skip navigation

2024-25 Midseason HS League Updates: Pioneer Athletic Conference

01/14/2025, 10:15am EST
By Owen McCue

By Owen McCue (@owen.mccue)
__

The area’s high school league conference races are in full swing, so we’re taking a look around the Delaware Valley’s various high school basketball leagues to see where things stand at the moment and what games will determine regular-season champions and postseason spots down the stretch. 

Read ahead for the Pioneer Athletic Conference update, or click the links below to check out the other leagues we’re providing updates on:

~~~

Catholic League | Central League | Ches-Mont League | Pioneer Athletic Conference | Suburban One League

~~~

Boys

Click here for CoBL’s PAC page with standings and schedules for every team


Ayden Wise (above) and PJP II are having success in their first season in the Liberty. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Realignment hit the PAC for the first time this season since the 12-team league went to two divisions (large school Liberty and small school Frontier) in 2016-17. Pope John Paul II and Owen J. Roberts were the first two schools to swap places, and both teams are having success despite the switch. The Golden Panthers (11-3, 6-1 PAC, 4-1 Liberty) are tied atop the Liberty, while the Wildcats (3-3 PAC, 3-2 Frontier) are in a position to fight for one of the league’s playoff spots as they try to break a lengthy postseason drought.

PJP hasn’t lost a league game since opening with a loss to crosstown rival Spring-Ford (6-1 PAC, 4-1 Liberty) in the Battle of Royersford. That includes a win over Methacton (6-1 PAC, 4-1 Liberty), which handed the Rams their only league loss. Those three squads are likely to battle for the division crown the rest of the way. Spring-Ford hosts Pope John Paul II on Thursday; Methacton travels to PJP on Jan. 21; and Spring-Ford will head to Methacton on Jan. 28 in the penultimate regular season game.

In the Frontier, reigning league and division champion Phoenixville (6-1 PAC, 5-0 Frontier) is the leader once again halfway through division play. But the story of the league has been Pottsgrove (6-1 PAC, 4-1 Frontier), who finished 3-7 in the Frontier in 2023-24 and haven’t been in the league postseason mix since 2019. The Falcons took the Phantoms to the brink in a 74-70 loss back on Dec. 13. They will face again Jan. 21 at Phoenixville with the division potentially on the line.

The top two division winners in both the Frontier and Liberty earn league playoff berths with the final two spots coming down to the overall PAC record that includes three crossover games. With one crossover contest and five division games remaining to play, everyone in the league is still alive. At the moment, Owen J. Roberts holds the sixth spot in the standings, and Pottstown and Perkiomen Valley look the likeliest to battle them down the stretch at just one game behind.

Girls

Click here for CoBL’s PAC page with standings and schedules for every team


Kareena Preuss (2) and Spring-Ford are battling for positioning in the Liberty. (Photo: Steph Garafolo/CoBL)

Back-to-back girls champion Perkiomen Valley entered this season without a true contender after the graduation of Spring-Ford’s terrific Class of 2024 and that’s how it’s played out through conference play with the Vikings storming through their first seven PAC games.

While PV (7-0 PAC, 5-0 Liberty) looks like a lock to end the season as the LIberty champions, there is some intrigue behind them in the division with Phoenixville (5-2 PAC, 3-2 Liberty), Methacton (5-2 PAC, 3-2 Liberty) and Spring-Ford (5-2 PAC, 3-2 Liberty) all knocking each other off. Spring-Ford @ Phoenixville (Jan. 15); Phoenixville @ Methacton (Jan. 21); and Methacton @ Spring-Ford (Jan. 28) are the Liberty matchups to keep an eye on down the stretch.

Phoenixville won the last two Frontier division championships, so the Phantoms’ jump to the Liberty (Norristown went to the Frontier) has opened the door for Pope John Paul II (5-2 PAC, 5-0 Frontier) to take over the top perch in the PAC’s small school division. The Golden Panthers have a one-game edge over Upper Merion (6-1 PAC, 4-1 Frontier), defeating UM 46-34 on Dec. 12, though the Vikings’ mark in crossover play would likely give them the edge should they win the rematch on Jan. 21.

Pottsgrove (3-4 PAC, 3-2 Frontier) is the only other PAC girls squad that might have a chance to play itself into the sixt-team postseason, but the Falcons will probably have to avenge back-to-back December losses to Upper Merion (55-46) and PJP (53-30).


Recruiting News:

Tag(s): Home  Owen McCue  High School  Pac-10 (B)  PAC-10 Frontier (B)  Phoenixville  Pope John Paul II  Pottsgrove  Pottstown  Upper Merion  Upper Perk  PAC-10 Liberty (B)  Boyertown  Methacton  Norristown  Owen J. Roberts  Perkiomen Valley  Spring-Ford  Girls HS  PAC (G)  PAC Frontier (G)  Phoenixville  Pope John Paul II  Pottsgrove  Pottstown  Upper Merion  Upper Perkiomen  PAC Liberty (G)  Boyertown  Methacton  Norristown  Owen J Roberts  Perkiomen Valley  Spring-Ford