Sports
Hero Scholarship All-Star Basketball Game Is Back
The game that aids fallen police and EMT workers was a raging success last year.
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 Delaware County Hero Scholarship All-Star Basketball Game last year.
It was such a raging 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, please contact Chief Robert Adams at the Collingdale police station at 610-586-0502 or chiefadams6501@hotmail.com. Facebook page Delaware County Hero Scholarship All-Star Basketball Game.