<body><div>__Keith Taylor can feel something special brewing.Entering his 10th year as head coach of the Chester boys basketball program, Taylor has a core that’s played a lot of basketball together.And it’s showing.“They’ve been playing together since they were young, and they’re sharing it,” Taylor told CoBL at an event last month. “That’s rare. They’re sharing the ball with each other, making the right plays, right now. Hopefully that continues during the season.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3r13VN_1GzWhwTO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3r13VN_1GzWhwTO00" width="550" height="321" ></figure>The Clippers graduated a large senior class from last season’s 16-9 campaign and saw 2028 guard Jay’son Demby transfer to The Carroll School in Massachusetts, but an experienced junior core is ready to lead the way.Guard Myon Dale (6-0) was the only senior running with the Clippers this offseason and preseason. He is one of the group's leaders along with junior guards Zahir Clayton (6-1) and Ramee Davis Jr. (6-3), who are in their third season at the varsity level together.Also back from that seasoned junior class are Jasiyn "Bubb" Mallory-Granberry (6-0) and bruising forward Khymir Brown (6-4). “Play the right way, that’s it,” Davis Jr. said of the team’s outlook. “We’ve gotta be leaders on the court. We all know each other, like brothers, biddy leagues and all that. Me, Zah and Myon, we’ve gotta be the leaders on the team.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0EAm8z_1GzWhwTO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0EAm8z_1GzWhwTO00" width="550" height="292" ></figure>The Clippers are hoping to maintain their status as the class of the Del-Val league this season as they’ve won eight of the last nine league titles and carry a 24-game league winning streak into the 2026-27 campaign.Outside of the league, however, they believe they are flying under the radar.Chester is two years removed from its most recent run to the state playoffs. The Clippers lost in the first round of districts to Downingtown West in 2024-25. Last season, they took out Wissahickon in the first round before running into eventual district runner-up Coatesville in the second round. A playback defeat against Conestoga ended their season one-win shy of a state playoff berth.“We’ve got a lot to prove this year,” Dale said. “There’s a lot of doubts on us, all that. But we’ve gotta fight, and we’ve shown this summer that we can handle a lot of experiences.”After an early district exit two years ago, four postseason games last season gave this year’s group lessons to pull from as well.“Play the same way, don’t fall off the page and keep hooping, keep fighting until the clock hits 0,0 in the fourth quarter,” Clayton said he found out were the keys to playoff hoops.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0cTzEn_1GzWhwTO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0cTzEn_1GzWhwTO00" width="550" height="323" ></figure>The Clippers were a balanced group a season ago with a number of different players finding a multitude of ways to fill up the stat sheet and impact the final score. They’d like to keep that balance this season.Davis Jr., a 6-3 guard/ wing, may be the most talented scorer of the bunch with an efficient offensive game that includes a deadly catch-and-shoot jumper along with the ability to drive to the basket. Clayton is an experienced ball handler and table setter with Davis and Mallory-Granberry capable of making plays and getting their own as well. Brown is a force who plays bigger than his size. Mallory-Granberry’s younger brother Jasii, a sophomore guard, is one of the new faces to look for this season. “I love seeing the maturity of the guys,” Taylor said. “See them get better each year as we go along, trying to instill in their head you can’t just worry about the offensive end. You’ve gotta worry about the defensive end, and that’s what’s going to help us win games.”Taylor’s leaders like what they’ve seen as well and are excited to set the tone. Dale said the group’s fight and energy are two qualities that standout to him about this year’s Chester team. Clayton noted having patience will be key as the core group of returners bring along some newcomers and others stepping into larger roles.If they continue to play hard and unselfish basketball and grow together, the Clippers believe they’ll be ready to make some noise when the postseason rolls around this winter.“We’re going to surprise a lot of people,” Taylor said. “It’s not going to be a surprise to us. We know what they can do. As they mature more and continue to play, we’re going to be alright.</div></body>

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Keith Taylor can feel something special brewing. Entering his 10th year as head coach of the Chester boys basketball program, Taylor has a core that’s played a lot of basketball together. And it’s showing. “They’ve been playing together since they were young, and they’re sharing it,” Taylor told...

Prepping for Preps '26-27: Chester (Boys)

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Keith Taylor can feel something special brewing. Entering his 10th year as head coach of the Chester boys basketball program, Taylor has a core that’s play

Prepping for Preps '26-27: Chester (Boys)

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