Top-seeded Springfield ready to take all comers in 5A
Springfield fell short of winning a Central League title, but the Cougars are feeling pretty good about themselves as they prepare for the District 1 5A playoffs.
Following a 19-3 regular season, and a trip to the Central League semifinals, the Cougars earned the No. 1 seed in their district tournament, which is slated to begin Tuesday, Feb. 21.
The unofficial district tournament brackets were announced Sunday following the seeding meeting at Penncrest.
Springfield opens the tourney with No. 16 Pope John Paul II (10-12), one of five teams with losing records to qualify.
“This is a special team, a special group, and we’ve had a great season together,” Springfield coach Kylynn McNichol said. “We would have liked to play for a Central League championship, especially for our seniors … but as I said to the team, the season is not over yet. We’ll be playing a lot of basketball in the next couple weeks. We’ll need to regroup, get our focus back and be ready to go next week.
“Take today away and we’ve had a tremendous season. They earned this No. 1 seed, they’ve beaten a lot of good teams to get here. They’ve really come together. They’ve won game in and game out as a team. I’m excited for districts and I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can do together.”
Radnor (16-6) is the fourth seed and will play Del Val League co-champion and 13th seed Interboro (12-10).
Interboro is one of three Del Val champs to make the field of 16. No. 9 Penn Wood (11-11) plays eighth-seeded Upper Merion (14-8), while No.12 Academy Park (11-11) takes on fifth-seeded West Chester Rustin (14-8).
Elsewhere in 5A, 14th-seeded Penncrest (9-12), which was aided by a late-season forfeit win over Chichester, meets No. 3 Villa Maria (14-8).
In Class 6A, Garnet Valley (20-2) is the No. 4 seed and the only Delco team to qualify for the postseason. The Jaguars get a first-round bye and will play the winner of No. 13 Methacton (17-5) and 20th-seeded Downingtown East (14-8) in the second round Wednesday, Feb. 22. But first the Jaguars will try for a fourth consecutive Central League title Tuesday night against Conestoga, which is the No. 6 seed in districts.
In Class 2A, Sacred Heart (13-9) took home the No. 1 seed and will play No. 4 Delco Christian (6-15) in the semifinals Friday, Feb. 24.
In the District 1/12 Class 1A sub-regional, The Christian Academy (18-4) is the second seed. The Crusaders play the winner of No. 3 Jenkintown (17-5) and sixth-seeded Morrisville (12-10) in the semifinal round Tuesday, Feb. 28.
