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Crime & Safety

The Hero Scholarship All-Star Basketball Game Is Back

The game aids fallen police and EMT workers.

It came as kind of a whim to Bob Adams while he was refereeing a high school game at Springfield. When not officiating high school games, Adams’ real job is as the Collingdale Police chief. He knows the dangers and perils involved with law enforcement, and he has a very strong connection to area basketball.
 
So, Adams thought, why not put the two together for a good, worthy cause. The Hero Scholarship Fund, which benefits the families of law enforcement and emergency medical technicians that have fallen in the line of duty, has a long standing high school all-star football game in Delaware County each June called the Hero Bowl.
 
Adams felt a void could be filled in the spring, taking advantage of the rich, deep talent pool of the Delaware County region in basketball to hold an all-star basketball game that does the same thing. Adams took exhaustive measures to produce the first annual Delaware County Hero Scholarship All Star Basketball Game last year.
 
It was such a success, Adams will once again be putting on the game, Friday night, April 1 at Cardinal O’Hara High School. The girls-boys doubleheader will feature the best high school seniors in the area, starting with the girls’ game at 6:30 p.m. followed by the boys game at 8:30.
 
All proceeds go to the Hero Scholarship Fund. Adams’ goal of 1,000 fans and $5,000 raised in the first year fell just short, as the event garnered $4,000 and drew 700 fans for both games.
 
It was a great start to something that seems to be growing.
 
“It’s amazing the people are calling and wanting to get involved,” Adams said. “I was reffing a summer league at Strath Haven and their athletic director grabbed me and asked if they could possibly have the game there in the future. What we’re missing and in need of is a financial sponsor. Premier Orthopedic Incorporated will supply the warm-up jerseys for all the players, and that’s important, and the number of players and coaches that want to get involved has really grown. I like what’s happened, and it can only get bigger.”
 
College coaches have inquired about the event, which will also serve as a showcase for standout seniors like Penn Wood’s 6-foot-8 Darian Barnes, who is still uncommitted to a school.
 
“We did need something like this,” Adams said. “I was told that they had something years ago in Delaware County between the Catholic and public school all-stars, but no one remembers that game. It only lasted a couple of years and it went away. We’d like to keep this up. Some schools last year were understandably apprehensive, because they didn’t know what it was about. Now they all want to be involved. The goal is to run with it as long as I can.”
 
2011 All Star Basketball Lineup

BOYS
Boys East Squad    (Red)
Head Coach: Larry Yarbray    Chester High School
 
Jay Donovan          Archbishop Carroll
Kyle Miller             Sun Valley
Casey Burke          Chichester
Kadeem Coates     Glen Mills
Longji Yilzep          Westtown
Jordan Tucker       Academy Park
Darian Barnes       Penn Wood
Ryan Bailey          Interboro
Darren Brooks       Delco Christian
Sean Mayo           O’Hara
Scott Slade           Bonner
 
Boys West Squad (Blue)
Head Coach: Kevin McCormick     Springfield High School
 
Eric Falasco            Haverford High School
Andrew Acker          Haverford School
Ryan Everly            Marple Newtown
Alex Jones             Garnet Valley
Tom Manning          Ridley
Zack DeVito           Springfield  
Adam Washington Springfield
Ian Campbell          Penncrest
Christian Martin       Strath Haven
Kyle Gibson           Christian Academy
Daron Harris           Upper Darby
Darren Johnson      Upper Darby
Peter Wallace         Radnor
 
GIRLS
Girls East Squad (Red)
Head Coach: Mary Beth McNichol      Notre Dame Academy
 
Amanda Censulla         Archbishop Carroll
Colleen Ollinger           Notre Dame Academy
Erika Ferro                   Notre Dame Academy
Jess Rotella                 Archbishop Prendergast
Brittany Merkle          Archbishop Prendergast
Tara Turberg                Chichester
Lia Di Sciascio             Cardinal O’Hara
Mercedes Vaughn         Academy Park
Lydia Peterson             Penn Wood
Shawna Nelling            Interboro
 
Girls  West Squad  (Blue)
Head Coach: Shana Foody  Strath Haven
 
Natalie Di Cocco           Merion Mercy
Charlotte Beebe            Penncrest
Kelsi Chazin                  Springfield
Kelsey Lynn Yori           Ridley
Devon Miller                  Marple Newtown
Chelci Asbury                Haverford
Jamie Henry                  Strath Haven
Gina Powers                  Strath Haven
Chandler Lally               Radnor
Alaina Bradley              Garnet Valley
Rudee Abello                Upper Darby
 
Girls Varsity Game Officials  
Loretta Pawlowski
(Wife of Retired State Police Commissioner)
College and Varsity Basketball Official
 
Christine McCafferty
Federal Judiciary Member
College and Varsity Basketball Official
 
Robert Frazier  
Ridley Park Police Officer
College and Varsity Basketball Official
 
Boys Varsity Game Officials
Robert Tinsley
Chief of Police Sharon Hill Police Department
College and Varsity Basketball Official
 
William Ciavarelli
Captain North Wildwood Beach Patrol
College and Varsity Basketball Official
 
John Grimes
Retired Police Sergeant
Upper Darby Twp Police Department
Varsity Basketball Official
 
Official Book Keeper
William Tobin
Upper Darby Twp Police Department
 
Official Clock Keeper
Craig McKinley
High School Basketball Official
 
MVP Selection Committee
James “ Butch” Disher
Woman’s Division I Basketball Official
Michael Pearson
NBA D League Basketball Official
College and Varsity Basketball Official
 
For more information, contact Chief Robert Adams at the Collingdale police station at 610-586-0502 or chiefadams6501@hotmail.com. Find them on Facebook under Delaware County Hero Scholarship All Star Basketball Game.

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