Chester, Lower Merion play for District 1 title in front of packed house in nail-biter game
LOWER MERION TWP., Pa. - A battle on the hardwood Tuesday night in the District 1 basketball tournament with two powerhouses facing off – Chester High School and Lower Merion.
The air was thick with excitement as a sold-out crowd at Kobe Bryant Gymnasium was revved up.
Both teams with winning records came out strong showing what they’ve got.
Ronny Aroshas, of Lower Merion, was feeling confident. "Kobe, may he rest in peace. This is his legacy. We're continuing his legacy."
The bleachers were filled with folks showing their community pride.
Nicole Aroshas was excited for the big matchup. "All our kids have been here. I have another one coming in the fall. This is our school. This is our team. This is our town. We love it."
Chester High School basketball team gears up for highly-anticipated playoff game against Lower Merion
Chester High School basketball players are gearing up for yet another D1 tournament ahead their highly anticipated showdown against Lower Merion at the Kobe Bryant Gym Tuesday.
Dr. Joyce Wells cheered on her great nephew, Chester High’s number 2, Dallas Thompson. She grew up in Chester and taught in Chester. "We love our students. We love that this is their opportunity to shine and they shine and we are so proud of them. So it a big moment for us."
Hunter Hawkins showed support for his little brother, Lower Merion’s number 4, John Mobley. Hawkins explained, "Number one reason I'm here. I want to see history. They're gonna be the first team since 1996, since Kobe's team, if they go undefeated all the way to this point. So I'm here to watch history like everybody else is here to do."
James Howard, of Chester, wouldn’t miss the game for the world. "Been a great history. Tradition since the ‘90’s. Everybody knows to get to District 1 title, you're gonna see either Chester or Lower Merion."
The game tied in the final minutes, but Lower Merion came out on top 54 to 48.
A Chester fan, Tomir Logan, said, "It was a good game. Tough one. I wish we would have come up with a win. We’ll get ‘em next time."
Lower Merion fan, Jaquan Johnson, stated, "Lower Merion is so well coached. It’s hard to stop that. But, it was a great game to watch."