If Archbishop Carroll, Cardinal O’Hara and Haverford High have dreams of playing for the PIAA Class 6A championship later this month, they’ll have to go through Perkiomen Valley first.
The top three programs from Delaware County will have a steep hill to climb just to get to the Giant Center in Hershey.
Nobody wants to meet the Perk Valley Vikings, the back-to-back District 1 champions, in this year’s tournament, which gets under way Friday with 16 first-round games.
Haverford’s win over Garnet Valley in the District 1 fifth-place game was, perhaps, more beneficial to the loser than the winner. Garnet Valley, Delco’s fourth qualifier in Class 6A, was placed on the opposite side of the tournament brackets by virtue of its loss to the Fords. The Jaguars wouldn’t have to worry about Perk Valley until the final.
Perk Valley (27-1), which is averaging 64.8 points per game, is led by junior guard/forward Grace Galbavy and senior center Quinn Boettinger, who both carried the team to a 62-55 double-overtime win over Spring-Ford for the district title. Spring-Ford is the only team this season to lose respectably to the Vikings — that is, not by double digits.
Carroll is the one Delco school Perk Valley played this season. The Patriots were crushed by the Vikings, 58-38, back on Jan. 21 in a rematch of last year’s state quarterfinal.
Delco’s Catholic League powers should give Perk Valley a big challenge, provided either gets the chance. Carroll is the reigning state champs, beating PV in overtime along the way, and O’Hara won back-to-back 5A titles in 2021 and 2022. Carroll and O’Hara are annually among the favorites to go the distance in the PIAA playoffs, and Perk Valley has yet to prove they can beat either one on a big stage.
Here are Friday’s Class 6A first-round games involving Delco teams:
1-5 Haverford vs 12-3 Dobbins Tech at Archbishop Ryan, 5:30 p.m.
The Fords (24-4) were originally set to take on O’Hara, which had won the District 12 third-place game. However, Northeast High forfeited the District 12 final against Carroll and was therefore ineligible for the PIAA tournament. As a result, O’Hara moved into second place and Dobbins (14-12) was called in to replace Northeast.
Now the Fords have a pretty favorable matchup in the first round. The Central League champs have received outstanding play all season from senior guard Aniya Eberhart and junior forward Rian Dotsey.
The winner advances to play either Perk Valley or District 3 sixth-place finisher Manheim Township.
1-8 Upper Dublin at 12-2 Cardinal O’Hara, 6
The Lions (21-4) have waited patiently to play a competitive game since falling to Carroll in the Catholic League semifinals Feb. 20. Expect senior Joanie Quinn (LaSalle) and junior guard/forward Molly Rullo (Drexel) to have the Lions ready to go. O’Hara advanced to the final four of the 6A tourney last March.
The Cardinals (24-5), once considered a formidable threat to Perk Valley for the District 1 title, are mired in a three-game losing streak. They fell to Spring-Ford in the quarterfinals before dropping playback contests to Garnet Valley and Central Bucks East.
The winner moves on to face either District 2 champion Hazleton or District 1 ninth-place finisher Pennsbury.
1-11 W.C. Henderson at 12-1 Archbishop Carroll, 6
The Patriots (17-9) last played Feb. 26 when they were on the losing end of one of the greatest Catholic League girls basketball finals in history. The reigning Class 6A champs will lean on senior star Brooke Wilson, the Army recruit and Catholic League MVP. Sophomore Alexis Eberz, who is garnering plenty of Division I interest, has developed into one of the top underclassmen in the area.
Despite winning the Ches-Mont League championship the Warriors (22-7) earned the second-to-last states berth in the District 1 tourney. Senior guard Whitney Evans is one to watch.
Carroll or Henderson play the winner of District 1 third-place finisher Conestoga and Wilson, which is the fourth-place team out of District 3.
1-6 Garnet Valley at 11-2 Easton, 7
If juniors Haylie Adamski and Kylie Mulholland are on top of their games, offensively, the Jaguars (22-6) can make noise in the tournament. .
The winner of GV and Easton plays either District 3 champ Central Dauphin or District 1 12th-place finisher Kennett.
In Class 5A on Saturday:
1-6 Radnor at 12-1 Archbishop Wood, 3
The Raptors (19-7) will look to do the improbable by unseating the Vikings, who have won three consecutive PIAA titles. Senior guard Kate Gallagher, a West Point recruit for lacrosse, is Radnor’s driving force.
Wood (21-5) is as good as it gets in the state regardless of PIAA classification. Senior guard and 1,000-point scorer Ava Renninger is bound for Fairleigh Dickinson, while junior forward Emily Knouse is committed to Saint Joseph’s.
In Class 2A on Friday:
1-1 Sacred Heart vs 12-3 Parkway West at Upper Merion, 5:30
The Lions secured District 1’s only bid to the state tournament. Coach Zack Shuler’s program captured its seventh district crown in eight seasons with a 53-36 decision over Delco Christian Feb. 24.
Junior power forward/center Keara McCaffrey averages a double-double in points and rebounds for Sacred.
