Check out the PIAA preview video featuring former Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla and Bucks County Courier Times basketball beat writer Kevin Cooney by clicking on the following link:
By Scott Huff The computer that crunched the numbers for the power rankings in District One did its job very well, thank you, as the nine teams from the district advanced to the PIAA Quad-A state tournament.
Chester – seeded # 1 – won the district title.
Council Rock North – seeded # 2 – lost in the district final and finished second in the field.
Plymouth Whitemarsh – seeded # 3 – won a consolation playback and finished third in the field.
Neshaminy – seeded # 5 – lost to PW and finished fourth in the field.
West Chester Rustin – seeded # 6 – won a consolation playback and finished fifth in the field.
Lower Merion – seeded # 13 – lost to West Chester Rustin and finished sixth in the field.
Norristown – seeded # 7 – won a consolation game to finish seventh in the field.
Bensalem – seeded # 9 – lost to Norristown and finished eighth in the field.
Penn Wood – seeded # 11 – played back with three wins to finish ninth in the field.
MaXpreps.com is a website that has scholastic basketball rankings on both the national and state levels. As a point of interest, I listed the MaXprep state rankings for each of the Suburban One League teams in the opening round of the state playoffs.
PIAA Quad-A State Tournament
First Round Games
Saturday – March 12, 2011
[1-2] Council Rock North Indians (25-2) vs. [3-6] Chambersburg Trojans (19-7)
@ Council Rock South High School – 4:30 pm
Road to the state playoffs:
Council Rock Northreached the PIAA Quad-A District One Finals and lost to # 1 seeded Chester – 66-43 – at the Pavilion on the campus of Villanova University. The Indians defeated Norristown in double overtime – 56-55 – to advance to the title game. Rock North opened District One play with a 43-28 win over Great Valley and followed with a 50-44 victory over Wissahickon.
Chambersburg lost to Central Dauphin by a 60-49 score in the fifth/sixth place consolation game in the PIAA Quad-A District Three playoffs. The Trojans – who have won 11 of their last 13 games – defeated Dallastown 70-62 to open the playoffs and followed with a 66-61 loss to William Penn.
MaXprep State Rankings:
Council Rock North – 15.
Chambersburg – 65.
Players To Watch:
Council Rock North: Aaron Morgan, Arron Goodman, John Raymon, Charlie Anastasi, and Jordan Chernin.
Chambersburg: Kayone Teal, Skyler Roman, Kyle Patterson, Gabe Carson-Riveria, and Andrew Plank
Head coach Derek Wright says: “Chambersbug plays in one of the best conferences in the state in the Mid-Penn Conference. They have some good shooting guards and run a very patient offense. They also like to mix things up on defense. I think the loss to Chester in the district final is behind us, and I am sure that we are going to learn things from that loss. Playing the game at Council Rock South sure is nothing to complain about. The kids are excited about this chance to play in a state playoff.”
Prediction:
Council Rock North will put that loss to Chester in the rearview mirror and assert themselves as one of the teams in the state that can compete for a state championship. Plymouth Whitemarsh provides the Indians with the blueprint on how to win a state title without winning a district title – the Colonials did it just last season. Aaron Morgan continues to impress everyone who watches Rock North, and as long as he is on the floor, the Indians are tough to beat. The Trojans come into the game with a balanced scoring offense and a hard-nosed defense. Council Rock North 58 – Chambersburg 48.
Winner Moves On To:
The winner of the CR North-Chambersburg game will play the winner of the [11-2] Liberty (22-6) vs. [12-3] Roman Catholic (17-8) game. The second round game will be played on Wednesday – March 16, 2011 @ a site to be determined.
[1-3] Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials (22-6) vs. [3-5] Central Dauphin Rams (20-6)
@ Norristown Area High School – 3 pm
Road To The State Playoff:
Plymouth Whitemarsh reached the semifinal of the PIAA Quad-A District One playoffs with wins over Interboro (72-48), Pennridge (50-27), and West Chester Rustin (67-61). The Colonials lost their semifinal game to # 2 seed Council Rock North – 58-50. Plymouth Whitemarsh rebounded with a 67-61 win over Neshaminy in the three/four game to earn the # 3 seed in the state playoffs.
