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PIAA Second Round Preview: Tues., March 14

03/13/2023, 2:30pm EDT
By Owen McCue

Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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The PIAA postseason continues Tuesday with the Girls 6A, 3A and 2A tournaments and the Boys 5A, 4A and 1A brackets. Here’s a quick glance at what’s on tap locally, focusing on a few of the local-infused doubleheaders:


Archbishop Carroll and Brooke Wilson, above, face District 1 champ Perkiomen Valley on Tuesday at PW. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

@ Plymouth Whitemarsh HS
Girls 6A: (1-1) Perkiomen Valley vs. (12-3) Archbishop Carroll (5:30 PM)
An all-local tilt takes place at Plymouth Whitemarsh where District 1 champ Perkiomen Valley takes on perennial state power Archbishop Carroll. Both programs eased their way to first-round wins on their home courts, PV taking down District 3-6 Red Lion 57-43 and Carroll pulling away from District 1-5 Neshaminy in the fourth. The talent level is deep on both squads with 6-foot Army commit Taylor Wilson and junior sister Brooke Wilson, another D1 talent, leading the way for the Patriots. Freshman Alexis Eberz sparked them in their opener. It will be interesting to see how Carroll combats the size of PV’s 6-3 sophomore forward Quinn Boettinger and versatile 5-11 sophomore wing Grace Galbavy, who are joined by classmates Bella Bacani, Julia Smith and Lena Stein in the starting lineup.

Girls 6A: (1-8) Springfield-Delco vs. (1-9) Abington (7:30 PM)
Whoever wins that one will likely stick around to see who they play in Friday’s quarterfinal. Springfield-Delco and Abington both got favorable draws in the first round and did not waste them — the Cougars taking down District 12-2 Central, 59-41, and the Ghosts earning a 69-56 win over District 2 champ Wyoming Valley West. UMass Lowell commit Cire Worley posted a 29-point effort in her team’s first round win, complemented by a 19-point effort from senior guard Abril Bowser. The Cougars were a little more balanced in their opener with Widener commit Kaitlyn Kearney’s 14-point effort leading a quarter of double-figure scorers.

@ Bensalem HS
Boys 5A: (1-1) Radnor vs. (12-3) West Philadelphia (5:30 PM)
This is another local pairing where the winners will face each other in the quarterfinal round. Undefeated Radnor survived an early hot stretch from District 3-8 Warwick for a 70-59 win. West Philadelphia had to mount a comeback effort of its own, erasing a double-digit fourth-quarter lead from West Scranton on the way to a 54-50 win. Senior 6-foot guard Elijah Hester exploded for 27 points in that one. Radnor is starting to make a habit of falling behind, but led by Princeton commit Jackson Hicke, senior forward Charlie Thornton and senior guard Danny Rosenblum and a host of others, a deep Raptors team always seems to wear teams out. The Speedboys will hope 6-7 freshman Makel Butts, 6-6 senior center Jaden Williams and a speedy group of guards can find a way to give Radnor fits.

Boys 5A: (12-2) Archbishop Ryan vs. (1-5) West Chester East (7:30 PM)
Archbishop Ryan had no problem with District 1-4 West Chester Rustin in the opening round, earning an 83-46 victory. The Raiders now get District 1’s fifth-seeded Vikings, who have looked more like themselves in their last two games after a late-season swoop. East topped District 11 champ East Stroudsburg South, 52-47, behind 22 points from sophomore KJ Cochran in its opener. Ryan 6-8 junior forward Thomas Sorber, a high-major recruit, is one of the best big men in the state. Classmate Darren Williams, a lefty shooter and slasher, is another D-I prospect while senior guard Zaire Paris leads the show at the point. The Vikings oppose with Cochran, another D-I talent, along with senior guard Jose Ramos and forward Jack Kushner. They do have one of the few players who can match up with Sorber physically in 6-7 forward Stanley Porter.


Spring-Ford and junior Anna Azzara, above, face District 12 champ Cardinal O'Hara on Tuesday in Reading. (Photo: CoBL File)

@ Geigle Complex (Reading HS)
Girls 6A: (12-1) Cardinal O’Hara vs. (1-3) Spring-Ford (6 PM)
Two recent state powers square off in the opener at Geigle Complex on Tuesday. O’Hara, last season’s Class 5A champion, held off District 1-11 Conestoga for a 50-42 first-round win behind 18 points from junior Joanie Quinn and 15 from sophomore Molly Rullo, both D1 offerees. Spring-Ford, the 2021 Class 6A runner-up and a quarterfinalist last season, thumped District 3-5 Dallastown, 55-27. Junior Mac Pettinelli (13) and Katie Tiffan (10) lead a well-rounded scoring effort. Lions’ junior Carly Coleman is playing her best hoops of the season to help Rullo and Quinn shoulder the offensive load. While the Rams have a strong backcourt led by juniors Anna Azzara, Pettinelli and Tiffan, senior 6-3 forward Meg Robbins, an Elizabethtown commit, could be the X-factor with non one who really matches up with her.

Boys 4A: (11-1) Allentown CC vs. (12-3) Cardinal O’Hara (7:30 PM)
O’Hara bowed out in the second round of states last season, while Allentown Central Catholic was bounced in the first, though the Vikings are just one year removed from a state title. Iona commit Izaiah Pasha scored 23 and junior forward Pearse McGuinn, who has an NJIT offer, added 17. Allentown Central Catholic is one of the best shooting teams in the state and showed that off to the tune of 10-3-point makes as they torched District 12-5 Engineering & Sciences, 78-46. Sophomore 6-1 guard Lucas Mushrush had 16 points, including four of those 3-point makes. He lead a balanced scoring attack along with fellow 6-2 sophomore Jahrel Vigo and seniors Nick Pulieri and Anthony Jones. This should be another fun one in Reading.

Here’s the rest of Tuesday’s schedule:

@ Freedom HS (Bethlehem)
Girls 3A: (12-1) Imhotep Charter vs. (2-1) Dunmore (6 PM)
Boys 5A: (12-1) Imhotep Charter vs. (3-5) Muhlenberg (7:30 PM)

@ Hamburg Area HS
Girls 2A: (1-2) Sacred Heart Acad. vs. (4-2) Line Mountain (6 PM)
Boys 1A: (1-1) Chester Charter vs. (4-2) Northumberland Christian (7:30 PM)

@ Pottstown HS
Boys 1A: (12-1) City School vs. (3-1) Linville Hill (6 PM)
Boys 4A: (12-1) Neumann-Goretti vs. (11-2) Bethlehem Catholic (7:30 PM)

@ Liberty HS (Bethlehem)
Girls 3A: (1-1) New Hope-Solebury vs. (3-1) Lancaster Catholic (6 PM)
Boys 4A: (1-1) Bishop Shanahan vs. (2-1) Scranton Prep (7:30 PM)

@ Coatesville HS
Boys 1A: (1-2) Phil-Mont Christian vs. (3-5) Mount Calvary
Boys 4A: (12-2) Overbrook vs. (3-5) Eastern York (7:30 PM)

Girls 6A
(3-1) Cedar Cliff vs. (1-6) Upper Dublin (7:30 PM, Gov. Mifflin MS)
(1-4) Pennsbury vs. (7-2) Upper St. Clair (5:30 PM, Chambersburg HS)

Girls 3A
(4-1) Mt. Carmel Area vs. (12-2) West Catholic (6 PM, Manheim Twp. HS)

Girls 2A
(1-1) Faith Christian vs. (4-1) South Williamsport (6 PM, Martz Hall)


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