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CLASS 4A
#28 Souderton at #5 Central Bucks East (Tuesday, 5 p.m.)
Souderton
- 7-9-1
- 6-9-1 SOL Colonial, fifth place.
- The Indians lost 4-0 and 2-1 against CB East during the regular season but enter the postseason on a high, beating CB West 2-1 in the regular season finale.
- The team’s other top wins include wins over Class 2A power Dock Mennonite (2-1), two wins over Pennridge (2-1 and 1-0) and a win over Bensalem (1-0), as well as a scoreless tie against #20 North Penn.
- Players to watch including senior midfielder and leading scorer Jake Luciani, as well as junior forward Tannor Wiszneski and junior Colin Hughes on defense.
Coach Frank Demas says: “We are very excited to be in the District One playoffs this year. We have a young team that has worked incredibly hard to get here. We’ve had to fight and work for every win this year, and we plan to continue that work ethic into playoffs. We plan to come out strong and play the best game we can.
“Playing CB East for the third time this year will be hard. They are the best team we’ve played this year. And clearly one of the best in our district. We wish them all the best. (We) can’t wait to play Tuesday. The more soccer and experience we can get, the better.”
CB East
- 16-1-1 overall
- 15-0-1 SOL Colonial champions
Between a season-opening loss to #6 Abington and a late-season tie to #20 North Penn, the Patriots won 15 straight games and blew out the field in the Colonial Division. - Playoff teams the Patriots have beaten include #24 CB West (2-0 both), #14 CB South (3-0 and 2-1), #20 North Penn (3-2), #18 Council Rock South (3-1), #12 Council Rock North (2-0) and two wins over Souderton (4-0 and 21).
- Players to watch would be the entire defense composed of Wesely Myers, Will Zlogar, Reese Davis and Andrew Walloff. Additionally, providing the connection between offense and defense are midfielders Koen Reid and Daniel Frye. Up top are the defensively-minded forwards of Michael Montababa and Joey Roth, who have both shown an excellent soccer IQ, sustained stamina and skillful play throughout the regular season, according to coach Josh Isaacsohn.
Coach Josh Isaacsohn says: “The CBE boys soccer team is excited and feeling quite motivated entering district playoffs. After a strong showing during the regular season, the Patriots are looking to take it one game at a time with the goal of eventually qualifying for the state tournament through solid defense and skillful soccer. … The Patriots overall goal is to make it past the first round of states and see where the tournament leads.”
Up next: The CB East-Souderton winner will play the winner of Unionville vs. CR North in the second round on Thursday.
#27 Penncrest at #6 Abington (Tuesday, TBA)
Abington
- 16-2 overall
- 15-1 SOL Liberty Division champion
- The Galloping Ghosts looked like one of the teams to beat in District One, starting with their season-opening nonleague win over now #5 CB East (3-2) and running roughshod through the Liberty Division. Injuries slowed them down a bit as did a late-season loss to #8 Upper Dublin, but the Ghosts are healthy entering the postseason.
- Abington’s other top wins include 1-0 over UD, #25 Cheltenham (3-2), Class 3A #4 Lower Moreland (3-0), Class 3A #2 Springfield Twp (1-0) and #22 William Tennent (2-0).
- Players to watch for the Ghosts include junior Brady Hartman, seniors Braeden Brownholtz, Braeden Delgado and Oscar Hoffmann, and junior Brian O’Neill. On the defensive side, there’s
Jose Rosario-Martinez (Sr.), outside backs Daniel Olivera (Jr.), Brandon Escobar (Jr.) and Kyle Sheridan (Sr.) and goalkeeper Justin Waterfall.
Coach Randy Garber says: “We’re as healthy as we’ve been all year. O’Neill came back from a serious knee injury, and he’s back in the lineup doing good things. We have Oscar Hoffmann, who had a shoulder injury, is back playing and making an impact on our team. These guys were out for a couple of weeks, and we missed them. Hopefully, we’ll have some home games.”
Penncrest
- 8-8-1
- The Lions needed to win their last five games – over Garnet Valley, Springfield (Delco), Phoenixville, Ridley, and Chichester – all on the road, to even get into the playoffs, and that could make them a dangerous out.
