a freshman, we made it to the third round and lost. And last year, we made it to the first round and lost,” Yacob said the other day, when Carroll won District 12's third-place game. “So I'm excited to actually go far being one of the bigger players on the team. I've never made it far in states as one of the key players. I'm really excited to get onto the floor and start winning.”

Yacob, who averages 14 points per game to go along with a keen eye for knocking down 3-pointers, has become the focal point of Carroll's offense. When he's not driving the lane and attacking the rim, he's able to convert from long range or at the free-throw line. (He's a 75-percent shooter at the stripe.)

A junior shooting guard, Yacob has a pair of Division I offers, from Rider and Albany, and said he counts five others as “interested.” They are Princeton, Akron, Delaware, Niagara and Drexel.

So now that the Patriots are in states, the pressure is on for Yacob. And being that he's seen Irving, a star at Boston University, and Green, a standout freshman at Niagara, handle the duties on the state stage, Yacob knows what to do.

“I feel like I should be a leader on the floor – not even just in scoring, but in defense, boxing out and not being lazy,” Yacob said. “If I'm lazy, they're all going to be lazy. It's extra work for me, but if I want to be (viewed as) a leader, I have to do it. That's what I'm supposed to do anyway.”

Added Carroll point guard Isaiah Warren: “I play my role and I try to set Yosef up. He's a good shooter and I like to make him look good. If I have a jumpshot or a layup, I'll take it. But if Yosef has a shot, I try to get him the ball.”

(Times staff photo / ROBERT J. GURECKI)

He hoisted shot, after shot, after shot … but none went in.

That's how it goes some nights for Alec Stavetski, Archbishop Carroll's senior sharp-shooter. Stavetski went 0-for-11, including 0-for-7 from 3-point range, against Philadelphia Electrical Charter Feb. 29, when Carroll clinched District 12's No. 3 seed in the upcoming PIAA Class AAA tournament.

Carroll (18-7) faces Trinity Friday night at 6:30 p.m. at Milton Hershey School.

It's not as though Stavetski had hands in his face on every attempt. It just wasn't his night, which is why Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk isn't worried about his leading scorer – especially with a nine-day lag between districts and states.

“If it was someone that I didn't feel was a mentally strong player and couldn't rebound from this, yes, I'd be worried,” Romanczuk said. “But Alec has played for us and, now, started for us for two years. He's the kind of kid who would miss four shots and take the fifth shot as if he had made the previous four. His confidence is pretty stable.”

Romanczuk said he expected Stavetski in the gym in the days that followed the PEC win, but only because “that's the way he is. He'd be in there even if he went 11-for-11.” The Patriots (18-7) will need Stavetski if they plan on advancing past their first-round game Friday, March 9.

“He'll be fine. He's really confident,” Carroll senior Pat Finnegan said of Stavetski. “He knows we go to him and he knows we have to go to him if we're going to win in the state tournament.”

(Photo courtesy Philly.com)

Archbishop Carroll, the third-seeded team from District 12, will face Trinity, the runner-up in District Three, in a PIAA Class AAA opening-round game Friday, March 9, at a site and time to be determined.

Trinity (23-4) lost to Berks Catholic Friday night, 56-49, in the District Three Class AAA championship game, despite a big effort from Brad Wesner (pictured). The guard shot 10-for-17 from the floor for a game-best 26 points.

Archbishop Carroll (18-7) defeated Philadelphia Electrical Charter, 48-37, Wednesday night in the District 12 third-place game, behind 19 points from Yosef Yacob.

(Photo courtesy Harrisburg Patriot-News)

Last Wednesday, Archbishop Carroll lost in the Catholic League semifinals. This Wednesday, Carroll has a District 12 seeding game. A week from Friday, Carroll opens the PIAA Class AAA tournament.

For those keeping score at home, that accounts for three games in 17 days for Yosef Yacob (pictured) & Co.. Since the opening week of their season, the Patriots (17-7) haven't gone more than four days between games. At one stretch, they played four games in six days.

"Maintaining our focus in a two-week span where we only have one game is asking a lot," Archbishop Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk said over the weekend. "We’re in this rhythm where it’s two practices, game, one practice, game. Keeping guys sharp has become the challenge, as well as keeping them healthy."

