Chester survives Norristown's late rally to win state basketball crown

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Once again, Chester High reigns in PIAA Class AAAA boys' basketball.

The Clippers escaped with an 81-77 win over Norristown in last night's all-District 1 state championship game in front of a crowd of 5,479 at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center.

After the game, coach Fred Pickett announced that he was retiring. Pickett has been Chester's coach for 13 seasons and has a 331-80 record, with three state championships as a head coach.

The state title was Chester's fifth in Class AAAA and sixth overall. The Clippers (33-1) won the Class AAA championship in 1983. The PIAA switched to four classifications the following season. Chester claimed its other Class AAAA crowns in 1989, 1994, 2000 and 2005.

The Clippers also finished the season with 24 consecutive wins. They had lost last year's championship to Schenley.

Norristown (32-2) was in its first championship game since 1976, and its fifth overall. The Eagles won the Class AAA title in 1948 and were runners-up in 1962, 1971 and 1976.

Yesterday's setback marked the second time this year they had lost to Chester. The Clippers, ranked third nationally by USA Today, also beat Norristown, 61-47, in the district final. That game was closer than the score indicated.

Thus, many expected a much-improved Norristown squad to provide stiff competition in the final.

For a while, it appeared as if those critics were wrong.

Chester led for most of the game, and had a 21-point cushion midway through the third quarter.

But as they have all season, the Eagles battled back and had an opportunity to win.

Norristown pulled within two points (75-73) on a three-pointer by Khalif Wyatt with 1 minute, 15 seconds remaining. Then James Ramsey's three-point play pulled the Eagles within 77-76 with 27.5 seconds left.

Unfortunately for Norristown, that was the closest it got.

Karon Burton and Kevin Green-Germany combined to hit four foul shots in the closing 26 seconds to clinch the win. Green-Germany's free throws came with nine seconds left.

After Wyatt misfired on a three-pointer at the buzzer, the Clippers' celebration began.

It was only fitting that Burton helped clinch the game. When he wasn't talking to Chester's crowd, the senior was zipping past Norristown defenders. The 5-foot-8 point guard finished with a team-high 24 points, seven assists and two steals.

Russell Johnson, a 6-foot-6 senior forward, had 18 points, 12 rebounds and a blocked shot. Robinson, a 6-5 senior forward, finished with 14 points, 15 rebounds and five assists, Green-Germany, a senior guard, had 11 points.

Norristown's Wyatt finished with a game-high 28 points with 19 coming in the fourth quarter. The junior guard hit six three-pointers during the game.

Norristown 8 12 23 34 - 77

Chester 18 17 24 22 - 81

N: James Ramsay 10, Quentin Watson 6, Sheldon Mayer 2, Russell Graham 7, Khalif Wyatt 28, Maurice Briggs 18, Jared Smart 2, Vonte Shippen 4.

C: Rahlir Jefferson 8, Russell Johnson 18, Nasir Robinson 14, Karon Burton 24, Kevin Green-Germany 11, Brandon Robinson 4, Mark Collins 2.