The Hero Scholarship All-Star Basketball Game Is Back

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 p.m.
 
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."

Several students in our local Marple Newtown Patch area made it on to the all-star basketball game. Look out for Ryan Everly and Devon Miller of and Darren Brooks of ,

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

Women’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.