The list of six Pioneer Athletic Conference basketball programs that qualified for the PIAA Tournament has been whittled down to three following this past weekend’s first round. While the Spring-Ford girls and boys plus the Pottstown boys were one-and-done in their first-round matchups, two boys teams and one girls program still remain, including a defending state champion among the few.
Below is a closer look at those three second-round contests, slated for Tuesday and Wednesday:
Tuesday, March 10:
6A Girls
(1-6) Perkiomen Valley vs. (1-1) Upper Dublin, 6 p.m. (Bensalem HS)
Despite a drastically different look from last season, Perkiomen Valley is still considered a reigning state champ until somebody says otherwise – and that next somebody to take their shot is a fellow District 1 foe, one in the midst of a storybook 2025-26 campaign.
This matchup also features the last two 6A district champs, with PV winning championships in 2023-25 and the Cardinals capturing their first district title since 2007 on March 1.
For head coach John Russo’s Vikings (24-5 overall), five new starters have led the way following the mass exodus of the program’s dynasty-setting Class of 2025. The sixth seed out of District 1 dominated the Pioneer Athletic Conference once again for PV’s fourth straight league crown before sustaining losses to Downingtown East and CB East in districts.
In Friday’s first-round battle at District 3’s Central Dauphin, Perk Valley trailed by double digits in the second half before storming back to win in overtime, marking the fourth straight season the program has won at least one PIAA contest. Sophomore Scarlett Lee posted a game-high 21 points in the win, along with four rebounds and four assists, while classmate Hannah Evans also cracked double digits with 12 points. Juniors Kate Nemic, Megan King and Lauren Binkowski accounted for PV’s remaining 21 points, while Russo’s daughter, sophomore Gabby, also factors heavily into the rotation.
PV made seven 3-pointers and 15 of 19 free throws against Central Dauphin and will need a similarly-efficient performance in both areas to topple the top girls’ hoops squad in the area.
Upper Dublin (28-2) crushed Pennsbury to win the program’s first district title in nearly two decades, and the Cardinals also were champions of the Suburban One League. Their only two losses this season were to Sidwell Friends School (DC) on Dec. 20 and to Friends’ Central on Feb. 5 by a combined five points.
Like PV, UD relies heavily on the 3-pointer and all members of its rotation are also capable of putting the ball on the floor and attacking the rim. Unlike the Vikings, Upper Dublin boasts size and length that could be the difference makers this late in the season. 5-11 senior forward and La Salle recruit Emilia Coleman scored a game-high 17 points in the district title game, and Megan Ngo, a 5-3 senior point guard, is also a Division-I basketball recruit (Fairleigh Dickinson).
Additional weapons in head coach Morgan Funsten’s arsenal include 6-0 junior Bridget DiMartile (Michigan lacrosse recruit), 5-8 junior wing Tamia Clark and sophomore Ella Morris in the starting lineup and sophomore Lexi Ngo as the first option off the bench.
The winner of this game will meet the winner of Hazleton-Parkland in Friday’s quarterfinals.
4A Boys
(1-1) Pope John Paul II vs. (4-1) Lewisburg Area, 6 p.m. (Martz Hall, Pottsville)
District 1 champion PJP made very quick work of first-round opponent Murrell Dobbins Tech of the Philadelphia Public League on Friday, claiming a 31-point home victory that saw nine different players score at least two points. Senior captain Jack Kessler led the way with a literal flawless performance, shooting 10-for-10 overall (including eight triples) en route to a career-best 28 points.
The Golden Panthers (22-4 overall) showcased their depth in winning their first state playoff game since 2020 on Friday, with Kessler proving the team has multiple deadly weapons who can hang crooked numbers on the scoreboard. Senior captain Jason Green (Catholic University recruit) was next up with 11 points, and Green’s backcourt mate and classmate Ayden Wise (Kutztown) became the program’s first 1,000-point scorer in the district semifinals. Junior Lucas Pekofsky and senior Zahaid Edwards-Boone are also capable of putting the ball in the basket, and junior Jude Schuberth is tough as nails on the defensive end.
Standing in PJP’s way is District 4 champion Lewisburg, a 70-54 winner over District 3’s Big Spring in round one. The Green Dragons also enter the contest at 22-4 and feature three players who average double-digit points: senior Cooper Mowry and sophomore LJ Tucker are each at around 13 points per contest, while 6-4 senior center Nazir Meredith posts averages of 11.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Senior Rebira Jemama and freshman Cortland Michaels both produce between nine and 10 points a game, with Michaels also adding six assists and nearly three steals to his daily output.
The winner of this game will face off against the Archbishop Carroll-Bishop McDevitt winner in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Wednesday, March 11:
6A Boys
(1-3) Methacton vs. (7-2) New Castle, 5:30 p.m. (Penns Valley HS, Spring Mills)
Methacton came very close to a one-and-done PIAA performance on Saturday afternoon before sophomore John Leet sprung to life just in the nick of time.
The Warriors trailed by as many as 14 points in the fourth quarter against visiting Whitehall before Leet caught fire, pouring in 16 of his game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter to secure the program’s first state playoff win since 2022. He knocked down six treys in the contest. Seniors Wes Robinson (13 points) and Cole Webb (eight points) enjoyed particularly strong third and first quarters, respectively, while head coach Pat Lockard can also turn to seniors Jahmir Carter and Mason Conrad and junior Jack Lineen when in need of a big bucket.
As a reward for their rallying efforts, Methacton (23-5 overall) draws District 7 runner-up New Castle next, located about an hour’s drive northwest of Pittsburgh. The teams will meet at Penns Valley High School in Spring Mills, approximately 175 miles northwest of Methacton’s campus, while New Castle will traverse roughly the same distance from the west.
The Hurricanes are 24-2, with their only defeats coming in the District 7 championship game to Upper St. Clair by one point and a two-point loss to Pine-Richland in late January. They beat District 3’s Wilson 68-38 in round one, with Kai Cox leading the charge with 22 points. Damian Harrison and Marino Graham contributed 19 and 11 points, respectively, in the victory.
The winner of this one will advance to Saturday’s quarterfinals to battle the winner of the Central Dauphin-Souderton matchup.
