Delaware County Community College Men’s Basketball Team Begins Season 11/9
(Delaware and Chester Counties, PA - October 24, 2023)—They may compete in one of the toughest intercollegiate regions in the country, but Delaware County Community College men’s basketball head coach Dwayne Saunders feels confident that his 2023-2024 squad has what it takes to go far this season.
The DCCC Phantoms men’s basketball team features several former local high school stars—Sadiq Fountain of Penn Wood High School, Chase Johnson of Owen J. Roberts High School, Malik Cook-Stephens Chester Charter Scholars Academy and Eric McKee of Marple Newtown High School. A returning player who will play an integral part on the team is Neville Wilkinson of Upper Darby High School.
As head coach, Delaware County native Saunders returns to a role he held from 2010-2013, when he posted a 55-22 overall win-loss record and the team won the 2011-2012 Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference (EPCC) Championship. Named EPCC Coach of the Year that season, Saunders led the team to a 24-2 mark and the College’s first EPCC title since 1996.
Saunders says he has high hopes for his current roster. “This is a highly committed group of student-athletes, and I’m excited about their potential.”
The DCCC Phantoms will compete in Eastern Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Region 19, which is made up of 26 teams from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. It is considered one of the most competitive regions in the nation at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III level.
Chester, Pa. native Saunders returned to the College last fall as the assistant director of athletics after a five-year stint at Elizabeth City State University, where he was director of recreation and wellness and coached men’s basketball for two seasons.
The Phantoms’ home games will be played at FiDonce Gymnasium, site of the former St. James High School, at 215 E 21st St, Chester, PA 19013. It’s less than 20 minutes from the College’s Marple Campus in Media, and Saunders encourages fans to come out and support the players. The team will open its season with a scrimmage on 10/26 at 8 p.m. at Immaculata University in Malvern. For more info, visit DCCCPhantoms.com.
Delaware County Community College’s intercollegiate athletics programs offer outstanding opportunities for competitive student-athletes to build their academic and athletic careers. Last spring, DCCC student-athlete Tre McCray, a 2022 Upper Darby High School graduate, qualified for the 2023 National Junior College Athletic Association DIII Outdoor National Track and Field Championships and earned multiple Eastern Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week honors. The College’s athletic director is Allyson Gleason.
