Matt Aukamp, Communitarian Staff Writer

The DCCC Phantoms charge back onto the court as the 2022-23 Men’s Basketball season kicks off this month. The team lost their first game on Nov. 8 against Camden Community College 75-51.The team plays Lehigh Carbon on Saturday.

Dr. Darius Gilbert is leading the team in his first year as head coach after the sudden and tragic passing of coach Larry Yarbray Sr. in September. Dr. Gilbert served as the assistant coach under Coach Yarbray for five years prior.

The team itself is made up largely of first-time college-level players, except for Jihad Clinkscales, Daeshon Green, and Foday Wagay, all returning from last year’s roster.

Having lost their first game, the Phantoms hope to bounce back on Saturday as they face the Lehigh Carbon Cougars at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Schnecksville. After that, they face Thaddeus Stevens College on Nov. 15. The first home game against Delaware Tech on Nov. 17 at the FiDonce Player Development gym, at 215 East 21st Street in Chester.

Dwayne Saunders, assistant athletic director at DCCC, is hopeful for the upcoming season. “It’s too early to tell what they will do,” he said, “But there’s some good pieces. For a first-time head coach and a team playing at college level for the first time, I think they’re headed in the right direction.”

Saunders views the academic and athletic communities as part of a larger family, adding, “We support our community to get support in return.” He encourages people to come out to the games, saying a supportive crowd is “what makes student athletes go.”

            Fans hoping to cheer the team on can catch a home game PA 19013