Losing proposition for local District 12 teams

ONE OF THESE years, District 12 might even achieve perfection in the first round of the PIAA state basketball tournament.

. . . But it won't happen this year.

Blame the schedule-maker for our ability to make that statement with supreme confidence. You see, for the first time in D-12's 9-year existence - four with only Public League squads; last five with the Catholic League mixed in - two of Our Guys will bang heads right away.

That'll happen Saturday, 3:30 p.m., at La Salle High as Delaware Valley Charter meets Conwell-Egan in a Class AA contest. (And right after that, at 5, it'll be Roman Catholic vs. Norristown in AAAA.)

Like always, the PIAA will trot out AAA and A openers on Friday night and save AAAA/AA for Saturday.

So, how has D-12 fared thus far? Its 8-year mark in first-round games is 57-32 for a winning percentage of .640. A losing record (3-5) was posted in Year No. 1, then 2 through 5 were OK but nothing tremendous (23-16). Lately? Almost gold-medal worthy. In the previous three seasons, D-12 managed to go, in order, 10-2, 10-5 and 11-4 (31-11 for .738).

And the success has not died out in the second round. Often, not at all.

Neumann-Goretti has captured three consecutive state crowns in AAA while Imhotep Charter, now in AAA, is coming off two in a row in AA. To boot, Math, Civics & Sciences Charter seized the A chip in 2011 and Constitution (now in AA) did so in '12.

In all, D-12 boasts a dozen titles. (Time for a guest appearance by Debbie Downer: Not one has come in AAAA.)

The first-round schedule:

FRIDAY

CLASS AAA FIRST ROUND

Harrisburg Bishop McDevitt (3-5) vs. Neumann-Goretti (12-1), at Ryan HS, 7:30

Salisbury (11-3) vs. Imhotep (12-2), at South Phila. HS, 7:30

Phila. Electrical (12-3) vs. Palmyra (3-2), at Lebanon HS, 7:30

Archbishop Carroll (12-4) vs. Berks Catholic (3-1), at Garden Spot HS, 7:30

CLASS A FIRST ROUND

Delco Christian (1-3) vs. Vaux (12-1), at Germantown HS, 7:30

Gospel of Grace (1-2) vs. Math/Civics/Sciences (12-2), at Bonner-Prendie HS, 6

Sankofa (12-3) vs. Lebanon Catholic (3-1), at Lebanon HS, 6

SATURDAY

CLASS AAAA FIRST ROUND

Norristown (1-9) vs. Roman (12-1), at La Salle HS, 5

Reading (3-6) vs. King (12-2), at South Phila. HS, 3:30

SJ Prep (12-3) vs. Abington (1-3), at Tennent HS, 3

CLASS AA FIRST ROUND

Camp Hill (3-3) vs. Comm Tech (12-1), at South Phila. HS, 6:30

Del-Val (12-5) vs. Conwell-Egan (12-2), at La Salle HS, 3:30

Constitution (12-3) vs. Notre Dame Green Pond (11-1), at Allentown Allen HS, 6

Sayre (12-4) vs. New Hope-Solebury (1-1), at Tennent HS, 4:30