District 11 top seeds will face plenty of challenges
The usual suspects are the favorites again in this year’s District 11 field hockey championships.
Emmaus (21-0) is the top seed in Class 3A. The Green Hornets, the defending state champion and ranked No. 1 in the country by MAX Field Hockey, have won the last 32 district championships and expect No. 33 when the medals are passed out next week.
Southern Lehigh (19-0), the Colonial League champion, which scrimmaged Emmaus earlier this week, is seeking its second straight title and seventh since 2003.
Moravian Academy (15-4) won a close race over Palmerton and Wilson for the top seed in Class A and is trying to win its first championship since three winning three straight from 2015-2017.
Each favorite has a reason for concern too. Emmaus was pushed to the limit by both Parkland and Easton in last week’s
EPC tournament. Southern Lehigh has a tough first-round opponent in Lehighton and possibly Pocono Mountain East or Colonial rival Bangor in the title game
Moravian has two losses to Palmerton, one in the regular season and one in the Colonial League tournament.
Here is a closer look at each bracket:
District 11 Class A
The narrative: Moravian Academy, Palmerton and Wilson staged a three-way battle for the top seed all season long. Palmerton fell out of the top spot after a tie to Northwestern and a loss to Palisades at the end of the regular season. Wilson had to play four-five games per week after missing two weeks because of COVID-19 precautions.
The schedule: 5-Northwestern Lehigh at 4-Palisades, 11 a.m. Saturday, winner vs. 1-Moravian Academy; 6-Bethlehem Catholic at 3-Wilson, 10 a.m. Saturday. Semifinals: Wednesday. Championship: TBA.
At stake: Two berths in PIAA Class A tournament.
The outlook: Can Palmerton, which has not won a district championship since 1983, defeat Moravian three times this season?
Maybe, if the Blue Bombers can get past Wilson in the semifinals (If Wilson defeats Becahi).
District 11 Class 2A
The narrative: Southern Lehigh trails only Lehighton in smallschool district titles in the 21st century. The Spartans have rolled through the season so far, outscoring opponents 103-3. A second straight title seems inevitable, but Pocono Mountain East, under new coach Gabby Watson, will have revenge on its mind if it makes the final. The Spartans upset the Cardinals in last year’s title game.
The schedule: 4-Lehighton vs. 1-Southern Lehigh, 7 p.m. Tuesday at Nazareth. 3-Bangor vs. 2-Pocono Mountain East, 5 p.m. Tuesday at Nazareth. Championship: Nov. 6 at Whitehall.
At stake: One berth in PIAA Class A tournament.
The outlook: Southern Lehigh is a clear favorite, but keep in mind that PM East defeated Parkland 2-0, while Southern Lehigh defeated Parkland 1-0.
District 11 Class 3A
The narrative: Same as it has been for 33 years. Can someone step up and force coach Sue Butz-Stavin to take home a silver medal instead of a gold one? The chances seem remote, but stranger things have happened. Do the close calls in the EPC tournament mean that others are closing the gap, or do they mean something else? Or do they mean nothing?
The schedule: 8-Whitehall at 1-Emmaus, 3 p.m. Thursday. 5-Northampton at 4-Easton, 6 p.m. Thursday. 6-Liberty at 3-Parkland, 3 p.m. Thursday. 7-Stroudsburg at 2-Nazareth, 3:30 p.m. Thursday. Semifinals: TBA. Championship: TBA.
At stake: Two berths in PIAA Class A tournament.
The outlook: The guess here is that Emmaus will adjust tactically and rebound to win by more comfortable margins than it did in the EPC championship tournament last week, but that is by no means a confident prediction.