Let's be honest: There was way too much going on Sunday to squeeze into one story.

That's the reality of any Chester High game, but when it's nationally ranked Chester against New York City's Christ the King, which opened the year ranked nationally ... well, there's a bounty of tidbits from the game. (And, oh by the way, Chester won 65-53 in the Villa Classic.)

Here's further coverage of the game:
OBSERVATIONS
****Here's how you know Chester coach Larry Yarbray is doing something right. The Clippers, who have won 34 games in a row, sold out Widener University's Schwartz Center for an 8 p.m. tipoff ... on New Year's Day ... with ticket prices at $20 a head for all fans, regardless of age. Quite a feat.
****Chester's Kareem Robinson is usually cool, calm and collect ... but not to the point where he's chatting with his coach while maintaining a dribble ... while the game is ongoing, with a defender on his hip. It was a savvy play only the veteran point guard could have pulled off.
****After the game, Chester assistant coach Keddy Harris marched up the tunnel toward the Clippers' locker room, shouting, "19? 19?" Clearly, Harris was bewildered by the 19 free throws the Clippers missed. Had they shot better than 20-for-39 from the foul line, they could have used the fourth quarter to coast rather than play high-tempo ball.
****Elsewhere at the Villa Classic, one-time Villanova commit Savon Goodman (from Constitution High, of the Philadelphia Public League) dropped 46 points in an 80-72 win over Cardoza (N.Y.)

QUOTABLE
“He just started talking to me, and usually I’m the one to start the talking. But it was the New Year. I was tired, so maybe I was quiet a little bit. I was just chilling, but I guess I was locking him up so he started talking. He made that one shot and he got in my face."
--Chester's Kareem Robinson (13 points, two steals, two assists), of Christ the King's Isaiah Lewis. Robinson drew an offensive foul against Lewis on one possession and, on CTK's next trip up the floor, Lewis clapped in Robinson's face after making a bucket and got a technical foul.

FACES IN THE CROWD
****Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson: 2009 Chester All-Delco, a Temple junior forward and the brother of Rondae Jefferson.
****Fran Dunphy: Temple coach who likely was scouting Rondae Jefferson and, in the earlier game at Widener, Amile Jefferson of Friends Central.
****Ronell Williams (linebacker at West Chester) and Laquan Robinson (defensive back at Widener), who graduated from Chester in 2010.
****Hajj Turner: George Washington University assistant coach.
****Maurice Nelson (Harcum) and Lamon Church (Kutztown): Chester All-Delcos from the 2011 PIAA Class AAAA title team.

##

Be sure to check out YesgodTV's highlights from Chester's game, which can be seen here.

One final note: if you like the photos above, it was taken by a member of the New York Post staff. Be sure to check out their photo page from Sunday's game.

Chester and Upper Darby are league champs.

The Clippers dismantled host Academy Park, 86-44, to clinch their first outright league championship under coach Larry Yarbray. Chester got 17 points from DeQuann Walker, 15 from Lamon Church and 14 apiece from Maurice Nelson and Darius Robinson.

More on Chester: There's a (really) good chance the state's top-ranked team in Class AAAA will be District One's No. 1 seed come Sunday, when the bracket is unveiled. If the Clippers are seeded anywhere else but No. 1, I'll be flat-out shocked ... but stranger things have happened.

The Royals held off a furious surge by host Ridley, clinching the Central League championship with a 48-47 victory. Daron Harris and Brandon Hashim had 14 points apiece to pace Upper Darby, which held its breath as Ridley - with the last possession - couldn't manage a final shot before time expired.

That locked up UD coach Bob Miller's first title since 2006-07.

More on Upper Darby: Despite playing to a perfect 21-0, 16-0 record (assuming they handle Glen Mills Saturday in a nonleague tilt), the Royals still would be lucky to manage a No. 3 seed. They're likely the No. 4, by virtue of a nonleague slate that wasn't loaded with any huge tests. But that doesn't mean UD isn't deserving.

Check out Friday's Daily Times for a rundown on both teams' title clinchers.

Two titles in one night. How 'bout those apples?

After Tuesday night's big 76-72 win over Penn Wood, you have to think Chester's got something special going on. Here's why:

***The Clippers took a 19-point lead midway through the third quarter against the defending Del Val League champion Patriots, who also happen to be the reigning District One champs and PIAA Class AAAA runners-up.

***All-Delco guard Maurice Nelson brings his A-game whenever the Clippers play an opponent worthy. (And let's be clear: the Patriots - despite a 9-7 record - are worthy. They will be a handful in the playoffs.) Against Penn Wood, Nelson is averaging 20.5 points per game.

***The Clippers' rebounding is superb, behind 6-3 Rondae Jefferson, 6-4 Lamon Church and 6-5 Erikk Wright.

***Their free-throw shooting has improved. Chester went 14-for-37 from the stripe in its first meeting with Penn Wood. Tuesday, the Clippers were a much-more-efficient 21-for-33. That's what it takes late in the season.

Check out Wednesday's Daily Times for more on the game.

########

I talked to Penn Wood alumnus Tyree Johnson Tuesday night. The 2008-09 Daily Times Player of the Year, Johnson provided a little clarity as to why he's in Lansdowne ... and not on the West Coast.

Johnson came home, leaving San Jacinto Junior College recently. He said it's something he'll give me more details about at a later date. But he said it was for personal reasons.

Couple things I pulled from the box scores of Tuesday night's boys basketball games:

*** Senior Taylor Wright scored 15 points and pulled down a career-best 14 rebounds in Episcopal Academy's 67-58 victory over Bishop Shanahan. Wright, known earlier in his career as an outside shooter, had 10 of those rebounds before halftime. Also an exceptional pitcher, Wright is in the midst of his best season.

*** Upper Darby shot 35 percent in the first half and 70 percent in the second half. What's more stunning? The Royals shot at an 80-percent clip (8-for-10) in the fourth quarter, beating Haverford, 56-40. (For more on this game, check out Wednesday's Daily Times.)

*** Sun Valley's Bill Hudson made more free throws (12-for-17) than Academy Park attempted (5-for-11 as a team), in the Vanguards' 69-61 victory. Sun Valley was 23-for-31 as a team.

*** Chester's Lamon Church (nine) and DaQuann Walker (eight) combined for 17 of the Clippers' 21 fourth-quarter points during their 71-64 win over Reading. Having faced two of the perennial Pa. powerhouses in the last week - JP McCaskey and Reading - the Clippers are 5-0.

*** All three of the shots knocked down by Springfield's Dave Carpenter were beyond the arc in the Cougars' 62-50 takedown of Marple Newtown. He made more 3-pointers than the Tigers did as a team.

*** Cardinal O'Hara shot 7-for-8 from the free-throw line ... none more important than Sean Mayo's two with two seconds to go in the Lions' come-from-behind, 65-64 win over Spring-Ford.