Perkiomen Valley, Spring-Ford double up in PIAA basketball tournaments

Four Pioneer Athletic Conference squads begin their pursuits of a PIAA basketball championship this weekend.

The District 1 champion Perkiomen Valley and third-place Spring-Ford girls open Class 6A tournament play Friday at home against District 3 opposition.

On Saturday in 6A boys play, District 1 runner-up Spring-Ford hosts an opening round contest while District 1 11th seed Perkiomen Valley is on the road to West Philadelphia High School for a matchup with Philadelphia Catholic League and District 12 champs Roman Catholic.

The single-elimination tournament continues through March 23-25 when the finals will be staged at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Boys basketball

Central York (3-5) at Spring-Ford (1-2), Saturday, 3 p.m.

Records >> Central York 22-7, YAIAA champion, fifth-place in District 3-6A; Spring-Ford 25-3, PAC champion, District 1-6A runner-up.

Central York at a glance >> The Panthers are led by YAIAA Coach of the Year Jeff Hoke and Player of the Year Greg Guidinger. Guidinger is a 6-foot-7 stretch forward who has averaged 16.9 ppg, 8.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists. The junior also surpassed 1,000 career points in the District 3-6A tournament. Central York’s supporting cast includes YAIAA first team sophomores in 6-foot-8 power forward Ben Rill and 6-foot-1 guard Ben Natal.

Spring-Ford at a glance >> The PAC champion Rams are coming off their first District 1 final appearance in program history, led by guards Jacob Nguyen (16.6 ppg) and EJ Campbell (13 ppg). Forwards Alex Lewis, Zach Zollers and Tommy Kelly all provide a loud presence on the boards while senior Caleb Little has starting point guard duties. Helmed by longtime La Salle coach Joe Dempsey, Spring-Ford is in for what should be an exciting coach’s duel.

Perkiomen Valley (1-11) vs. Roman Catholic (12-1) at West Philadelphia High School, Saturday, 5 p.m.

Records >> Roman Catholic: 23-3, PCL champion, District 12 champion; Perkiomen Valley: 17-8, PAC semifinalist, 11th in District 1-6A

Perkiomen Valley at a glance >> The Vikings boast the top scorer within the PAC in junior guard Julian Sadler (6-foot-2), who averages 21 ppg. Perkiomen Valley has size all around its roster, highlighted by bigs Morgan McKinney (6-foot-5) and Kyle Schawaluk (6-foot-4). Mason Thear, also standing over six feet, provides a pinpoint outside shot to complement Sadler’s output.

Roman Catholic at a glance >> The reigning state champion is ranked No. 1 overall in Pennsylvania (MaxPreps) and defeated No. 2-ranked Neumann-Goretti in overtime in the PCL championship on Feb. 27. Starters Erik Oliver-Bush and Jermai Stewart-Herring are both ineligible for the PIAA postseason, having transferred to the school district for their senior campaigns.

The Cahillites still have size in St. Joseph’s University commits Xzayvier Brown (6-foot-3) and Anthony Finkley (6-foot-7), both seniors. Sophomore Shareef Jackson and Chris McNesby will see increased roles through the state tournament along with Robert Cottrell and Will Felder.

Girls basketball

Dallastown (3-4) at Spring-Ford (1-3), Friday, 7 p.m.

Records >> Dallastown: 19-10, YAIAA champion, fourth-place in District 3-6A; Spring-Ford: Dallastown 24-5, PAC Runner-up, third-place in District 1-6A.

Dallastown at a glance >> The Wildcats are led by junior power forward Kiara McNealy and 6-foot sophomore Praise Matthews, both being YAIAA Division I second team selections. Dallastown upset District 3-6A runner-up Central York in the YAIAA title game before eventually taking fourth place in the District 3-6A tournament.

Spring-Ford at a glance >> The Rams are led by junior guards Anna Azzara and Mac Pettinelli. Azzara is the second-leading scorer in the PAC at 15.2 ppg and averages 4.3 assists per game as well. Pettinelli averages 9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5 assists per game.

Junior Katie Tiffan adds 8.8 ppg while forward Meg Robbins patrols the paint with 7.4 ppg and averages six rebounds. Katie Tiffan and Sienna Miller both provide the Rams with strong outside shooting as well. Spring-Ford was the state runner-up in 2021 and reached the PIAA quarterfinals last season with much carryover from both runs on this year’s squad.

Red Lion (18-9) at Perkiomen Valley (27-1), Friday, 7 p.m.

Records >> Red Lion: 18-9, sixth-place in District 3-6A; Perkiomen Valley: 27-1, PAC champion, District 1-6A champion.

Red Lion at a glance >> Strong forward Bhrooke Axe and power forward Kamauri Gordon-Bey, both senior YAIAA first team selections, provide size and paint dominance for the Lions. Junior Grace Masser is an athletic YAIAA second-team shooting guard and the squad is also highlighted by point guard Tati Virata.

Perkiomen Valley at a glance >> The Vikings have a starting-five entirely made up of sophomores — Grace Galbavy, Bella Bacani, Quinn Boettinger, Lena Stein, Julia Smith — and have just one loss on the season to Spring-Ford.

Boettinger, a 6-foot-3 center, is the PAC’s leading scorer at 16.3 ppg while Galbavy, a 6-foot wing, adds 13.8. Ella Stein, the lone senior for the Vikings, is first off the bench and fills various roles on a dynamic and highly capable squad that’s eying a trip to Hershey.