- They also have a 1-1 tie against #19 Strath Haven.
Up next: The Abington-Penncrest winner plays the winner of William Tennent-Harriton
#24 Central Bucks West at #9 Upper Dublin (Tuesday, 7 p.m.)
CB West
- 9-9 overall
- 9-7 SOL Colonial, third place
- The Bucks went 1-4 in their last five games to end the season, which followed a four-game win streak.
- Top wins were over #20 North Penn (1-0), #14 CB South (3-2), and #28 Souderton (2-1) during the first trip through the Colonial Division schedule.
- Players to watch include forward Joey Dowd and midfielder Cole Barrett.
Coach John Adair says: “We’re looking forward to playing a good Upper Dublin side on Tuesday. Our group feels like that we’ve been tested and while we’ve had our fair share of adversity, we’re always confident in our quality and ability to compete.
“We might be a lower seed than last year but with two more wins, I’m proud of how this team has consistently had a forward-thinking and aggressive mentality.”
Upper Dublin
- 15-3 overall
- 14-2 SOL Liberty, second place
- Cardinals posted 13 shutouts in 18 games.
- Few teams played better over the second half of the season than the Flying Cardinals, who won 11 straight league games to end the season, allowing just three goals in that stretch.
- UD’s best win was 1-0 over #6 Abington on Oct. 12. It also has beaten #22 William Tennent (2-0), #25 Cheltenham (3-0) and Class 3A #4 Lower Moreland (3-0).
Coach Noah Johnson says: “I don’t feel as though there’s one single person that I can call out and say they’re the reason why we’re here. My entire team put in all the hard work through the summer, put all the hard effort in preseason and throughout the season to make this thing work. Everyone shows up and plays very well when they get in. They all put forth their best effort, and it showed throughout the entire season with us being able to be as successful as we were.
“I’m just hoping that we continue to keep playing this way and performing at the highest level possible for our team and that we continue to push each other as well, whether it’s at training or in the game or one of the guys coming off the bench and providing us energy.”
Up next: The CB West-UD winner plays the winner of Lower Merion and Cheltenham in Thursday’s second round.
#21 Unionville at #12 Council Rock North (Tuesday, 6 p.m.)
CR North
- 13-2-2 overall
12-2-2 SOL Patriot, champions - The Indians wrapped up the regular season title with three division wins in a season that they led virtually from start to finish, going 9-0-2 in their first 11 games.
- Indians own a win and a tie with rival #18 CR South (2-2 and 1-0), and wins over #24 CB West (2-0), #20 North Penn (1-0), and #28 Souderton (1-0), while tying #14 CB South (1-1).
- Players to watch include seniors Ari Pollack, Mike Pinho, Keertan Palayam, Jack Randolph and David Igval.
Coach Joe Stackhouse says: “Everything else in the rearview mirror. We have to play one game at a time now.”
Unionville
- 10-8
- An up-and-down season, Unionville played difficult schedule including the likes of Downingtown East, Downingtown West and West Chester Rustin, and scored its biggest win before September, 3-0 win over #19 Strath Haven on Aug. 30. It also owns a win over Class 3A #5 Bishop Shanahan (1-0).
Up next: The CR North-Unionville winner plays the CB East-Souderton winner in the second round on Thursday.
#19 Strath Haven at #14 Central Bucks South (Tuesday, 7 p.m.)
CB South
- 13-3-2 overall
- 11-3-2 SOL Colonial
- The Titans went 5-0 since an Oct. 10 loss to division champ CB East, positioning themselves for a home playoff game.
- They won twice over #28 Souderton (2-0 and 1-0) and won and tied #20 North Penn (1-1 and 2-1). They also tied #12 CR North (1-1) and beat #18 CR South (3-1) and #24 CB West (2-1).
- Top players include Patrick Chrzanowski and Anthony Bice.
Strath Haven
- 11-6-1
- Strath Haven went 8-1 down the stretch in the tough Central League and enter the postseason on a roll. Top wins include #17 Great Valley (1-0) and #26 Avon Grove (2-0),
Next up: The CB South-Strath Haven winner travels to #3 West Chester Henderson on Thursday.
