Delco sending eight teams to District One boys lacrosse field
None of Delco’s representatives in the District One boys lacrosse tournament found their way into the top three positions for first-round byes. But the top 10 seeds are clogged with Delco teams vying for five berths in the PIAA Tournament.
Led by No. 5 seed Strath Haven, eight teams from Delco will compete in the tournament, which begins Tuesday; all eight find themselves in the top 21 of the 29-team field. The full bracket is available here.
The Central League tri-champs — Strath Haven, Garnet Valley and Conestoga — are seeded fifth, sixth and eighth, respectively. Haven (14-4) opens at home with No. 28 West Chester Rustin Tuesday. Garnet Valley (14-4) gets No. 27 Pennridge. Start times are to be determined.
Haverford (14-4), the seventh seed, opens with No. 26 Wissahickon. Defending District One champion Springfield (12-6) makes it five Central League teams in the top 10 by earning the 10th seed and a visit from No. 23 Great Valley Tuesday.
The other four Delco teams are in all-Central League clashes, including No. 15 Penncrest (9-9) hosting No. 18 Ridley (8-10) Tuesday. The Lions claimed the first meeting, 8-7, April 14.
Radnor (9-9) earned the 12th seed as it mounts its defense of the PIAA title, starting with hosting Marple Newtown (10-8), the 21st seed. Radnor claimed an 11-7 win over the Tigers May 5, and the Raiders started last season’s tournament by topping the Tigers in the first round.
Conestoga also opens its run with an all-Central clash against No. 25 Harriton.
Top seed Avon Grove, No. 2 Spring-Ford and No. 3 Upper Dublin, champions of weaker leagues, received byes.
If the seeds hold, two all-Delaware County matchups loom in Thursday’s second round. Springfield and Haverford could meet, as could Strath Haven and Radnor. Four Delco teams — Springfield, Haverford, Ridley and Penncrest — are hemmed into the quarterfinal path that leads presumably leads to Spring-Ford.
The quarterfinals will be held in a quadruple-header at Harriton Saturday to decide the first four states qualifiers. The semifinals and final will be held May 24 and 26 at West Chester Henderson. The four quarterfinal losers will play for one state berth decided May 26.
