Perkiomen Valley out to show Haverford its growth in District 1-6A title game

The finalists of the District 1 Class 6A girls basketball tournament, No. 1 seed Perkiomen Valley and No. 2 Haverford, have a bit of history this season.

You won’t find it in the Vikings’ 26-1 record or the Fords’ 27-0 mark, but the teams took the court against each other back on Nov. 26 in a season-opening scrimmage.

It is not the fondest memory for Perk Valley.

“We scrimmaged them in the preseason at Rustin and they kicked our butts,” said PV head coach John Russo. “I thought the worst we’ve played all year was against them. I really thought they beat us up.”

“Now, that’s what is supposed to happen when it’s seniors versus sophomores. But I feel like we are no longer sophomores and maybe we can punch back.”

Perkiomen Valley and its all-sophomore starting five will be out to show Haverford how much it has grown in the past three months when they meet in the final at 4 p.m. Saturday at Temple University’s Liacouras Center.

A look at the matchup:

Records >> No. 1 seed Perkiomen Valley: 12-1 PAC, 26-1 overall, Pioneer Athletic Conference champion; No. 2 seed Haverford: 27-0, Central League champions

Road to the final >> Perk Valley had to grit through a 49-42 win over No. 17 Central Bucks East on Feb. 22, smashed No. 8 Neshaminy 48-27 on Feb. 25, then staged a furious rally in the final three minutes to come from six down to knock off top rival and No. 5 seed Spring-Ford 53-42 in the semifinals on Wednesday. … Haverford has handled all comers in its district run with three wins of 18 points or greater: 47-29 win over No. 15 Methacton on Feb. 22, 56-31 over No. 7 Springfield-Delco and 43-21 over No. 11 Pennsbury in Wednesday’s semifinal.

Championship history >> Perk Valley has one district title, its lone finals appearance. It won the 2015-16 Class 4A title game, 56-41 over Downingtown East. … This is Haverford’s first appearance in the District 1 championship.

Perkiomen Valley at a glance >> It’s all about a special sophomore class at Perkiomen Valley with second-year players filling the starting five. The cast is led by center Quinn Boettinger and inside-outside threat Grace Galbavy, both Mercury All-Area first team selections as freshmen. Boettinger averages a PAC-best 16.2 points per game and Galbavy averages 13.8 ppg.

Point guard Bella Bacani averages double figures (10.4) while the starting lineup also features defensive leader Lena Stein and 3-point threat Julia Smith. Ella Stein, the squad’s lone senior, is first off the bench and she had a big role to play in the semifinals, stepping into the starting lineup with sister Lena out due to illness and scoring 11 points, including the lead-taking basket in the final minute.

Haverford at a glance >> Haverford, coached by Lauren Pellicane, holds the advantage in experience with three senior starters, the frontcourt combo of Caroline Dotsey (6-1) and Mollie Carpenter (6-0) plus guard Sky Newman. With sophomore wing Rian Dotsey (5-11), Caroline’s younger sister, also a key piece, the Fords feature three players 5-11 and taller, a size advantage no team has been able to cope with. Junior guard Aniya Eberhart rounds out a starting lineup with five players capable of putting up double figures any time out.

Caroline Dotsey is a Maine commit who is the team’s undeniable leader and has a versatile game that allows her to do damage anywhere on the floor.

Haverford won its first Central League title since 2012 and is seeking to become only the second Central League squad to win a district 6A championship.

Matchup and prediction >> For two teams used to having the size advantage every game, they’re about to meet their match. The battle in the post and on the boards between the Dotseys and Carpenter against Boettinger and Galbavy is the obvious focal point in this matchup. That’s just one of the similarities between the Vikings and Fords, who are on similar trajectories having taken big steps forward this season after placing sixth and seventh respectively in the district last winter. Both are preaching the ‘one game at a time’ mentality as well.

“I think it’s still important that we go into the game with the same mindset we have with every other game,” Caroline Dotsey said after the semifinals. “We still have to prepare the same way and we can’t underestimate anyone. That’s how we have prepared all year. I think if we stick to that mindset, we’ll be good.”

Haverford can expect a much better shot from Perk Valley than in the preseason, which was the Vikings first game together with Galbavy, who transferred from Upper Perkiomen, and Lena Stein, Bacani and Smith as full-time starters after sharing one spot the year prior.

The frontcourt piece is so obvious it almost figures that everything else will tip the scale, whether it be 3-point shooting, free-throw shooting or the intangible piece of which team best acclimates to the atmosphere and optics of a 10,000 seat arena like the one that awaits at Temple.

“We’ve been working for this since the season ended last year. We got there, now the goal is to finish it. We’ve done everything we needed to get there, now it’s just one more game. It’s just another game … but we’ve gotta win,” said Perk Valley’s Ella Stein.

Yet you can imagine a Haverford player saying the exact same thing. And unlike sophomore-heavy Perk Valley, it’s last-chance time for the senior leaders of Haverford, which is why the Fords will raise the District 1 trophy … Haverford 46, Perkiomen Valley 41.