Who will win title games in the top four classes?
One thing that has been shown time and time again over the years is that we tend to remember what happened last, first.
Case in point was last year’s District 11 6A basketball tournament.
Allen won the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference championship with a 64-42 rout of Liberty and appeared to be the area’s best team by a wide margin.
But two weeks later, the Canaries were no longer the story. They lost 75-71 in the district semis to a Freedom team they beat twice in the regular season.
The Patriots became the story by winning their first district gold since 1976 and won a state playoff game before losing to Reading 67-65 the night before the pandemic shut everything down.
Districts are one last chance for teams to make a definitive, most lasting statement about their seasons regardless of what happened before.
For teams from the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, districts offer the only opportunity to make a memorable statement this year since they were not given the chance to compete for a league title.
The memories could be extra special since eight district title games — four boys, four girls — will be played at PPL Center on March 9 and 11.
Since the PIAA is only accepting district champs, each game will have a win-or-go-home sense of urgency this year. That should only enhance the level of intensity and passion.
Who will get to get the gold at PPL Center in the largest four classes? Here’s a look:
Class 6A
Best pigtail round matchup: Freedom at Stroudsburg on Tuesday night.
No one was hurt more by the pandemic than the defending champion Patriots, who didn’t get to play a game until Feb. 8 and then struggled. Freedom, which has one of the area’s least experienced teams, was last in the EPC’s Northampton Division in scoring and points allowed. However, they may have a chance at an upset against Stroudsburg, which has been inconsistent.
Best story line: Seeing if Allen coach Darnell Braswell can in his first season win a district title, a feat that eluded the Canaries last year in Doug Snyder’s last season.
The biggest unknown: How good is No. 1 seed Pocono Mountain West since the Panthers didn’t play outside their own Monroe County division?
Biggest factor: It might be Northampton’s matchup zone defense, which has a way of slowing down even the most potent opposing offenses. The K-Kids allowed just 48.4 points per game in nine EPC Northampton Division contests.
Biggest loss: Not having Easton due to COVID-19 issue, unless a petition being circulated in the community can get some traction. The Red Rovers were having an outstanding season and would have been one of the favorites in this class.
Fab five: Pocono Mountain West junior center Christian Fermin, Allen junior Nate Ellis, Parkland freshman guard Nick Coval, Northampton junior guard Isaiah Harris and Stroudsburg senior guard Jahkai Barnes.
Best bets: The semifinals March 8 will feature Pocono Mountain West against Allen in one game and Parkland against Northampton in the other as the top four seeds figure to hold.
Overall champ: Expect three really good, evenly matched games at the end of the tournament but in a year full of surprises, here’s one more: Northampton will win its first district title since 1972.
Class 5A
Best quarterfinal round matchup: Southern Lehigh at Blue Mountain on Wednesday night.
Can the Spartans bounce back from a disappointing Colonial League tournament loss in overtime to Northwestern?
Best story line: Can Bangor win its first district championship since 1988?
The biggest unknown: The emotional state of defending district champ Southern Lehigh. The Spartans have been frustrating for coach Ben Tannous, who has rarely seen hits team play up to its capability.
Biggest factor: The overall depth of the Bangor team. The Slaters have a 1,000-point scorer in CJ Miles, but it was the contributions of several others who made the difference in Friday’s Colonial League title game.
Biggest loss: Previous Pottsville coach Dave Mullaney, who resigned in June, was one of the best mentors in the district with 11 Schuylkill League titles in 13 seasons. He went 282-75 overall.
Fab five: Bangor’s Miles and Gabe Zieba, both senior guards, Southern Lehigh senior swingman Daryl Coleman, Pottsville junior guard Darren Yost, and East Stroudsburg South senior swingman Christian Sapp.
Best bet: Bangor and Southern Lehigh to meet in the semifinals, which would be their third meeting this year.
Overall champ: The Lehigh Valley has learned to never discount Pottsville and the same goes for East Stroudsburg South coach Shawn Munford, who is one of the area’s best leaders. But if Bangor can keep the mental edge and toughness it possessed in the Colonial League, the Slaters could end a district title drought that has lasted 33 years.
Class 4A
Best quarterfinal round matchup: Jim Thorpe at Pine Grove on Friday night. The teams played a thriller won by the Olympians 46-45 on Jan. 29.
The best story line: Can Northwestern, led by first-year coach and former Whitehall star Jerry Lloyd, knock off perennial powers from the EPC and win its first district title since 1998?
The biggest unknown: Can Wilson, which always has a lot of talent, pull a surprise against Central Catholic on Friday night?
Biggest factor: Northwestern’s style of playing patient offense and stingy defense has frustrated most Colonial League opponents this season.
Biggest loss: Had immensely talented junior Isaiah Alexander stayed around, Becahi would have been an overwhelming favorite in this classification.
Fab five: Becahi junior guard Edixon Gomez, Central Catholic juniors Tyson Thomas and Liam Joyce, Northwestern junior guard Dylan Witkowski and Wilson junior forward Na’shawn Jones.
Best bet: Central Catholic and Bethlehem Catholic will meet for the second straight year in the title game.
Overall champ: Bethlehem Catholic has come on strong in the second half of the season, but Central’s tough combo of Thomas and Joyce will likely get the Vikings another gold.
Class 3A
Best quarterfinal round matchup: Catasauqua at Palmerton on Thursday. The Blue Bombers battled into overtime with the Rough Riders on Jan. 29 before Palmerton prevailed 68-64 in overtime.
Best story line: Will Notre Dame-Green Pond and Executive, who met in the first game of the season Dec. 11 before the statewide shutdown, meet again with a championship at stake?
The biggest unknown: What will the impact of Executive newcomer Jeremiah Bembry, a potential Division I recruit who joined the Raptors in January after missing all of last season an injury?
Biggest factor: The very strong schedule that Executive has played, mostly against Philadelphia area powers.
Biggest loss: After winning the 3A title last year with a riveting win over Notre Dame at Easton, the Panther Valley roster was decimated by the graduation of eight seniors.
Fab five: Notre Dame junior guard Brendan Boyle, Executive senior swingman Jevin Muniz, Palmerton senior guard Kody Kratzer, Catasauqua senior guard Derek Troxell and Salisbury senior guard Quintin Stephens.
Best bet: Executive figures to be unchallenged in reaching the district final.
Overall champ: Should it happen, Notre Dame-Executive might be the most compelling of any tournament game in any bracket. While the Crusaders would compete hard and embrace an underdog role, the Raptors would likely show why they are the most talented team in area boys basketball.
Classes 1A and 2A
Pottsville Nativity, fresh off its first Schuylkill League title Friday when it beat Pottsville, will likely meet Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg and star Aaron Bailey in what should be an entertaining Class A final. The Hilltoppers will likely win that one.
In 2A, where six of the seven teams are from the Schuylkill League, there will be plenty of familiarity. Marian Catholic, whose only two losses came against Nativity, appear likely to win its first district gold since 2017.