Phoenixville and Pope John Paul II have the unenviable task of trying to break up the collision course of a Spring-Ford versus Perkiomen Valley Pioneer Athletic Conference championship game for the third straight season.
In Saturday’s semifinal doubleheader at Spring-Ford, the upset-minded squads from the Frontier Division square up with the winners of the last six PAC titles. No. 4 seed Pope John Paul II opposes top-seeded Perkiomen Valley in the 6 p.m. game, followed by Frontier champion and No. 2 seed Phoenixville against No. 3 Spring-Ford at 7:45 p.m.
The semifinal winners will meet for the championship on Wednesday, Feb. 14, at Spring-Ford.
A look at the matchups:
No. 4 seed Pope John Paul II vs. No. 1 seed Perkiomen Valley
Records: Pope John Paul II: 7-3 PAC Frontier, 8-5 PAC, 13-9 overall, No. 3 in District 1-4A rankings; Perkiomen Valley: 10-0 PAC Liberty, 13-0 PAC, 21-1 overall, No. 1 in District 1-6A rankings
Head-to-head: The two teams have not met this season. In their last meeting, on Dec. 22, 2022, Perk Valley rolled 64-12.
Path to the semifinals: Pope John Paul II put down Upper Merion 32-26 in Thursday’s quarterfinal to make the PAC semifinals for the third time. Junior Grace Fitzgerald led the way with 14 points. … Perkiomen Valley received a first-round bye as Liberty Division champion.
PAC playoff history: Pope John Paul II has qualified for PACs 11 times, including five straight times, playing in the semifinals in 2018 and 2022 in the Final Six era (since 2018). … Perkiomen Valley is the reigning PAC champion and has won the title twice (2016, 2023). It was runner-up in 2018 and 2022.
Golden Panthers at a glance: PJP tied with Upper Merion for second place in the PAC Frontier, ultimately winning a tiebreaker on district power points for the No. 4 seed. It proved why it got the edge as the better side in their quarterfinal. Senior forward Katie Nilles is the top scorer (9.3 points per game) while freshman guard Sophie Vigliotta follows at 8.2 ppg. Junior guard Grace Fitzgerald (6.7) stepped up big against Upper Merion while sophomore guard Rylee Derecola (5.9) and junior guard Brooke Albeck (5.4) are also relied upon, as is senior forward Elena Colliluori. PJP is 4-3 in its last seven.
Vikings at a glance: Perk Valley has met the rampant expectations of last season’s success that featured PAC and District 1 titles and a run to the PIAA round of 16 head on. A 21-1 regular season and undefeated run in the PAC lend credence to another postseason of similar heights. Step one is now for the junior-heavy VIkings. Grace Galbavy, last year’s Mercury All-Area Player of the Year, and Quinn Boettinger, already two-time All-Area first team, are game-changers. Galbavy averages 16.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while Boettinger comes in averaging 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds each outing. Junior point guard Bella Bacani (10.5 ppg) can catch fire, junior guard Lena Stein (5.3 ppg) is a feared defender and junior Grace Miley (8.3 ppg) has been impactful in her return from an ACL injury that held her out last season. Lone senior Anna Stein (4.3 ppg), also back from a knee injury,and junior guard Julia Smith are consistent presences in coach John Russo’s rotation.
Matchup and prediction: Three-quarters of the Pioneer Athletic Conference don’t get to say they were conference semifinalists and Pope John Paul II making the Final Four isn’t to be downplayed. But Perkiomen Valley is on another level than most teams in the region and state. The Vikings have an average margin of victory of 43.6 points against PAC opponents and only Spring-Ford has played within 30 points of the defending champs. Perk Valley’s pursuit of a PAC repeat rolls on … Perkiomen Valley 64, Pope John Paul II 22
No. 3 Spring-Ford vs No. 2 Phoenixville
Records: Spring-Ford: 8-2 PAC Liberty, 11-2 PAC, 18-4 overall, No. 6 in District 1-6A rankings … Phoenixville: 10-0 PAC Frontier, 12-1 PAC, 16-6 overall, No. 7 in District 1-5A rankings
Head-to-head: Spring-Ford defeated Phoenixville in a PAC crossover, 60-32, on Dec. 21, 2023. Seniors Anna Azzara (15) and Aaliyah Solliday (14) combined for 29 in the win.
Path to the semifinals: Spring-Ford shut down upstart Norristown 69-19 in the quarterfinals Thursday … Phoenixville received a first-round bye as champion of the Frontier Division.
PAC playoff history: Spring-Ford is 11-time PAC champion (seven more than second-place Boyertown) and has played in the final on six straight occasions. … Phoenixville has won two PAC championships, the second and third years of the conference’s existence in 1987-88 and 1988-89. The Phantoms qualified for the PAC final six in 2019 and 2023.
Rams at a glance: Spring-Ford is pursuing a return to the top of the PAC after being dethroned by Perkiomen Valley a year ago, ending a run of five straight conference crowns. It’s the end of an era with a senior group that has been the focal points since they were sophomores. The group is headed by four-year starting guard Anna Azzara, the Wright State (Ohio) commit who is averaging 15.7 points per game. Fellow senior Mac Pettinelli (6.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 5.1 apg), bound for St. Bonaventure, brings an all-around game that has allowed her to become S-F all-time assists leader (436). Senior guard Aaliyah Solliday, back from an ACL injury that forced her to miss her junior year, is averaging 10.6 ppg, and Katie Tiffan comes in at 8.9 ppg. Junior Kareena Preuss (6.6 ppg) has emerged this fall and, alongside Solliday, provides the Rams with an enhanced array of options from a year ago. Senior Siena Miller and junior Christina Tiffan also figure into the Rams’ rotation.
Phantoms at a glance: Phoenixville ran the table in the Frontier, finishing atop the division for the second straight year. It enters Saturday on a six-game winning streak. Sophomore guard Kayden Baratta has burst onto the PAC scene and is the league’s leading scorer at 19.0 points per game. The Phantoms bring size to the table with senior Maliyah Warren (10.9), junior Emine Ulcay (7.6) and sophomore Riley Ford-Bey (5.1). Senior Ava Gnias (5.5) completes the starting five. Others who see playing time include Maggie McCoy, Allyson Turner, Julia Chain and Taylor Schneider.
Matchup and prediction: A Spring-Ford/Phoenixville matchup presents a contrast of styles. The Rams are very perimeter-oriented while the Phantoms have frontline size that can thrive inside the arc (although Baratta is second in the PAC with 46 3-pointers). The Rams’ 28-point margin of victory in their regular season meeting indicates a team that can cope with the difference. A second time won’t alter enough to stop Spring-Ford from getting another shot at Perkiomen Valley … Spring-Ford 62, Phoenixville 34
