By Scott Huff
Selection Sunday was held to reveal the basketball brackets in the respective PIAA District One classes.Back in a day, those brackets were determined at meetings that often became heated with discussion on the merit of a particular team. League representatives were at those meetings to lobby for the best possible seedings for the teams within their league – hard feelings were not uncommon.
But that was back in a day, now the brackets are simply revealed as power point rankings have been developed by the powers to be. And although a team can be disappointed with its seed, there is no amount of debate that is going to change the final outcome.
The system is far from perfect – the biggest example being defending PIAA Quad-A District One Champion Penn Wood. The Patriots played a national schedule of games and finished the season with a modest record of 15-7. And when the computers crunched those numbers, Penn Wood was given a No. 11 seed. And to be honest, nobody wants to play Penn Wood – until the district final.
However, nobody insisted that Penn Wood play that powerful national schedule and put its seeding ‘at-risk’. And the battle tested Patriots must gladly accept their slot in the playoffs.
Rookie coaches gain District One Playoff berths
Upper Merion head coach Francis Bowe will take his Vikings into the PIAA District One Class AAA playoffs in his first year at the helm.
“To get a district home game in the playoffs in the first year of my program is a great feeling,” said Bowe as his Vikings earned the eighth seed in a 12-team field and will host Phoenixville next Wednesday (2/23/11). “District basketball is really our March Madness. Right now, we just don’t have the tools we need to compete for our (SOL American) conference championship.”
Upper Merion is one of two Class AAA schools that compete in seven-team conference – Upper Moreland is the other. The Vikings play five Quad-A schools in Plymouth Whitemarsh, Norristown, Cheltenham, Wissahickon, and Upper Dublin. And all of those teams qualified for the PIAA Quad-A district tournament.
“I am proud of the fact that we compete in the conference we compete in,” said Bowe. “Like I tell the players, there is no team in our (class) that plays a PW or a Norristown twice a year. And when you add Cheltenham, Wissahickon, and Upper Dublin – it is quite a schedule.”
Souderton head coach Dennis Stanton will take his Big Red into the PIAA District One Quad-A playoffs in his first year at the helm.
“My entire focus this year was about winning a (SOL Continental) conference championship,” said Stanton as the Indians (14-8, 9-5) finished in a tie for third place behind co-champion North Penn (18-4, 11-3) and Pennridge (17-5, 11-3). “But when I knew if weren’t going to win the championship, I went to (former Souderton head coach) Perry Engard and asked him how this whole district playoff thing worked.
“My background was in the Catholic League,” added Stanton who played his scholastic basketball at La Salle High School. “The players knew all about the playoffs, and we are excited to be in them.”
Souderton earned a No. 23 seed in the PIAA District One Quad-A playoffs and will travel on Friday (2/18/11) to play the No. 10 seed – Coatesville. The Red Raiders finished the season with an overall record of 17-5.
Central Bucks East head coach Erik Henerysen will take his Patriots into the PIAA District One Quad-A playoffs in his first year at the helm.
“When we found out we made the playoffs, we were both excited and relieved,” said Henrysen as East concluded its season at 11-11 but won just two of its last eight games. “We fizzled a bit at the end of the season, but the players still worked hard and earned the playoff spot.
“One of the things we talked about at the beginning of the season was to create a level of high expectations,” continued Henrysen. “And making the district playoffs was one of them.”
CB East will enter the tournament as the No. 28 seed in the District One Quad-A playoffs and will travel on Friday (2/18/11) to Suburban One League National Conference runner-up Neshaminy. The Redskins finished the season with an overall record of 17-5.
How did the SOL Quad-A teams compete with the other District One Playoff teams?
1. Council Rock North Indians – (#2 seed) – 8 wins – 0 losses
Wins over – Cheltenham; Bensalem (twice); Glen Mills; Neshaminy (twice); Central Bucks West; and Ridley.
2. Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials – (# 3 seed) – 8 wins – 1 loss
Wins over – Wissahickon (twice); Norristown (twice); Upper Dublin (twice); and Cheltenham (twice)
Losses to – Neshaminy.
3. Norristown Eagles – (# 7 seed) – 9 wins – 3 losses
Wins over – Coatesville; Wissahickon (twice); Conestoga; Methacton; Upper Dublin (twice); and Cheltenham (twice).
Losses to – Chester; Plymouth Whitmarsh (twice).