#18 Council Rock South at #15 Boyertown (Tuesday, 3:45 p.m.)
CR South
- 11-4-2
- 10-4-2 SOL Patriot, second place
- The Golden Hawks head into this district playoff rematch closing the season, going 5-1-1.They were 7-1-2 against Patriot Division opponents.
- Top wins include over #24 CB West (4-3), #28 Souderton (5-1) as well as a 2-2 tie with #12 CR North.
- Senior Frankie Rafferty is a dangerous scorer.
Boyertown
- 11-7
- The PAC-10 was tough this season, with Boyertown battling the ranks (and losing twice) to #2 Perkiomen Valley and #10 Spring-Ford, but three straight wins to close the season put it in position to earn a home playoff game and a rematch with CR South, which beat the Bears in last year’s quarterfinal round.
- Top wins this season were over #7 West Chester Rustin (3-1), #23 Owen J. Roberts (3-1 and 3-2), and #16 Upper Merion (4-1).
- The Bears are led by senior captain and high-scoring Macade Knoblauch.
Up next: The CR South-Boyertown winner plays at #2 Perk Valley in second round.
#20 North Penn at #13 Downingtown West (Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.)
North Penn
- 7-6-5
- 6-5-5 SOL Colonial, fourth place.
- The Knights were definitely playing their best soccer down the stretch, going 3-0-3 in SOL games late to earn a spot in the playoffs.
- Top players include senior captains Troy Nine (goalkeeper), Brian Sott (defense) and Conor Sullivan (forward), as well as juniors Caiden Myers (defense) and Demetri Ilovski (forward).
- Others to watch include junior Ian Balisalisa (center midfielder) and sophomores Fion Regan, Ryan Smith, Eion Reganand Matt Haines.
Coach Chris DePeppe says: “We are looking forward to a match with a very good Downingtown West team. We know this district is full of quality teams so we will have to be at our best to advance. We started the season 2-4-2, but this team showed a lot of determination and worked hard to turn the season around. We were unbeaten in seven games to end the season.”
Downingtown West
- 11-6
- A pair of wins against Holy Ghost Prep and Avon Grove snapped three-game skid late in the season for the Whippets, who also own wins over #10 Spring-Ford (1-0), #21 Unionville (2-1), #17 Great Valley (2-0) and and Class 3A #5 Bishop Shanahan (1-0).
- Top players include senior midfielder Zach Kilpatrick and senior forward Aiden Courtney.
Up next: The North Penn-Downingtown West winner plays at #4 Downingtown East in the second round on Thursday.
#22 William Tennent at #11 Harriton (Tuesday, TBA)
William Tennent
- 10-8 overall
- 9-7 SOL Freedom, tied for second place
- The Panthers went 6-11 a year ago but had one of the SOL’s best turnaround seasons and played well late to earn their spot in the district playoffs.
- Top players for Tennent include senior leading scorer Connor Hanratty (14 goals, 4 asssists), senior Patrick Gillespie (3 goals, 7 assists), senior Bryce deFonteney (1 goal, 6 assists) and senior goalkeeper Zach Dinnis (5 shutouts). Others to watch include Ryan Black, Nazariy Kukhniy, Mason Adelson, and Tyler Tomlinson.
Coach Angelo Albanese says: “The boys worked very hard throughout the season and kept a positive attitude in spite of a 1-4 start. Their efforts and good team chemistry were instrumental in their growth and improved play. They closed the season at 10-8 and qualified for districts, which given the slow start is a tribute to their dedication and work ethic.”
Harriton
- 13-4-1 overall
- This is a good team that is battle-tested against against quality opponents in the Central League, and it has wins over #16 Upper Merion (2-1), #17 Great Valley (1-0), #19 Strath Haven (6-1), #27 Penncrest (10-0), and Class 3A #5 Bishop Shanahan (7-0).
- Top players include center backs Eddie Wright and Pat Casal, as well as midfielders Nico Leedy and Noah Ufberg.
Up next: The Tennent-Harriton winners plays the Abington-Penncrest winner in the second round on Thursday.
#25 Cheltenham at #8 Lower Merion (Tuesday, 3 pm)
Lower Merion
- 13-2-3
- Traditional Central League soccer power and a state finalist a year ago, the Aces went 5-0-1 in its last six games, with its last loss coming against #1 Conestoga on Oct. 3.
