Wilson visits District 7 runner-up New Castle on Saturday at 1pm. The (17-10) Bulldogs are in the state bracket for the fifth time in the past eight years. They defeated Cedar Crest 48-36 to finish seventh in the District 3-6A field. Shippensburg football commit Correll Akings is averaging a team-high 11.5 points per game. The 5’9 guard is the only returning starter for Wilson. He reached 1,000 career points in a 50-45 loss at Red Lion in the District 3 quarterfinals. The (23-2) Hurricanes fell 52-51 to Upper St. Clair in the WPIAL Championship. Their only other loss was by two points against Pine-Richland on January 30th. “They’re probably the most well-rounded team that we have faced this season. They can play fast and be effective. They can also be effective in the half-court. When you have three guys that can score from all three levels, it makes them extremely hard to defend. We’re looking forward to the challenge,” replied Bulldogs’ coach Matt Coldren. He added that freshman Marino Graham is the best point guard that he’s seen this year. Graham is also the starting quarterback at New Castle. He threw for 1,425 yards and 18 touchdowns during the fall. Graham ran for another 856 yards and 11 TD.

Exeter is making its fifth consecutive trip to the PIAA tournament. The (18-10) Eagles earned the ninth and final berth from District 3. They won elimination games versus ELCO, Greencastle-Antrim, and Red Land. Aidan Dauble, a 1,000-point scorer and Shippensburg football commit, leads Exeter at 14.6 ppg. The 6’3, 215-pound senior is also an excellent rebounder. The Eagles have a balanced attack with Dylan Donate, Jayden Ware, and Braylon Reinert each providing 10-to-12 points a night. They head west to battle District 7-5A champion Chartiers Valley on Friday at 6pm. The (23-2) Colts ran over Thomas Jefferson 63-37 in the WPIAL Final. Luca Federico, a lean 6’5 sophomore, exploded for 31 points and eight boards. Moon and Fox Chapel are the only teams to beat Chartiers Valley this season. “Chartiers Valley is a very good, well-coached team. They have five guys in the lineup who can all shoot it and play hard defensively. We also have veteran players who have not only played in, but won games in the state tournament. I know they’re excited about the opportunity to compete against another good program on the western side of Pennsylvania,” noted Exeter coach Jeff VanGorder.

Wyomissing has advanced to the state playoffs for the first time since 2011. The (16-10) Spartans cruised by Oley Valley 67-44 in an elimination contest last week. Wyomissing ended up in fifth place in the District 3-4A tournament. Point guard Dom Arguelles is putting up 17.8 ppg. this year. The All-County selection loves to attack the basket. Sophomore Brady Eisenhower gives the Spartans a threat from beyond the arc. He’s connected 36 times from long range. Daniel Moyer, a 6’ senior forward, is averaging 13.3 points. Wyomissing travels to Radnor on Friday to take on Archbishop Carroll from the mighty Philadelphia Catholic League. They will get underway at 7pm. Don’t be fooled by the Patriots’ record of (14-10). They’ve faced an extremely challenging schedule. “They’re a very good team from one of the top leagues in the state. We look forward to playing them,” stated Spartans’ second-year coach Konlan Krick. Archbishop Carroll knocked off PCL champion Father Judge, Neumann-Goretti, and Bonner-Prendergast in January. Father Judge won the PIAA-6A title a season ago. Neumann-Goretti has claimed ten state crowns in its history. The Patriots had three players named to the second team in the PCL this year in Nasir Ralls, Ian Williams, and sophomore Yasir Turner.

Schuylkill Valley is making its third appearance in the state bracket. Despite losing its top three scorers to graduation, the (16-10) Panthers reached the District 3-4A semifinals for the first time in 22 years. They took third place with a 60-52 victory over Big Spring. Schuylkill Valley has a balanced squad with no one averaging more than 11 points per game. Josiah Urbaez and Alex Aletras have been sparks off the bench. Logan Cammauf, an All-State linebacker, provides some muscle and 10 ppg. The Panthers hit the road on Friday to square off with Scranton Prep at 7pm. The (20-5) Cavaliers took down Dallas 68-52 in the District 2-4A Championship. Sophomore guard Chicky Skoff poured in 28 points and hit three triples. Scranton Prep brought home its eighth District title since 2017. The Cavaliers allowed just 14 points in the second half. “Prep has multiple guards who can shoot consistently from the perimeter and score putting the ball on the floor. Their defensive ball pressure causes turnovers and they’re really strong scoring in transition,” explained Schuylkill Valley coach Taylor Grim. The Cavaliers dropped a nailbiter to Berks Catholic 51-47 in the second round of last year’s PIAA-4A tournament.