So why the lapse in the schedule? Unfortunately, that's the way it is. But why? Well, there's one reason: End date.

To make a five-round state tournament end with a championship weekend in State College, the tournament has to open on a weekend -- thus following a Friday/Wednesday format for Class AAA and Saturday/Tuesday for Class AAAA. So even though most districts will have closed out their tournaments by this weekend or, at the latest, March 6, the PIAA waits to open its state tournaments March 9.

Maybe it's a blessing in disguise for some teams, like those with players nursing injuries or others -- like the eighth seed from District One Class AAAA, which will open its state-tournament run on a three-game losing streak -- which may just need a break from the games.

Archbishop Carroll has been a breeding ground for guards, with Division I backcourt players dotting Matsonford Road with regularity.

So for Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk to be leaning upon two sizeable options in the paint this season is quite a departure from the norm.

Senior Lou Dominique (6-4, 200) and freshman Derrick Jones (6-5, 165, pictured) are having similarly successful seasons. Dominique, who's considering East Stroudsburg for football, averages 8.4 points per game with eight double-figure scoring games and four double-doubles. Jones averages 7.4 points per game with seven double-figure scoring games and four double-doubles.

“It’s fun to see a senior get his shot, pay his dues, wait for his time and flourish once he’s there. That’s special," Romanczuk said of Dominique. "Lou has been tough for us. He’s been a great defender, a great inside presence. Having seniors step up and play like he did is great."

"(Jones) has got tremendous potential and he’s only going to get better," Romanczuk added. "He’s 14-years-old playing with 17- and 18-year-olds who have been through the battles of the Catholic League. Nothing he does surprises me. He’s going to continue to mature and get better."

Dominique had 14 points and seven rebounds and Jones had seven points and seven rebounds in Carroll's double-overtime victory Sunday over St. Joseph's Prep.

Added Dominique: “It’s a nice combination. Derrick and I, we crash the boards, we get blocks and we get some defensive rebounds. We’re good down there."

(Times staff photo / ROBERT J. GURECKI)

For all intents and purposes, Monday's win over Roman Catholic was nothing more than Archbishop Carroll's attempt to finish out the regular season on a strong note.

But we all know that's not the case.

Once again, as evidenced, by the 46-45 win over the Cahillites, Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk has his Patriots pointed in the right direction as the Catholic League Playoffs approach.

Carroll has won 10 of its last 12 games, dating back to Jan. 6, and the Patriots haven't lost consecutive games since December. Not a bad run to be having.

Against Roman, Carroll's leading scorer Alec Stavetski didn't score a single point. Freshman Derrick Jones continues to contribute in more ways than one, with scoring, rebounding and blocking shots. And junior Yosef Yacob, pictured, had a huge night, dropping 17 points and resembling the player who turned heads last season in the PCL tournament.

If the PCL playoffs began today, Carroll would clinch third place. Listed below are the standings, as well as the remaining schedules for Carroll and Roman:
PCL ... Team (Overall Record)
11-0... Neumann-Goretti (17-3)
11-0... St. Joe's Prep (18-2)
9-2 ... Arch. Carroll (14-6)
8-3 ... Roman Catholic (12-8)

Friday
Archbishop Carroll at West Catholic, 6:30
Roman Catholic at Father Judge, 7:30

Sunday
Archbishop Wood at Roman Catholic, 2:30
St. Joseph’s Prep at Archbishop Carroll, 3

(Times staff photo / ERIC HARTLINE)

The latest Pennsylvania boys basketball polls were released minutes ago, late Sunday night and ... no surprise, Chester remains the state's top-ranked team in Class AAAA.

The Clippers (17-0), riding a 43-game winning streak, are ranked in the top-10 in nearly every national poll.

Arch. Carroll checks in at No. 6 in the Class AAA poll.