4. Pennridge Rams – (# 14 seed) – 7 wins – 3 losses
Wins over – Methacton; North Penn (twice); Central Bucks East (twice); Souderton; and Central Bucks West.
Losses to – Central Bucks West; Souderton; and Upper Dublin.
5. North Penn Knights (# 8 seed) – 9 wins – 4 losses
Wins over – Wissahickon; Central Bucks East (twice); Spring-Ford; Methacton; Central Bucks West; Souderton (twice); and Perkiomen Valley.
Losses to – Pennridge (twice); Bensalem; and Central Bucks West.
6. Bensalem Owls – (# 9 seed) – 5 wins – 3 losses
Wins over – Lower Merion; Glen Mills; Neshaminy; Strath-Haven; and North Penn.
Losses to – Council Rock North (twice); Neshaminy.
7. Souderton Indians – (# 23 seed) – 5 wins – 6 losses
Wins over – Central Bucks West (twice); Ridley; Perkiomen Valley; and Pennridge.
Losses to – Cheltenham; Methacton; Pennridge; North Penn (twice); Central Bucks East.
8. Wissahickon Trojans – (#15 seed) – 5 wins – 7 losses
Wins over – Central Bucks East (twice); Cheltenham (twice); and Upper Dublin.
Losses to – Ridley; North Penn; Plymouth Whitemarsh (twice); Norristown (twice); and Upper Dublin.
9. Cheltenham Panthers – (# 16 seed) – 4 wins – 8 losses
Wins over – Souderton; Upper Dublin (twice); and Coatesville.
Losses to – Council Rock North; Plymouth Whitemarsh (twice); Norristown (twice); Glen Mills; Wissahickon (twice).
10. Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals – (# 25 seed) – 4 wins – 8 losses
Wins over – Perkiomen Valley; Methacton; Wissahickon; and Pennridge.
Losses to – Cheltenham (twice); Upper Darby; Plymouth Whitemarsh (twice); Norristown (twice); and Wissahickon.
11. Neshaminy Redskins (# 5 seed) – 2 wins – 4 losses
Wins over – Plymouth Whitemarh and Bensalem.
Losses to – Penn Wood; Bensalem; and Council Rock North (twice).
12. Central Bucks West (# 21 seed) – 3 wins – 7 losses
Wins over – Pennridge; North Penn; and Central Bucks East.
Losses to – Souderton (twice); North Penn; Central Bucks East; Council Rock North; Methacton; Pennridge.
13. Central Bucks East (# 28 seed) – 3 wins – 10 losses
Wins over – Central Bucks West; Spring-Ford; and Souderton.
Losses to – Upper Dublin; North Penn (twice); Pennridge (twice); Perkiomen Valley; Wissahickon (twice); Souderton; and Central Bucks West.
PIAA District One Quad-A Playoffs for SOL Teams
All Games to be played Friday – February 18, 2011
No. 17 - Springfield (D) (15-7) @ No. 16 - Cheltenham (14-8) – 7:30 pm*
No. 25 - Upper Dublin (11-11) @ No. 8 - North Penn (18-4) – 7 pm
No. 24 – Strath Haven (14-8) @ No. 9 Bensalem (17-5) – 7 pm
No. 28 – Central Bucks East (11-11) @ No. 5 – Neshaminy (18-4) – 7 pm
No. 21- Central Bucks West (14-8) @ No. 12 - Glen Mills (15-7) – 7 pm
No. 31 – Great Valley (11-11) @ No. 2 – Council Rock North (21-1) – 7:30 pm*
No. 18 – Spring-Ford (15-7) @ No. 15 – Wissahickon (13-8) – 7 pm
No. 26 – Ridley (12-10) @ No. 7 – Norristown (18-3) – 7 pm
No. 23 – Souderton (14-8) @ No. 10 – Coatesville (16-6) – 7 pm
No. 30 – Interboro (11-9) @ No. 3 – PlymouthWhitemarsh (18-4) – 7 pm
No. 19 – West Chester Henderson (15-6) @ No. 14 – Pennridge (17-5) – 7 pm
Suburban One Sports.com *******Super Seven*******
(1) Council Rock North Indians (21-1)
(2) Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials (18-4)
(3) Neshaminy Redskins (17-4)
(4) Norristown Eagles (18-3)
(5) Bensalem Owls (17-5)
(6) Pennridge Rams (17-5)
(7) North Penn Knights (18-4)
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