Speaking of Berks Catholic, the Saints meet a familiar foe at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium on Friday at 6pm. They battle Carver High School of Engineering & Science from Philadelphia. Berks Catholic beat the Engineers 53-49 in its season opener at the CoBL Winter Showcase at Exeter. The Saints trailed by five points at halftime. Kingston McKoy took over with 28 points and four 3-pointers. Fareed Brown had a team-high 17 points for Carver E&S. The 5’9 senior averages nearly 14 points and 4 assists. Matt McField (13 ppg.) and Billy Henighan (12 ppg.) are also capable scorers for the Engineers. Carver E&S forfeited its Public League quarterfinal against Constitution due to an altercation. The (20-6) Engineers were up twelve points with one minute remaining when one of their players was pushed. His teammates left the bench and fans came on the court. Carver E&S was ruled eligible for the PIAA tournament and was given the fifth and final seed in District 12-4A. Meanwhile, Berks Catholic outlasted Reading and then Bishop McDevitt in the BCIAA and District 3-4A Finals. Both of those instant classics went to overtime. “I think it builds so much confidence in these guys. We never think we’re out of it,” remarked longtime coach Snip Esterly. He’s (52-30) all-time in the PIAA playoffs. Esterly has 865 career victories over 37 years. The Saints lost to Devon Prep 55-39 in the state championship game a season ago. Berks Catholic is making its 12th appearance in the PIAA tournament.

Schuylkill Valley lost both of its regular season meetings with the Spartans by eight and eleven points respectively. The difference this time around was simple. “We made shots early. We got the same kind of shots that we got in the other games. We made baskets and then we didn’t have to spend the whole rest of the game trying to chip out from a big hole,” explained Grim. Alex Aletras came off the bench and provided a spark in the opening quarter with all six of his points. The 5’11 junior hit a triple from the right wing to put the fifth-seeded Panthers on top 15-8. They held a 15-12 advantage after eight minutes. Dom Arguelles and sophomore Brady Eisenhower combined for 15 of Wyomissing’s 16 points in the second quarter. The fourth-seeded Spartans trailed 29-28 at halftime.

A bucket by Daniel Moyer put Wyomissing in front 38-36 with three minutes left in the third period. That would be the final lead of the night for the (14-10) Spartans. Schuylkill Valley scored the next seven points, including a 3-pointer by Ervin Ortiz. The (15-9) Panthers had a 44-40 edge entering the fourth quarter.

A fast break layup by Ortiz made it 53-44 with just under five minutes to go. The 5’8 junior then found Josiah Urbaez for a layup and a 55-46 lead midway through the quarter. Urbaez sank a pair of free throws to increase the margin to 57-48 with 2:23 on the clock. Another layup by Ortiz extended Schuylkill Valley’s cushion to 59-50 with two minutes left. Derek Grim, the coach’s son, went 2-for-2 at the foul line with 39 seconds to play. Wyomissing, which was down 61-52, committed a turnover on the ensuing possession. Grim, a senior guard, converted two more free throws to close it out. The Panthers finished 19-of-26 from the stripe, while the Spartans were 8-of-16. Wyomissing connected just twice from beyond the arc.

Four players ended up in double figures for Schuylkill Valley. “I’ve got easily seven guys that could be starters for us…That’s the strength of what we do. We’ve got guys that each night can put the ball in the basket. Somebody is not having a good night, somebody else steps up,” emphasized Taylor Grim. Ortiz and Urbaez provided 13 points apiece. Urbaez, a 6’ senior guard, came alive in the fourth quarter with eight points. “He’s been that for us all year. He gives us that punch coming off the bench. Defensively, he makes plays for us,” replied Grim. Seniors Tanner Staus and Derek Grim added eleven and ten points respectively. Arguelles, a senior point guard, had a game-high 18 points for the Spartans. Eisenhower chipped in with fourteen points and Moyer had eleven. Wyomissing was outscored 34-to-24 in the second half.

The Spartans have dropped four of their last five games. They host #8 seed Eastern York on Monday in an elimination game. The top five teams in the District 3-4A bracket qualify for the state tournament. Meanwhile, the Panthers have reached the District semifinals for just the second time in program history. They travel to top-seeded Berks Catholic on Tuesday. The (23-2) Saints defeated Schuylkill Valley 58-42 in the BCIAA quarterfinals on February 9th.