Marple Newtown hired Brian Shane as its boys basketball coach, replacing Gerry Doemling.

The school announced the hiring Wednesday, though -- according to Shane -- he was given the post about a week back.

Shane played played at Springfield (a 1984 graduate) and served as an assistant coach at Lower Merion (from 2003 to '05), so he's quite familiar with the Central League.

He also guided The Haverford School for five seasons and won an Inter-Ac League championship in 1999. He sandwiched three seasons as an assistant at Immaculata University around one season as the head coach of a high school based in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Marple Newtown, in recent years, has had a one-and-done playoff reputation. And, in the years in which the Tigers were able to pick up a District One playoff victory, they failed to qualify for the PIAA tournament. Shane said he expects questions regarding that.

"The goal is to get Marple Newtown better and, any time you take a job, it's to build a team and a future of a championship team," said Shane, 45. "I was very fortunate to win an Inter-Ac championship at The Haverford School and that's the goal -- build a program and build a champion."

Shane said he's already got plans in the making for next season, and has the Tigers registered for a West Chester University summer league.

For more on Shane's hiring, pick up Thursday's edition of the Daily Times.

When I arrived at Marple Newtown High School Friday night, I figured I was in for a decent basketball game between two teams expected to figure into the mix for the Central League playoff picture.

Turns out there was even more going on along Media Line Road.

Sure, Marple Newtown knocked off Springfield, 54-38. But the real story was Marple Newtown's gym, a newly renovated arena that may have vaulted into the short list of my top-five places to see a game in Delaware County. (More on that below.)

Here are a few reasons why: Marple Newtown does it right, with its chorus singing the national anthem, its marching band (yes, the marching band) playing tunes between quarters and during timeouts, the west end of the gym bouncing with student fans and a packed atmosphere.

Oh, and Marple Newtown coach Jerry Doemling's got a great team on his hands. Pat McGee scored 18 points, Ryan Furst had 17 points, nine rebounds and three assists, and Andrew Brandt had eight points and eight rebounds.

Furst said it best about Marple's new digs: "It's easy to play well in a place like this."

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Now, that being said, here are a few of my other favorite places to take in a boys basketball game in Delaware County (in no particular order):

**Clip Joint, Chester High. It doesn't get any better. Being that Chester routinely fields the area's top team, you're in store for solid play, no question. But don't forget about some of the most animated fans ... and the cheerleaders doing the Chester Train. The place is a history lesson, too, and the 1,000-point scorers list is a veritable who's-who in Delco hoops. Timeless.
**Marple Newtown. For the reasons listed above, it's absolutely the place to be. I especially liked the band playing during timeouts. Total college feel.
**Harrison Gymnasium, Glen Mills. Just because the student body is obligated to go doesn't mean it's obligated to be into the game. But the students cheer, and chant, and sing, and stomp ... all game long. And the P.A. guy often plays "Apache" by The Sugar Hill Gang. Absolute throwback.
**Penn Wood. That bandbox of a gym is the epitome of high school hoops. You walk in on a brisk winter night, you walk out a sweaty mess. That's because what goes on in the cozy confines along Essex Avenue is good, fun basketball in the tightest of quarters.
**Penncrest. If only for the look of the place, it rates among the best, with an above-the-court track that provides a top-tier sightline. The always-involved student section makes this a special place, too.

(Times photo / ERIC HARTLINE)

Springfield coach Kevin McCormick assures that, during a two-game stretch earlier this year, his team shot less than 25 percent from the field.

Based on what I saw Friday night, I find this hard to believe.

The Cougars shot 25-for-52 in a blowout win over Marple Newtown, a 64-46 decision that left things a little more dicey in the Central League standings ... assuming one team (Upper Darby) doesn't finish the season unbeaten.

Springfield was spot-on from the floor against Marple Newtown. The Cougars made seven consecutive shots to start the second half, rolling to a huge lead.

And they got contributions from everyone. Brendan McNamee picked clean the offensive glass, going for five of his 10 boards on the scoring end. That led to easy buckets. Outlet passes from Steve Baker and Dave Carpenter made things easy for wingers Adam Washington and Zack DeVito.

That explains the 48-percent shooting night had by Springfield. It doesn't explain how McCormick's crew could possibly have had 25-percent shooting nights in the past.

"It's a work in progress," McCormick explained afterward.

Well, everything looked A-OK from my vantage point.

Wednesday's win was big for Marple Newtown. How big? After taking down Harriton, 71-61, a throng of Marple fans - who wouldn't stop screaming throughout the game's duration - emptied the stands and occupied space on the floor.

But it's not over yet. The No. 8 Tigers (11-12) have a huge test looming Saturday in the quarterfinals of the District One Class AAA tournament, in top-seeded Holy Ghost Prep.

Here's what those around Marple's program had to say about their upcoming opponent:
Head coach Gerry Doemling: "They know what's coming up. We'll be ready. We know how good Holy Ghost is, but we also know that when we're playing our best, we can play with anyone. Other than St. Joe's Prep, we've been in every game this year.

Senior forward Ryan Hanley: "We've just got to keep playing hard. We have Holy Ghost next. People were predicted us to play for the championship. We knew we'd have to play them at some point. Might as well get it out of the way.

Senior guard Soutiri Sapnas (pictured): "They're the next team on the schedule. It's as simple as that."

Sapnas might have seemed like a man of few words, but that's only because he doesn't usually talk about upcoming opponents. He lets his play do the talking. And against Harriton, Sapnas dropped in 36. He'll need another game like that Saturday if the Tigers expect to beat the Firebirds.