- Best wins this were over #11 Harriton (6-1), #19 Strath Haven (1-0), and #27 Penncrest (3-0), while also tying #7 West Chester Rustin (0-0).
- Players to watch include goalkeeper Crosby Johnson, as well as midfielders Jude Vaughan, Josh Huh and Ben Cromer
Cheltenham
- 10-7-1 overall
- 8-7-1 SOL Freedom, fourth place
The Panthers completed a remarkable turnaround season with two huge wins and a tie in the final week of the regular season to clinch this spot in the playoffs. They beat Upper Moreland and Quakertown and earned a 0-0 tie with Class 3A #2 Springfield Twp. - Other top wins this season were over Class 3A #4 Lower Moreland (3-1), #22 William Tennent (2-0) and Hatboro-Horsham.
- Key players include Keegan Peet, Cameron Rhoades, Chamar Blanchard and Noah Jutzi.
Coach Bill Tonkin says: “We have played really well this season and hope to continue that play into the playoffs. I think we are a better team than what we are ranked, and hopefully we prove that. Our defense has improved throughout the season, and we had four shutouts down the stretch of the season.”
Up next: The Lower Merion-Cheltenham winner plays the winner of CB West and Upper Dublin in the second round on Thursday.
CLASS 3A
#7 Phoenixville at #2 Springfield Twp, (Wednestday TBA)
Springfield
- 16-1-1 overall
- 14-1-1 SOL Freedom champions
- A year ago, the postseason was a magical one for the Spartans’ program, winning the District One title and going all the way to the state championship game. A year later, this year’s team won’t surprise anyone, but in the regular season, they proved themselves a contender again, running away in the Freedom Division and losing just once, to Class 4A #6 Abington (1-0).
- Key wins this season came against #6 Holy Ghost Prep (3-2), and #4 Lower Moreland (3-2and 2-0), as well as Class 4A opponents #22 William Tennent (2-1 and 6-0), #25 Cheltenham (7-0 and 0-0 tie), and #9 Upper Dublin (1-0).
- Springfield is led by tri-captains Riley Martin (forward), Jack McKittrick (defensive back) and Nick Marino (midfielder), as well as midfielders Nick Hanushchak, Chase Rubincam, Ben Hubley and Kayden Sowell. Martin leads the Spartans in goals and assists.
Coach Dan Meder says: “Obviously, last year, we were the underdog the entire time. We were the four seed, and no one saw us coming. To win a district championship is a huge deal, and we know that wasn’t easy last year. So many games could have gone either way, and we’ve talked about that. So, we need some things to go right for us again this year. We have the guys that can do that. We’re just going to go do our thing, and whatever happens happens.”
Phoenixville
- 10-7-1 overall
- Like Springfield, the Phantoms are battle-tested against Class 5A foes like Great Valley, West Chester Rustin, Upper Merion, Owen J. Roberts, Spring-Ford and Penncrest.
- Their biggest wins were over Great Valley (2-1) and Upper Merion (1-0).
Up next: The Springfield-Phoenixville winner plays the winner of Upper Perkiomen-Holy Ghost Prep in the semifinals on Oct. 31.
#5 Bishop Shanahan at #4 Lower Moreland (Wednesday TBA
Lower Moreland
- 11-7 overall
- 9-7 SOL Freedom, tied for second
- It’s been an up-and-down season for the Lions, including back-to-back losses to Springfield and William Tennent to end the season.
- The Lions own wins over Class 4A playoff teams Tennent (2-1) and Cheltenham (3-2).
Bishop Shanahan
- 10-8 overall
Playing against bigger schools in the Ches-Mont League, Shanahan has played and lost to the likes of Class 5A playoff teams West Chester Rustin, Downingtown West, Unionville, Downingtown East, Harriton, Great Valley and West Chester Henderson. - Its top wins were over West Chester East (2-1), Kennett (1-0), Owen J. Roberts (1-0), and Oxford (2-1).
Up next: The LM-Shanahan winner plays in the semifinals on Oct. 31 against the winner of Radnor-West Chester East.
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