PIAA District playoff preview: Plymouth Whitemarsh boys, Souderton girls are tourney's top seeds

The PIAA District 1 and subregional boys' and girls' basketball seedings were determined in a committee meeting Sunday morning at Penncrest High School.

Plymouth Whitemarsh, Abington, Lower Merion, and Central Bucks West are the top seeds in the Class 6A boys' tournament. Abington defeated Coatesville, 57-51, in last season's championship game.

Naheem McLeod, a 7-foot-2 junior center, and Plymouth Whitemarsh (23-0) will take on 6-5 senior wing Collin MacAdams and Central Bucks West for the Suburban One League title at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Souderton.

On the girls' side, Souderton, Central Bucks South, Spring-Ford, and Garnet Valley are the top Class 6A seeds.

Kate Connolly, a senior forward who is ticketed for Drexel, and Souderton (21-2) will face senior forward Haley Meinel and Central Bucks South (21-2) for the SOL crown at 6 p.m. Monday at Souderton.

District seedings are not official until noon Monday.

Here are the pairings for the PIAA District 1 and subregional boys' and girls' basketball playoffs (seeding in parentheses):

District 1 Class 6A (10 teams advance to state tournament):

Plymouth Whitemarsh (1), Abington (2), Lower Merion (3), Central Bucks West (4), Coatesville (5), Pennridge (6), Norristown (7), and Upper Darby (8) have first-round byes.

First Round

Friday

Pennsbury (17) at Bensalem (16); Downingtown West (24) at Garnet Valley (9); Central Bucks East (20) at Owen J. Roberts (13); Penn Wood (21) at Downingtown East (12); Neshaminy (18) at Central Bucks South (15); Perkiomen Valley (23) at Methacton (10); Cheltenham (19) at Conestoga (14); North Penn (22) at Spring-Ford (11).

District 1 Class 5A (Seven teams advance to state tournament):

First Round

Feb. 21

Upper Moreland (16) at Penncrest (1); Holy Ghost Prep (9) at Chichester (8); Pottsgrove (12) at Great Valley (5); Strath Haven (13) at Wissahickon (4); Academy Park (14) at Chester (3); Marple Newtown (11) at Sun Valley (6); Upper Perkiomen (10) at West Chester Rustin (7); West Chester East (15) at Bishop Shanahan (2).

District 1-11 Class 4A (Four teams advance to state tournament):

Quarterfinals

Feb. 23

Octorara (8) at Bethlehem Catholic (1); North Schuylkill (5) at Wilson Area (4); Jim Thorpe (6) at Tamaqua (3); Northwestern Lehigh (7) at Lower Moreland (2).

District 1-11 Class 3A (Two teams advance to state tournament):

Valley Forge Military Academy (1) has a bye.

Quarterfinals

Feb. 24

New Hope-Solebury (5) vs. Pine Grove (4); Palmerton (6) at Catasauqua (3); Northern Lehigh (7) at Notre Dame-Green Pond (2).

District 1-11 Class 2A (Two teams advance to state tournament):

Semifinals

Feb. 23

Collegium Charter (4) at Dock Mennonite (1); Calvary Christian (3) at Delco Christian (2).

District 1 Class A (Three teams advance to state tournament):

Faith Christian (1) and Girard College (2) have byes.

Semifinals

Feb. 23

The Christian Academy (5) at Phil-Mont Christian (4); Jenkintown (6) at Plumstead Christian (3).

District 1 Class 6A (11 teams advance to state tournament):

Souderton (1), Central Bucks South (2), Spring-Ford (3), Garnet Valley (4), Abington (5), Plymouth Whitemarsh (6), Perkiomen Valley (7), Council Rock North (8) have first-round byes.

First Round

Saturday

Methacton (17) at Haverford High (16); Pennsbury (24) at Upper Dublin (9); Coatesville (20) at Conestoga (13), Pennridge (21) at Central Bucks East (12); Oxford (18) at Great Valley (15); Cheltenham (23) at Neshaminy (10); Boyertown (19) at Central Bucks West (14); Owen J. Roberts (22) at Downingtown East (11).

District 1 Class 5A (Six teams advance to state tournament):

First Round

Feb. 20

Upper Moreland (16) at West Chester Henderson (1); Radnor (9) at Pope John Paul II (8); Marple Newtown (12) at Mount St. Joseph (5); Penn Wood (13) at Springfield-Delco (4); Phoenixville (14) at Villa Maria (3); Bishop Shanahan (11) at Penncrest (6); Upper Merion (10) at Academy Park (7); Pottsgrove (15) at West Chester Rustin (2).

District 1 Class 4A (Two teams advance to state tournament):

Semifinals

Feb. 23

Springfield-Montco (4) at Lower Moreland (1); Nazareth (3) at Gwynedd Mercy (2).

District 1-11 Class 3A (Four teams advance to state tournament):

Quarterfinals

Feb. 23

Salisbury (8)  at North Schuylkill (1); New Hope-Solebury (5) at Pine Grove (4); Palisades (6) at Notre Dame-Green Pond (3); Palmerton (7) at St. Basil (2).

District 1 Class 2A (One team advances to state tournament):

Semifinals

Feb. 23

Calvary Christian (4) at Sacred Heart (1); Bristol (3) at Delco Christian (2).

District 1-12 Class A (Three teams advance to state tournament):

Jenkintown (1) and Sankofa Freedom (2) have byes.

Quarterfinals

Feb. 23

Friends Select (5) at The Christian Academy (4); Phil-Mont Christian (6) at Parkway Northwest (3).