Here's a look at the rest of the Harrisburg Patriot-News' polls:

CLASS AAAA Rec Pvs
1. Chester* (1) 17-0 1
2. Lower Merion (1) 17-2 3
3. Roman Catholic (12) 11-6 2
4. St. Joseph’s Prep (12) 15-2 4
5. Shaler (7) 17-2 6
6. Central Dauphin (3) 17-1 9
7. Chartiers Valley (7) 15-2 5
8. Mount Lebanon (7) 13-4 NR
9. Wissahickon (1) 16-2 7
10. Emmaus (11) 13-3 10
Honorable mention: Bethlehem Freedom (11) 15-1, Coatesville (1) 16-2, Council Rock North (1) 14-3, Easton (11) 13-4, Harrisburg (3) 14-3, Hershey (3) 18-0, J.P. McCaskey (3) 14-4, Parkland (11) 15-3.

CLASS AAA Rec Pvs
1. Neumann-Goretti* (12) 14-3 1
2. New Castle (7) 17-0 2
3. Montour (7) 11-1 3
4. Berks Catholic (3) 17-1 4
5. Hampton (7) 15-3 5
6. Archbishop Carroll (12) 12-5 6
7. Philadelphia Electrical (12) 14-7 7
8. Boys Latin Charter (12) 15-4 8
9. General McLane (10) 16-0 9
10. Holy Ghost Prep (1) 17-1 10
Honorable mention: Archbishop Wood (12) 13-4, Danville (4) 14-2, Franklin (10) 13-2, Johnstown (6) 16-1, Keystone Oaks (7) 14-2, Lampeter-Strasburg (3) 17-1, Octorara (1) 14-3, Scranton Prep (2) 12-4.

CLASS AA Rec Pvs
1. Imhotep Charter* (12) 14-6 1
2. Beaver Falls (7) 15-2 2
3. Monessen (7) 17-1 3
4. Communications Tech (12) 12-7 4
5. Vaux (12) 11-7 6
6. Mercyhurst Prep (10) 15-1 5
7. Sto-Rox (7) 13-1 7
8. Salisbury (11) 17-0 8
9. Quaker Valley (7) 15-2 NR
10. Riverside (2) 15-1 10
Honorable mention: Athens (4) 13-2, Bishop McCort (6) 10-4, Dunmore (2) 12-5, GAR Memorial (2) 15-1, Holy Cross (2) 12-4, Lewisburg (4) 12-3, Meyers (2) 14-2, Westmont Hilltop (6) 12-2.

CLASS A Rec Pvs
1. Constitution (12) 9-9 1
2. Math, Civics & Sciences* (12) 13-6 2
3. Lincoln Park (7) 14-3 3
4. Church Farm (1) 12-4 4
5. Girard College (1) 17-0 5
6. West Middlesex (10) 12-4 6
7. North Catholic (7) 13-4 7
8. Vincentian (7) 13-3 8
9. Greenwood (3) 15-1 9
10. Ridgway (9) 15-0 10
Honorable mention: Cornell (7) 13-4, Faith Christian (1) 13-3, Johnsonburg (9) 11-3, Kennedy Catholic (10) 10-4, Northern Cambria (6) 13-2, Our Lady of Sacred Heart (7) 14-2, Serra Catholic (7) 12-5, Southern Fulton (5) 13-2.
*-reigning PIAA champion. Number in parentheses is PIAA district.

Archbishop Carroll's Yosef Yacob isn't having the best season, but it's been good enough to garner a pair of offers from Division I programs.

Yacob, the Patriots' junior point guard, has received scholarship offers from Rider and Albany, according to Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk.

"I'm sure (his recruiting) will pick up on the AAU trail this spring and summer," Romanczuk said Wednesday, "but we've had a few teams pop in and out of the gym. I don't think it's anyone new exactly who is entering the picture.

"Last time I checked, Rider and Albany have offered full scholarships," he continued. "Delaware and Northeastern and Niagara have checked in on him, as well. I'm sure there's some I'm missing."

Counted on to be the go-to guy at Carroll -- after losing Juan'ya Green (Niagara) to graduation in 2011 and D.J. Irving (Boston U) in 2010 -- Yacob is averaging 10 points per game, though he's had to weather a few sluggish shooting nights. Yacob has hit for double-figures in scoring in only seven of 16 games for the Patriots (11-5, 6-1).

But Yacob has been known to shoot lights-out when it matters most. (See: 2010-11 PCL playoffs). I'm certain it'll pick up for Yacob soon ... and that goes for his recruitment, too.

Well, nothing out of the ordinary here.