Central Dauphin won its last game in the PIAA Quad-A District Three playoffs with a 60-40 win over Chambersburg in the five/six consolation game. The Rams opened district play with a 55-48 win over Harrisburg but lost to Reading 64-50 in the second round. Central Daulphin then swept both Lebanon and Chambersburg to reach states.
MaXpreps State Ranking:
Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials – 5.
Central Dauphin Rams – 44.
Players To Watch:
Plymouth Whitemarsh: Jaylen Bond, Marcus Badger, Sam Pygatt, Stephon Baker, and Brandon Johnson.
Central Dauphin: Devin Thomas, Nick Steefeldt, Nick Laird, Brian Laird, and Brandon Lavia.
Head coach Jim Donofrio says: “They have a 6-foot, 8-inch player in Devin Thomas that runs the floor real well and is a presence on defense. They run an inside/out game with him to get some open looks from the outside. We cannot allow them to play to their strength. We need to play with energy the entire game. I like where we are right now.”
Prediction:
Plymouth Whitemash has prepared all season for games like these, and the Colonials are still the defending PIAA Quad-A state champions. The size and talent of CD’s Thomas will be more than matched by the PW’s gifted 6-foot, 7-inch Jaylen Bond. The Rams win games by scoring in the 60’s – good luck with that against the Colonials. Plymouth Whitemarsh – 73 – Central Dauphin 57.
Winner Moves On To:
The winner of the Plymouth Whitemarsh-Central Dauphin game will play the winner of the [12-1] Frankford (19-6) vs. [1-8] Bensalem (19-8) game. The second round game will be played on Wednesday – March 16, 2011 @ a site to be determined.
[1-4] Neshaminy Redskins (20-6) vs. [11-3] Pottsville Crimson Tide (24-2)
@ Council Rock South High School – 3 pm
Road To The State Playoffs:
Neshaminy finished its trip through the PIAA Quad-A District One playoffs as the number four seed in the district. The Skins opened their trek with a 55-43 win over Central Bucks East and followed with a 60-36 victory over Glen Mills. Neshaminy advanced to the district semifinal game with a 64-61 win over Lower Merion. The Redskins closed with a pair of district losses to settle for the fourth seed. Neshaminy lost to # 1 seed Chester in its semifinal game – 77-67 – and followed with a 67-61 loss to Plymouth Whitemarsh in the three/four game.
Pottsville –which earned a bye in the first round of district play -lost in the District 11 semifinal game to Liberty High School 41-30. The Crimson Tide collected a 59-53 victory over Pocono Mountain West in the three/four consolation game.
MaXpreps State Rankings:
Neshaminy – 19.
Pottsville – 37.
Players To Watch:
Neshaminy: Ryan Arcidiacono, Michael McGarry, Tyler Katz, Dwight Williams, Dave Baron.
Pottsville: Nick Schlitzer, Bobby Schappel, Brandon Bridy, Casey Guers, and Jacob Tobin.
Neshaminy head coach Jerry Devine says: “We have seen four films on them, and they are very physical and love to play a halfcourt game. They want to be very patient on offense and try to wear you down. The key for us is to pressure them 94 feet and make them play fast. (Nick) Schlitzer is a good player that is going to Philadelphia University, and we are going to have to be aware of him. We aren’t going to be happy just with getting to states, we want to make a run.”
Prediction:
Neshaminy lost its final two games in the District One tournament – and that streak will end with a first round win over Pottsville. The ‘visiting’ Crimson Tide – the game remember is at nearby CR South – does not appear to have the firepower to stop the ‘Running Redskins’ led by junior guard Ryan Arcidiacono. Neshaminy – like Plymouth Whitemarsh and Council Rock North – played good teams out of the Suburban One League and will not be intimidated by the big stage. Neshaminy – 62 – Pottsville 50.
Winner Moves On To:
The winner of the Neshaminy-Pottsville game will play the winner of the [3-1] York (27-2) vs. [1-9] Penn Wood (20-8) game. The second round game will be played on Wednesday – March 16, 2011 @ a site to be determined.
