Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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The District 1 6A bracket is finalized, the two dozen teams in the Philadelphia suburban counties who are in the state’s largest classification still alive for one of 12 state tournament slots when the PIAA brackets start next month. That means that a first-round win guarantees at least two more games, while the first-round losers are all done for the season.
Here’s a look at each of next Friday’s first-round games, which will all take place at 7 PM (unless otherwise noted) at the higher seed; second-round games will be Tuesday, Feb. 21, also at higher seeds, who host through the championship game: Saturday, March 4 at Temple University.
9) Methacton vs. 24) Conestoga
Winner plays 8) Garnet Valley
Jason Lagana (above) and Methacton have been a mainstay in the District 1 playoffs the last decade or so. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)
The face of the Pioneer Athletic Conference for the last half decade saw its league postseason end prematurely with a last-second loss to Perkiomen Valley in the PAC first round. However, the Warriors (15-7), who made their second District 1-6A semifinal in three years a season ago, are still well positioned to make another district run. King’s College commit Matt Christian, a 6-3 senior guard, had a quiet night in the PAC playoff loss, but he can light it up from deep. Classmate Cameron Chilson is coming off a 21-point outing in the defeat and was a key piece of last season’s postseason run, while sophomore guard Sal Iemmello and senior guard Jason Lagana also got some limited minutes late last season as well. Junior Alex Hermann is a 6-3 slashing scoring wing, who has to play big as the Warriors don’t have much size outside of him, senior forward Evan Spang and junior forward Preston Hull.
Conestoga (11-11), which found itself holding onto the last spot after all the dust had cleared, despite losing five of its last six, a few wins from December — Holy Ghost Prep, Neshaminy, Norristown and Upper Darby — helping out a lot in the points department. The Pioneers, under first-year head coach Sean Forcine, have a similarly-built roster to Methacton, without much in terms of size beyond 6-4, though a number of wings and bigger guards, like 6-3 senior wing Abe Dembele and 6-3 senior guard Patrick Corr, while junior guard Brendan Styer and sophomore guard Ben Robinson handle a lot of the ball-handling duties. Don’t let the Pioneers’ record fool you, they don’t have a bad loss on the schedule, and are certainly capable of pulling the upset to earn a matchup against another Central League foe in Garnet Valley.
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10) Upper Darby vs. 23) Cheltenham (TBD)
Winner plays 7) Perkiomen Valley
This one should be fun, as both the Royals and Panthers can get up and down and score with ease. Upper Darby has had an especially prolific offseason this year, scoring 80+ on more than a couple occasions; Cheltenham hasn’t quite scored it at that level, tipping out at 77 points in a game this season, but Pat Fleury’s panthers have won seven of their last nine to sneak into the postseason, beating Penn Wood 71-68 on Friday to lock in a spot. Upper Darby lost its last game, to Lower Merion in the Central League semifinals, but Bob Miller’s group had won five straight before that, and seven of their last eight, the Aces the only team to beat them in that span, doing it twice.
Upper Darby’s certainly one of the most improved teams in the district this year, going from a seven-win squad a year ago to 17-7 this season, a seven-game win streak in the middle of the year helping propel them to the top three of the Central League, behind only LM and Radnor. Miller’s relying on a senior-laden top six, his top four of whom have shown they can be big-time scorers game after game: point guard Nadir Myers, wings Khysier Slaughter and Yassir Joyner and forward Niymire Brown, who’s a super-versatile talent at 6-4 who can block shots, hit 3s and makes great passes out of the high and low post. Myers is the calming force, a speedy and crafty 5-10 lefty with range on his shot and some nifty finishing moves. Cheltenham is led by sophomore guard Josiah Huston, with junior wing Kamani Healey, senior wing Nile Tinsley, senior wing guard Yakeen Respes, freshman Malik Hughes and junior Kevin Addison-Anderson the typically-featured pieces in a balanced Panthers attack. This one will likely go to whoever controls the glass and limits turnovers, and thus run-out buckets by the other side.
