BOYS BASKETBALL: The Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery Media District 1 Playoff Weekend Preview

The District 1 boys basketball playoffs tip off this weekend. The Class-6A and Class-5A tournaments start Saturday while Class-A begins Monday.

The top 12 seeds in Class-6A earn first-round byes while the No. 13 through No. 20 teams play for spots in the Sweet 16.

In Class-5A, the top six teams are already in the quarterfinals. No. 7 will play No. 10 and No. 8 takes on No. 9 for the final two spots in the Elite Eight.

There will be no playback games this season. It’s win-or-go-home with only the district champion advancing to the state tournament.

Here’s a game-by-game look at the Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery Media area teams playing in Saturday and Monday’s District 1 playoff games:

District 1Class-6A

Methacton vs. CB South >> No. 16 Methacton hosts No. 17 Central Bucks South in the first round of the District 1 Class-6A playoffs Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.

The Warriors (10-6) are looking to defend the district title after rolling through the bracket last year as the No. 1 seed. This year’s team, however, is much different than last year’s squad that won all four district playoff games by at least 23 points.

Methacton enters the tournament off of two losses – a 42-39 defeat against Phoenixville and 51-41 loss to Abington.

The Titans (9-6) have shown some inconsistency over the past couple weeks. They lost to a 3-14 CB West before edging Council Rock North, 30-27, in a defensive struggle. They followed that by handling CB East, the No. 7 seed in Class-6A, 59-43. Their regular season ended with a 20-point loss to Wissahickon, 63-43.

The winner will face No. 1 Cheltenham in the second round Tuesday.

For live updates, follow @Owen_McCue on Twitter.

Upper Dublin vs. Haverford >> No. 20 Upper Dublin travels to No. 13 Haverford for a District 1-6A first-round matchup at 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

The Cardinals (11-9) needed a strong finish to the regular season to make the playoffs and that’s what they got. Drew Stover scored 43 points in a key win over North Penn on March 1. After a loss to Souderton on March 2, Upper Dublin won its finale over Chester Charter Scholar Academy, 70-55, to narrowly grab the final playoff spot over Great Valley.

The Fords (8-5) enter the postseason more rested, last playing on Feb. 28. They won six straight games before losing their regular season finale, 41-39, to Strath Haven.

The winner will face No. 4 Garnet Valley in the second round Tuesday.

North Penn vs. Strath Haven >> No. 18 North Penn visits No. 15 Strath Haven in the first round of the District 1 Class-6A playoffs Saturday afternoon at 12:30 p.m.

The Knights (10-6) enter the postseason on a two-game losing streak, dropping games to CB East and Upper Dublin to end the regular season. Josh Jones, one of the top athletes in the area, and sharp-shooter Billy Coley give North Penn a chance against anyone if they can get hot from beyond the arc.

The Panthers (8-4) return to the floor after losing to Conestoga, 63-40, in the Central League semifinals. North Penn will have to account for Strath Haven senior Luke Edwards, who hit a buzzer beater against Haverford in their Central League quarterfinal matchup.

The winner will face No. 2 Conestoga in the second round Tuesday.

For live updates, follow @khunter10 on Twitter.

Abington vs. Kennett >> No. 14 Abington hosts No. 19 Kennett in the first round of the District 1-6A playoffs at 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

The Ghosts (9-5), who won District 1 championships under head coach Charles Grasty in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019, enter the playoffs winners of four of their last five games – the only loss coming against Class-6A No. 1 seed Cheltenham. Two wins during that stretch came against Class-6A playoff qualifiers Methacton and Upper Dublin, each by 10 points.

The Blue Demons (10-3) won five games to close out February before losing their regular season finale, 69-55, to Downingtown West on March 1.

The winner will face No. 3 Plymouth Whitemarsh in the second round Tuesday.

For live updates, follow @ADRobinson3 on Twitter.

District 1 Class-5A

Upper Merion vs. Unionville >> No. 9 Upper Merion travels to No. 8 Unionville for a District 1-5A first-round matchup at 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

The Vikings (8-7) won seven straight games this season before losing their final four games with a short-handed lineup. Two of the losses, however, were within a possession in the final seconds against Class-6A No. 10 seed Boyertown and Pioneer Athletic Conference champion and Class-4A No. 1 seed Pope John Paul II.

The Longhorns (4-5) have only played one game since Feb. 11, a 57-50 win over West Chester Henderson on March 2.

The winner will face No. 1 Upper Moreland in the quarterfinals Tuesday at 7 p.m.

For live updates, follow @PeteDLN on Twitter.

District 1 Class-A

Jenkintown vs. Faith Christian Academy >> No. 2 Jenkintown hosts No. 3 Faith Christian Academy in the District 1 Class-A semifinals Monday night at 7 p.m.

The Drakes (11-5) enter the postseason winners of four of their last five games. The Lions (7-8) have lost three of their last four games.

The Bicentennial Athletic League rivals played last month. Jenkintown won, 59-54, at home on Feb. 3.

The winner will face the winner of No. 1 Phil-Mont Christian and No. 4 The Christian Academy in the championship Thursday.