Keith Pompey: PCL powers are cut down in state basketball tourney

Some of us were led to believe the Philadelphia Catholic League was invincible.

Even during Chester's and Lower Merion's Class AAAA state championship seasons, some of us Philadelphians weren't impressed by our suburban counterparts. We said those teams would have finished no higher than third in the Catholic League.

We really believed that. We boasted about it. And we made fun of anyone who disagreed.

That's why some of us were overjoyed when the Catholic League became a member of the PIAA's District 12 this season. We envisioned instant Class AAAA state championship titles.

Catholic League schools have too much speed. They boast too many Division I prospects. District 1, which is composed of Southeastern Pennsylvania's suburban schools, doesn't have a chance. Or so we thought.

If we learned one thing Saturday, it's that the Catholic League's perceived invincibility was nonsense.

Pennsbury blitzed North Catholic in a first-round matchup. Out of the game from the start of the second quarter, North was held to a season-low 26 points.

Less than two hours later, Central Bucks South defeated Roman Catholic, 62-57, in a major upset.

The Cahillites are Pennsylvania's top-ranked Class AAAA team, according to the Harrisburg Patriot-News. With McDonald's all-American Maalik Wayns back from a knee injury, Roman was supposed to be a state champion in waiting. Or so we thought.

The Titans jumped out to a 9-2 advantage and never surrendered the lead. Roman lost to a Central Bucks South team that is the eighth seed in District 1. And it's the same squad that entered the contest on a three-game losing streak.

While destroying a few myths, the victory opened up some Philadelphians' eyes about District 1's competitiveness. And it should bring even more respect to a district that has won five of the last nine Class AAAA state titles.

"People have been saying that we don't deserve all these teams in the state playoffs," Central Bucks South's Will Barrett said of the nine District 1 teams qualifying for the tournament. "But year after year, we keep proving people wrong."

And that's not the only message his Titans' victory sent.

It showed that, perhaps, District 1 - not the Catholic League - boasts the state's premier Class AAAA teams.

"People have been talking about how tough they are and how quick they are," Barrett said. "It's true. But we just wanted to come out, play our game and represent the Suburban One League and District 1."

Mission accomplished.

Three things about last week

1. Thanks for voicing your opinion, Coach: I picked the Roman Catholic boys' basketball team to win the Class AAAA state crown. (Yeah, yeah. I know.) After Central Bucks South beat Roman, Titans forward Will Barrett told me what his coach, Jason Campbell, said about my prediction. "He said Keith Pompey is a great writer, but he makes bad predictions."

Can't argue with that.

2. The Tyrone Garland Show hits the postseason: The junior point guard scored 40 points Saturday to lead the Bartram boys' basketball team to a 72-67 Class AAAA state first-round overtime win over Pocono Mountain East. Garland's three-pointer at the end of regulation sent the game into overtime. He also scored six of the Maroon Wave's 11 points in overtime.

3. Another great outing for Shante Evans: The West Chester Henderson senior showed Central why she is regarded as one of the area's premier basketball players. The 6-foot forward finished with 30 points and 19 rebounds as she led the Warriors to a 47-40 Class AAAA state first-round victory over the Lancers. Evans shot 10 for 21 from the field and 10 for 13 from the foul line.

Three things about this week

1. It's time to drop the Flyers Cup puck: The annual Flyers Cup hockey tournament begins today with 10 Class AAA teams, 20 Class AA squads, and 20 Class A teams competing for titles in the prestigious Eastern Pennsylvania tournament. The Flyers Cup championship games are scheduled for March 21.

2. A big weekend for area swimmers: The PIAA Class AA and Class AAA swimming and diving championships will run Wednesday through Saturday at Bucknell University in Lewisburg. The Catholic League teams can only hope they fare better than the Roman Catholic and North Catholic boys' basketball teams did against state competition.

3. In the national spotlight: Several of Southeastern Pennsylvania's elite track and field athletes will either compete in the Nike Indoor Nationals or the National Scholastic Indoor Championships. Both meets are scheduled for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The National Scholastic Indoor Championships will be held at the Armory in New York City. The Nike Nationals will get under way at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston.

Pompey's Super Seven

Here are the rankings for the top seven winter teams in Southeastern Pennsylvania, regardless of sport:

1. Archbishop Carroll girls' basketball. The Patriots are ranked No. 7 in the ESPN Rise Fab 50 national rankings.

2. Cardinal O'Hara girls' basketball. Ranked 10th, the Lions aren't far behind Archbishop Carroll in the ESPN Rise Fab 50 poll. However, they are ranked seventh nationally by USA Today.

3. Neumann-Goretti boys' basketball. ESPN Rise lists the Saints as the nation's 17th-best boys' basketball team.

4. La Salle boys' swimming. The Explorers will go for the Class AAA state title in this weekend's PIAA swimming and diving championships.

5. Germantown Academy girls' swimming. It's a shame that the Patriots aren't PIAA members. I would love to see how teams around the state stack up against them.

6. Swenson girls' indoor track and field. The Lions are dominant in the individual sprint events and the 4x200-meter relay.

7. Imhotep boys' basketball. The Panthers have a legitimate shot at winning the Class AA state championship.

Under consideration: Germantown Academy girls' basketball, La Salle hockey, North Penn boys' track and field, Quakertown wrestling, Villa Maria Academy girls' swimming, West Chester Henderson boys' swimming.