When the Harrisburg Patriot-News unveiled its top-10 polls for this week, seeing Chester atop the PIAA Class AAAA rankings really is no surprise. The Clippers, who last week ranked No. 10 nationally by ESPN, are expected to climb some more after another blemish-free week.

Archbishop Carroll's spot at No. 7 in the PIAA Class AAA poll, however, is kind of a surprise. The Patriots have struggled to a 5-4 record, rebounding some to earn a 2-0 start to the Catholic League season after getting swept in a holiday-tournament showing in Boston, Mass.

Here are the rankings in full:

CLASS AAAA Rec Pvs
1. Chester* (1) 9-0 1
2. Roman Catholic (12) 4-3 3
3. Chartiers Valley (7) 10-0 7
4. Emmaus (11) 8-1 NR
5. Lower Merion (1) 10-2 2
6. St. Joseph’s Prep (12) 8-2 6
7. Scranton (2) 8-0 10
8. Shaler (7) 8-2 8
9. Harrisburg (3) 7-2 NR
10. Wissahickon (1) 10-1 NR
Honorable mention: Cedar Cliff (3) 9-1, Central Dauphin (3) 8-1, Father Judge (12) 9-1, Freedom (11) 9-0, Gateway (7) 7-3, Hershey (3) 10-0, North Allegheny (7) 7-2, Pocono Mountain West (11) 9-2.

CLASS AAA Rec Pvs
1. Neumann-Goretti* (12) 8-2 1
2. New Castle (7) 10-0 2
3. Berks Catholic (3) 8-0 4
4. Boys Latin Charter (12) 9-2 7
5. Montour (7) 5-0 8
6. Hampton (7) 8-3 6
7. Archbishop Carroll (12) 5-4 NR
8. Philadelphia Electrical (12) 7-5 3
9. Greensburg Salem (7) 8-2 9
10. Holy Ghost Prep (1) 11-0 NR
Honorable mention: Archbishop Wood (12) 7-2, Allentown Central Catholic (11) 4-4, Danville (4) 7-2, General McLane (10) 9-0, Grove City (10) 9-1, Johnstown (6) 7-1, Octorara (1) 7-3, Sharon (10) 4-2.

CLASS AA Rec Pvs
1. Imhotep Charter* (12) 7-3 1
2. Monessen (7) 11-0 5
3. Communications Tech (12) 9-2 3
4. Beaver Falls (7) 8-1 2
5. Mercyhurst Prep (10) 9-1 NR
6. Riverside (2) 10-0 6
7. Vaux (12) 5-6 7
8. Sto-Rox (7) 7-1 NR
9. Salisbury (11) 10-0 NR
10. GAR Memorial (2) 10-0 NR
Honorable mention: Bishop McCort (6) 6-2, Holy Cross (2) 7-3, Lakeview (10) 7-2, Loyalsock (4) 7-2, Meyers (2) 8-2, Notre Dame-Green Pond (11) 8-4, Quaker Valley (7) 9-1, Summit Academy (7) 7-3.

CLASS A Rec Pvs
1. Math, Civics & Sciences* (12) 6-4 2
2. Constitution (12) 4-5 1
3. Lincoln Park (7) 7-2 3
4. Church Farm (1) 8-1 4
5. Girard College (1) 9-0 NR
6. North Catholic (7) 7-2 6
7. Our Lady of Sacred Heart (7) 10-0 NR
8. West Middlesex (10) 6-4 NR
9. Vincentian (7) 7-2 7
10. Greenwood (3) 9-1 NR
Honorable mention: Bishop Carroll (6) 5-2, Faith Christian (1) 7-2, Johnsonburg (9) 7-1, Mahanoy Area (11) 9-1, Paul Robeson (12) 8-3, Ridgway (9) 8-0, Southern Fulton (5) 8-1, Williamsburg (6) 8-2.
*-reigning PIAA champion. Number in parentheses is PIAA district.

Welcome back, readers. We're three days removed from opening night of the boys basketball season, and here's what to look out for in 2011:

***Chester. It may not come as a surprise, but the reigning PIAA Class AAAA champions are good. How good? The Clippers might be rolling with a 13-man rotation, with each player getting quality minutes. Keep an eye on junior Rondae Jefferson (pictured) and senior Erikk Wright.

