Giddings a positive force for Del Val

IN A PERFECT high school basketball world, the older guys lead their younger counterparts, everyone gets along and the team remains in tact.

But at Delaware Valley Charter this season . . .

That guy transferred. These guys were banished. And a couple more walked/stormed out of the gym.

Luckily for coach Jason Harrigan and the other remaining players, DaShon Giddings did not allow himself to be sidetracked by the negativity. That's not how he rolls and everyone is eternally grateful.

Despite the deadwood, D-V is still alive in the PIAA Class AA state playoffs and Giddings is prominent among the reasons.

Saturday at La Salle High, the 6-3, 175-pound sophomore, a wing guard and small forward, collected 26 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and five blocked shots as the Warriors edged Conwell-Egan, 63-59, in a first- round game.

He was downright spectacular in the second half, notching 18 points, 10 boards, both dishes and three rejections.

"I made some big plays," Giddings said. "But my teammates were always helping me."

What a concept, eh?

In maybe a five-minute interview, Giddings made several similar comments. This young man appears to truly get it, and he remains perplexed about the assorted goings-on.

"Just when you think you have good team chemistry, you have some guys leaving and other ones coming in," he said. "It's frustrating. As hard as it is, you have to adjust.

"All you can do is keep working hard and try to have chemistry with the guys who are still around."

When the season began, Giddings was one of four sophs on D-V's roster . . . Not that anyone noticed.

"In the first three games, I didn't even get off the bench," he said, smiling. "It feels pretty good to know I went from not playing at all to being a starter. I always had the same attitude: Try to be the hardest worker in the gym and never be selfish. Those are qualities I always want to have."

Giddings notched his points by shooting 10-for-15 from the floor and 6-for-9 at the line, and was particularly effective down the stretch.

His two free throws broke the game's last tie, at 54-54, and he then broke free for a bucket off a pass from Clayton "C.J." Wolfe.

Also, with 4.4 seconds remaining, Giddings grabbed the rebound and hit the first of two free throws to provide the final margin after frosh Stevie Jordan had close-but-no-cigared a trey from a shade to the left of straight-on.

"I was in the paint for the shot," Giddings said. "Looking at it going through the air, I thought it had a chance to go in. I was glad it didn't.

"After missing that one-and-one [shortly beforehand], I really had to concentrate at the line. Take my time. Follow through."

Giddings' point help came mostly from Michael Human, who nailed three treys en route to 16. Darius Wallace and Hassan Young halved 12 rebounds while Wolfe mixed three assists and four steals with eight points.

For C-E, which continues to own just one postseason win in 50 years of Catholic League membership (a semifinal triumph in 1964), frosh LaPri Pace (17) and soph Sean Kelly (10) scored in double figures, Pace claimed six rebounds and senior point guard Ryan Pepito, the school president and possibly Princeton bound, notched three assists. The Eagles helped their cause by nailing 10 triples.

Giddings, who lives near 66th and Ogontz, in West Oak Lane, is still polishing his skills.

"If my jumper's falling, I'll take it," he said. "If not, I'll take it to the rack and at least try to draw fouls if I can't get the bucket. Until my jumper comes back."

As for those players who disappeared, never to return . . .

"You wonder," Giddings said, "What makes guys do the things they do?"

Indeed.

Also at La Salle

In AAAA, Roman Catholic never recovered from a 28-18 first quarter and fell to Norristown, 79-66. Shep Garner managed 18 points and five assists while Rashann London mixed eight rebounds with 13 points. District 12 squads compiled a 13-2 record in first round games, lifting their mark over the last four seasons to 44-13 (.772). In nine seasons total, D-12 is 70-34 (.673) in first-rounders.