[1-7] Norristown Eagles (21-5) vs. [11-1] William Allen Canaries (22-4)
@ Parkland High School – 6 pm
Road To The State Playoffs:
Norristown earned its PIAA Quad-A state playoff invitation with wins over Ridley (47-41) in the first round and followed with a second round win over Coatesville (67-62). The Eagles then lost to both Council Rock North (56-55 in double overtime) and West Chester Rustin (57-50) in the next two rounds of district play. Norristown defeated Bensalem – 48-34 – in the seven/eight consolation game.
William Allen won the District 11 with a 45-35 victory over Liberty. The Canaries won a 48-36 game against Easton in the first round and followed with a 59-49 victory over Pocono Mountain West.
MaXpreps State Rankings:
Norristown – 21.
William Allen – 10.
Players To Watch:
Norristown: Aaron Webb, Maleek Williams, Rasheed Johnson, Jahquan Hargrove, and Tyreese White.
William Allen: Jalen Cannon, DJ Brown, Brandon Harrington, Robert Rodriguez, and Daquan Holiday.
Norristown head coach Michael Evans says: “William Allen has a very nice team that likes to play in the halfcourt. They have an excellent player in (6-foot, 6-inch) Jalen Cannon who is very athletic and will be a tough match for us. We feel that if we can do what we do – pressure the ball and speed up the tempo – we like our chances. We have been struggling shooting the ball, though, and if that doesn’t change, we will be in trouble.”
Prediction:
Norristown – as the # 7 seed from District One – may have actually gotten a tougher spot in the state bracket by having to play a Lehigh Valley District Three champion in the Lehigh Valley. # 8 Bensalem also faces a district champion in Frankford (District 12), but most observers feel that William Allen is a tougher draw than Frankford. The Parkland venue is going to be a difficult one for the Eagles, but somehow I think the Eagles will shoot their way to the next round in an upset. Norristown 55 – William Allen 53.
Winner Moves On To:
The winner of the Norristown-William Allen game will play the winner of the [12-2] La Salle (19-5) vs. [3-4] Reading (23-6) game. The second round game will be played on Wednesday – March 16, 2011 @ a site to be determined.
[1-8] Bensalem Owls (19-8) vs. [12-1] Frankford (19-6)
@ South Philadelphia High School – 3 pm
Road To The State Playoff:
Bensalem earned its first PIAA state playoff invitation with a pair of wins in the first two District One rounds. The Owls defeated Strath Haven (53-37) and North Penn (36-33) – teams that the Owls had beaten earlier in the season. The Owls then proceeded to struggle in winning through the remainder of the district tournament with setbacks to Chester (67-39), Lower Merion (45-44), and Norristown (48-34).
Frankford captured the PIAA Quad-A District 12 championship with a 48-46 victory over La Salle. The Pioneers began the district run with a 76-57 win over Constitution and followed with a 68-63 victory over Bartram. Frankford has won seven of its last nine game.
MaXpreps State Rankings:
Bensalem - 62.
Frankford - 89.
Players To Watch:
Bensalem: Calvin Brown, Leo Vincent, Chris McMullin, Alex Agyedu, and Austin Nyekan.
Frankford: Keith Washington, Omar Askia, Imire Taylor, Taylor Bessick, and Keith Lawson.
Bensalem head coach John Mullin says: “We are coming into the tournament with three straight losses, but I told the players that the score going in that first game is 0-0 and anyone can beat anyone else. Our goal this year was to make states – we did that – now we have to prepare to win there. Frankford has some size and are very athletic. They scored 92 points one game – we can barely score 92 points in two games. We have to play our game – rebound the ball and play defense.”
Prediction:
Bensalem has lost its last three games in district play – but the streak will end here in the opening round of the state playoffs. The Owls got a somewhat favorable draw in the Frankford – but all teams in the state tournament are excellent, and Bensalem will have to play its best game if it wants to advance. Why not have all of the Suburban One League teams advance? Bensalem 46 – Frankford 42
.
Winner Moves On To:
The winner of the Bensalem-Frankford game will play the winner of the [1-3] Plymouth Whitemarsh vs. [3-5] Central Dauphin (20-6) game. That game will be played on Wednesday (3/16/11) @ a site to be determined.
- Log in to post comments
0