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11) Coatesville vs. 22) Harriton
Winner plays 6) North Penn
Coatesville senior Jermaine Marshall (above) and the Raiders get Harriton in the first round. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)
Coatesville was the 24th seed a season ago, and though John Allen’s first year resulted in only two more wins (14) than last year, that was still enough to finish 13 seeds higher, giving the Coatesville alum a home game in his first postseason game as head coach. He’s got a mostly guard-heavy group to work with, led by senior Jermaine Marshall, juniors Dior Kennedy and Zuri Harris and sophomore Amon Fowlkes, with a fairly deep bench chipping in as well. Up front, 6-7 freshman Larry Brown is an intriguing young post who’s certainly taken steps over the course of the season; the tallest player on either squad, he could be a difference-maker in this one.
Harriton, under the direction of Jesse Rappaport — in his third season of his second stint at the lesser-known public school in the Lower Merion School District— has been more competitive than it has been in nearly a decade, making the postseason even in the program’s first season in the 6A classification after missing the 5A field a year ago. The Rams (13-10) are led by a pair of junior guards Marquis Kubish and Jadyn Gaskins, while senior guards Aiden Abrams and Collin Goerlich, senior wing Jack Chodkowski and sophomore wing Calvin Smith round out the top six. Goerlich, Chodkowski and Smith are all strong outside shooters, while Abrams, Kubish and Gaskins are better getting to the hoop; if they can hang with the intensity of Coatesville’s press, Harriton will have a chance to pull the upset with a strong shooting day.
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12) William Tennent vs. 21) Haverford High
Winner plays 5) Downingtown West
This one’s certainly a contrast in styles — Tennent, which is aiming for its first state playoff berth since 2004, loves to push the tempo, routinely scoring in the 70s, with a few games in the 80s; Haverford, which has made a few state brackets under head coach Keith Heinerichs, is into slow-it-down, grind-it-out, low-scoring types, though the Fords have scored in the 60s when needed. Haverford won four of the final five games of its season to earn this spot, including a win over Garnet Valley in the season finale; they’ve also beaten Henderson (at Henderson), Lower Merion and Conestoga (twice) this year, showing they’re plenty capable of doing it again.
Tennent is led by the backcourt duo of senior George Marion, a bouncy 6-1 point guard, and 6-4 combo guard Kirby Mooney, who’s got a great ability to get to the rim and score in the mid-range, though they’re both streaky 3-point shooters. The Panthers get most of their scoring from those two, though 6-4 senior wing Isaiah Dawson gives them some additional length and athleticism, and 6-1 senior Evan Devor is a screen and 3-point specialist; Robert Mulville isn’t afraid to get 9-10 deep, either, to keep fresh legs on the court. Haverford is led by a senior group of guards, including Catholic U (D.C.) commit Googie Seidman, sharpshooter Brian Weiner, wing Tommy Wright and guard Gorman Bright Jr. This one’s going to come down to if Haverford can control tempo and match Tennent’s shot-making ability.
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13) Pennsbury vs. 20) Abington (Thursday)
Winner plays 4) Central Bucks East
Pennsbury and Abington used to be one of the fiercest rivalries in the Suburban One League - but that was several realignments ago. It’s still a good bet this will be an energized game, especially with the Falcons looking to protect their home court in Wes Emme’s first district game coaching his alma mater.
Pennsbury will lean on senior Tyler Kocak as it’s done all season, looking for one of the SOL’s top players to summon another superb performance. The Falcons have received a huge boost from Ryan Zuckerman, one of the top baseball players in the state who returned to hoops after a three year layoff and simply contributes winning plays. Junior Connor Taddei has put together a really nice season while junior Teddy Mangan has also come into his own.
Abington made a run to the District 1 quarters last season, so don’t overlook the Ghosts, one of District 1’s perennial powers. Junior guard Jeremiah Lee, the younger brother of former standout Anthony Lee, can take a game over on the offensive end. Juniors Josh Young and Kellen Ingram are athletic forwards and sophomore Paul Glants is a 6-3 shooter, who adds something on the glass as well.
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14) Penn Wood vs. 19) Norristown
Winner plays 3) Plymouth Whitemarsh
Point guard Sadiq Fountain (above) and the Patriots might be underrated this postseason. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)
Penn Wood (15-6) feels like it’s seeded a little low, the unfortunate byproduct of having two league games against Interboro and Academy Park, but the Patriots are plenty dangerous. Matt Lindeman’s got a pair of standout seniors in 6-5 forward Mekhi Shillingsford and 6-3 guard Nasir Washington, a lefty with range who can put up big numbers when he’s on, which is more often than not. Point guard Sadiq Fountain has a great handle and can set up the offense, while juniors Kivale Clark and Donald Hairston round out the starting lineup. The Patriots are top-heavy, but it’s a group with good size and athleticism across the board, and they’ve scored 80+ five times this season, with another five games in the 70s.