***Big man on campus. The Haverford School has a new coach and a new outlook on basketball, after yet-another .500 season. Oh, and the Fords have a 6-foot-11 junior transfer student from China. Tao Xu is coming off a back injury, but he should have the Fords back in contention in the Inter-Ac League.

***Captain Yosef. For the first time in five years, Archbishop Carroll is fielding a roster without D.J. Irving and Juan'ya Green, a pair of All-Delco guards. So the keys to the Patriots' season have been handed to Yosef Yacob, the junior captain.

***Cluttered Central League. Outside of Lower Merion, the heavy favorite in the Central, it appears to be a mixed-up league. Some coaches point to Ridley and Marple Newtown as favorites, others say Haverford and Upper Darby. It'll be a nice race to watch.

That's it for now.

Keep an eye out for Thursday's Daily Times, which will feature the basketball previews.

The PIAA brackets were unveiled Sunday. Here's what we know:

Tuesday
Class AAAA Play-In Game
2-2 Wyoming Valley West (18-6)at 1-9 Penn Wood (19-8), 7 p.m.

Friday
Class AAA First Round
3-2 Eastern York (24-4) vs. 12-3 Archbishop Carroll (21-5), at Hempfield HS (Landisville, Pa.), 6 p.m.

Saturday
Class AAAA First Round
1-1 Chester (26-1) vs. 3-7 Dallastown (21-7), at Norristown HS, 6 p.m.
Penn Wood-Wyoming Valley West winner vs. 3-1 York (27-2), Dallastown Area HS, 7:30 p.m.

So ... if Penn Wood wins a game in its backyard, it gets a first-round game 2 hours, 15 minutes from Essex Avenue. And Archbishop Carroll is nearly two miles from home in its first-round game.

Better gas up the cars, Delco basketball fans. It could be a road-trip kind of weekend.

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In the latest PIAA rankings, released weekly by the Harrisburg Patriot-News, Chester is No. 1 and Penn Wood is No. 8 for Class AAAA and Archbishop Carroll holds steady at No. 2 in Class AAA.

While the Daily Times had you covered from the reporting side, staff photographer Bob Gurecki had you covered from every angle of the Palestra floor.

Here are his photos:


Carroll's Juan'ya Green defends against Neumann-Goretti's Lamin Fulton.


Carroll's Shane Randall battles with N-G's Derrick Stewart for possession.


Carroll's Yosef Yacob attempts to shoot around N-G's John Davis.


Carroll's Tracy Peal can't bear to watch, with teammate Matt Donaldson, the final moments of N-G's Catholic League final win.


Carroll's Juan'ya Green walks off the floor as Neumann-Goretti celebrates its third straight Catholic League title.

Here's what you can find in print:
Game story: Carroll can't stop another Saints march (Christopher A. Vito)
Column: Going Green can't be Carroll's only plan (Jack McCaffery)
Sidebar: Green denied championship he wanted so badly (Tom Kerrane)

For the second straight season -- and to the same opponent -- Archbishop Carroll lost the Catholic League championship game.

Monday's 59-55 loss to Neumann-Goretti meant the Saints were able to take home their 15th league crown while concluding their third consecutive unbeaten slate in league play.

All the while, Carroll was unable to win its second such crown.

The Patriots relied too heavily upon All-Delco Juan'ya Green, who poured in a game-best 30 points. He shot 9-for-25 from the floor; his team combined to shoot 10-for-24, which doesn't sound all that bad ... but it was.

The Patriots' second-leading scorer this season, Yosef Yacob, who had 18 points in the league semifinal, finished with six. Alec Stavetski, another usually reliable offensive cog, was left scoreless. Jay Donovan, a long-range sniper, had only one trey and seven total points.

"We didn't do enough," Donovan said.

"Sometimes we stand too much. It happened tonight," he added. "We stand around and watch Juan'ya too much. We should set picks and get each other open better. We need to play better as a team. We can't rely on Juan'ya like that. One versus five won't work. He's a great player, but we need to help him out."

Tracy Peal was Carroll's only other double-figure scorer, tallying 12 points with eight rebounds.

For more on the game, including a column by Jack McCaffery and sidebar special to the Times by Tom Kerrane, pick up Tuesday's edition of the Daily Times.

