Odds-defying Delco Christian, Greenwood meet in PIAA Class A opener

Delco Christian’s return to the state tournament from the No. 6 seed in District One to its runner-up finish seems a long shot. Their opponent in Friday’s PIAA Class A opener, Greenwood, wound its way to the District 3 final as the No. 10 seed.

The reward for the Wildcats (13-13) is home-district advantage as Delco Christian ventures to Central Dauphin East Friday evening at 7:30.

Both teams, as second seeds from districts, come off losses. The Knights (14-12) marked the 28th win for Phil-Mont Christian in a 58-41 handling in the District One title game.

Greenwood saw its dream run ended by unbeaten York Country Day, 56-44, in the District 3 final. Along the way, Greenwood tipped Millersburg, the team that ended Delco Christian’s season in the second round of states last year. Greenwood’s scoring is top-heavy, led by Noah Wright (11.2 points per game), Seth Ferguson (10.0) and Kevin Sheaffer (7.5).

Regardless of who they’re playing, Delco Christian’s predicament is clear. Two of its top three scorers remain suspended, putting a huge burden on Wyatt Harkins, who is averaging 19.8 points per game. Those absences leave Delco Christian with four scoring options, and against Phil-Mont, only T.J. Tann consistently supplied offense.

Tann and Jordan Parks are capable of converting from deep, while Parks is vital for the Knights defensive posture. Bryce Shook is capable of contributing offensively in the lane, but he has to supplement a decent mid-range jumper with back-to-the-basket post play.

All season, Delco Christian has surmounted adversity for an improbable return to states. The task in the PIAA Tournament is no different.

“With the fire that we’ve got, we just have to go out with what we have,” Tann said after the Phil-Mont loss. “We can’t make excuses.”