Norristown was District 1’s runner-up a season ago, but junior Myon Kirlew is the only holdover from that team. The Eagles come into the tournament on a bit of a skid, losing four of their last five games, including a loss to Pottstown in the opening round of the PAC Final Six. There’s been some inconsistency and while they don’t come in with the same momentum they did last postseason, the Eagles are still a dangerous group. Senior guard Andre Gordon, who has D-III interest, leads them at the point, while junior guard Jayden Byrd and senior guards Jaden Wise and Roddy Gaymon can get going in a hurry along with Kirlew. Norristown 6-4 big Jonathan Brooks is a difference maker inside, a very athletic big man who is aggressive on the glass.
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15) Boyertown vs. 18) Neshaminy
Winner plays 2) Lower Merion
Boyertown senior 6-3 wing Jake Kapp, the PAC’s second leading scorer, and 6-4 guard Zach Ward, a really good facilitator, lead the way for a team that fell short of some of its goals in league play, missing out on the PAC Final Six but did enough damage in the non-league to boost its district profile and earned a home playoff game. Helped by classmates like 6-4 senior sharpshooter Richard Black, point guard Ryan Tinney and forward Dylan Klass, the Bears’ seniors still have a chance to leave their stamp on the program as Boyertown hasn’t won a District 1 playoff game since 2007.
Neshaminy (14-9) is in the same position it was a season ago as the No. 18 seed in the District 1 field. Last season ended with a first-round loss to Council Rock North, but after a two-point loss to Plymouth Whitemarsh in the SOL playoffs Neshaminy is hoping to grab its first district win since 2018 . Senior guard Sean Curley, a terrific shooter and scorer, and junior Nate Townsend, a 6-2 guard who can play inside or on the perimeter, lead the way this season. Junior guard Emeer Coombs is the other main offensive contributor, going off for 20 in the loss to PW. Senior 6-4 forward Joey Zack is a captain alongside those three. Senior forward Ashton Lovelace, senior guard Boima Gobah and junior guard Guy Horton round out the rest of the rotation.
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16) Pennridge vs. 17) West Chester Henderson
Winner plays 1) Spring-Ford
Sharpshooting wing Nyle Ralph-Beyer (above) and Henderson are back in the district playoffs. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)
After missing out on the field last season, Dean Behrens has his Rams back in the postseason. It’s been a vintage Pennridge season, the boys getting better with each passing week and a couple standout guards leading the way up in Perkasie. Everything starts with senior Matt Campione, a dead-eye shooter committed to Catholic who has rounded out his offensive game beyond the three-point line and stepped up his defensive play. The other spark on offense has been the emergence of point guard Xavier Peters, the lightning-quick sophomore taking care of the ball and pestering the other team defensively. Pennridge doesn’t have a ton of size, but the Rams don’t lack for effort and activity with 6-foot-4 center Tommy Cramer always battling inside. Gannon Perlini, Ryan Hass and Caden Fisher have all seen plenty of time and Jake Buesing adds some additional punch in the backcourt.=
Henderson’s back in districts for the second consecutive year, though this is its first under new head coach Jason Ritter, formerly the boss at Downingtown West (2011-16). Henderson, which won just two games two years ago, finished 13-9 this season, winning four of its last five to secure a spot in the district playoffs, which helped them bounce back from a 3-6 stretch between Dec. 27-Jan. 21. They’ve relied this season on a three-man backcourt of senior Kmari Smith and juniors Connor Fleet and Nyle Ralph-Beyer; Smith, a 6-2 point guard, is a slashing type, while Ralph-Beyer is a 6-4 wing guard with a smooth outside stroke and Fleet a 6-0 combo guard with the best handle on the team, able to get past his defender and into the mid-range, where he loves the pull-up jumper, and he’s a high-level finisher around the rim. They also have some size up front in juniors Danny Surowiec and Evan McFadden, both of whom are around 6-5.
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