Just logged in to the (impossible) wireless connection at the Palestra, where Archbishop Carroll is only minutes away from its Catholic League semifinal tipoff with La Salle.

A quick refresher: Carroll, which lost the Catholic championship game against Neumann-Goretti last year, is looking for a chance at redemption ... in more ways than one. The Patriots dropped a regular-season meeting against the Explorers, one in which they led early but coughed up the lead late and in overtime.

Check back to Gettin' Schooled later tonight for a brief game recap - and a little bit of a Catholic League championship preview ... assuming Carroll advances.

UPDATE
After having seen Neumann-Goretti, the other semifinal winner (along with Carroll), for a full game for the first time all season, I have to say that I think the Saints are beatable.

Roman Catholic, which has taken its lumps this season -- which includes a loss to Father Judge -- took Neumann-Goretti to the brink of an upset. The Cahillites were ahead by three with less than a minute to play, before crumbling against the seasoned Saints.

Lamin Fulton's a heck of a player, but he's not Juan'ya Green caliber. And I wasn't impressed with Derrick Stewart and Co. in the low post for N-G. I think Carroll matches up nicely with N-G, which could make Monday's championship game a fun one for Patriots fans.

There's no easy way to put this, so here goes: Neumann-Goretti has Archbishop Carroll's number.

OK, now that that's out of the way.

The Patriots' 74-68 loss to the visiting Saints Sunday typifies a rivalry that has been competitive of late, but more one-sided than outsiders might think.

Neumann-Goretti has won 23 of the team's last 24 meetings in the last 10 years. (The only contest that Carroll stole from N-G? A 70-65 decision in the PIAA Class AAA quarterfinals in 2008-09. Two wins later, and the Patriots were state champions.)

In their most recent meeting, the Patriots (10-3) held a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter. They were up by 13 heading into the final period, at 51-38.

So what happened? The Saints, the reigning Class AAA state champs, went to the line and knocked down shots so regularly that the Patriots could not keep pace.

Tracy Peal (pictured) had 15 points and 10 rebounds, All-Delco Juan'ya Green had 22 points, nine assists and five boards and Shane Randall coupled eight points with 11 rebounds.

What it boils down to is Carroll has to beat Neumann-Goretti. Plain and simple. The only time the Patriots beat the Saints in the last decade, they made it count by winning the state crown. If they intend on making another lengthy run, they'll have to go through Neumann-Goretti.

It doesn't seem like all that long ago that Chester High was at No. 1 in the Pennsylvania boys basketball rankings.

But the Clippers are back, holding a spot at the top. They haven't been there since the 2008-09 preseason Class AAAA poll, following their sixth big-school state title in '07-08.

Surprisingly, the leash for state runnerup Penn Wood is short. The Patriots have tumbled out of the Class AAAA poll and, because of their 2-5 record, rest with others 'being considered.'

In the Class AAA poll, Archbishop Carroll holds the top spot.

For more on the polls, by the Patriot-News' Michael Bullock, click here.

Could it have been easier for Juan'ya Green? Sure, but what's the fun in that?

"We didn't come out with any momentum," Green said Friday night, when he and his Archbishop Carroll teammates needed a comeback to force overtime and get a 62-58 win against Philadelphia Electric Charter. "So we needed to find some momentum after halftime."

Along the way, Green became the eighth player in Carroll's program history to score 1,000 points in his career. The 6-3 All-Delco did so on a second-quarter 3-pointer from the left wing. During a timeout, it was announced to the Patriots' home fans that Green had eclipsed the mark.

"I'm proud to be a part of it," said Green, who finished the night with 21 points. "A lot of guys have been a part of this program and I'm proud to get to this point."

"He's working hard and it's showing on the court," said Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk, a great player at Carroll in his own right, but one who didn't reach 1,000. "(Green) will go down as one of the best in the program's history."

Green, through three games (all wins), is averaging 25.7 points per game. The Niagara University commit said it was nice to hear from his future coaches.

"The assistant coach was there (Phil Martelli, Jr.), and I got a text after the game from Coach (Joe) Mihalich, which was nice," Green said.

Read more about Green's accomplishment, the Patriots' win and all of Friday's boys basketball action in Saturday's Daily Times.