Springfield, Garnet Valley focused on confirmed title tilt
The seedings for the District One girls basketball tournaments came out Sunday. Well, not the official version.
Sure, the power rankings and brackets were posted on the district’s new website, but the pairings are not official until noon Monday.
Hey, with all the problems the district has had with its power-ranking systems in the past, guess district officials probably just want to play it safe.
If everything stays the same, though, nine Delco teams will take part in the District One tournament in three classifications. Garnet Valley (20-3) earned the No. 3 seed and will take on Central League rival Penncrest (11-11), the No. 30 seed, at home Friday night.
“It’s a nice reward for all the hard work the girls have put in,” Garnet Valley coach Joe Woods said.
Springfield (18-4), which faces Garnet Valley Monday night at Maple Newtown for the Central League crown, is the ninth seed and hosts No. 24 Central Bucks East (12-10) Saturday afternoon.
“We’re thrilled with our seed,” Springfield coach Ky McNichol said. “You want to do well in the regular season so you can get a good seed in the district playoffs.”
While Woods and McNichol are happy with their seeds, both are a little more preoccupied with Monday’s championship showdown. Springfield was the only team to beat Garnet Valley in the Central League this season, snapping the Jaguars’ 38-game league winning streak with a 49-37 victory at home Dec. 22, 2015.
“They did a great job that night,” Woods said. “They were well prepared and the played very well.”
“We’re excited about being in the championship game,” McNichol said. “The girls have improved throughout the season. They’ve stuck together and supported each other. We know we’re going against a great team in Garnet Valley, but we’re excited about the opportunity.”
Three-time defending Del Val champ Penn Wood (16-6), Haverford (12-10) and Radnor (11-11) are part of the 32-team field in Class AAAA.
The Patriots are seeded 17th and visit No. 16 Cheltenham (15-7) in the first round. Haverford is the No. 25 seed, to head to No. 8 C.B. South (17-5). Radnor is seeded 29th and has a first-round date at fourth-seeded Mount. St. Joseph (18-4). All those games are slated for Saturday.
Sun Valley (8-14) is the lone Delco rep in the 12-team Class AAA bracket. The Vanguards are the No. 10 seed and take on No. 7 Nazareth Academy (8-14) in the first round Feb. 16.
The Christian Academy (15-6) earns a spot in the Class A tournament in its first year of PIAA eligibility. The Crusaders are the No. 5 seed and visit No. 4 Faith Christian (18-4) in the first round Feb. 20.
Delco Christian (17-5) just missed being the No. 1 seed in by .013 points, edged by Phil-Mont Christian. DC takes a 10-game winning streak into the Bicentennial League playoffs, which start this week. The Knights face No. 7 Friends’ Select (10-8) in the opening round of the District One Tournament Feb. 20.
