Who will win the CCHS-Becahi and Allen-Parkland showdowns?
When Bangor won the District 11 5A boys basketball championship Tuesday night, it ended a long title drought that extended back to 1988.
The four teams competing for boys gold on Thursday have not experienced anything like the wait the Slaters endured.
The 4A finalists, Bethlehem Catholic and Central Catholic, are district title-game fixtures. In fact, they met for the 4A crown last year.
Amazingly, the Vikings are playing in their 18th district final since 2000 and going for their 13th gold in the new millennium. They have won 19 district crowns overall.
The Golden Hawks are in their fifth district championship game and looking for their fourth gold in five years.
In the 6A game, tradition-rich Allen is going for its 20th district gold and second in three years. Parkland, which lost to the Canaries in the finals two years ago, is in the finals for the ninth time in 13 seasons under coach Andy Stephens and is attempting to win its first championship since 2016. The Trojans have nine district banners in all.
So, all four boys programs in action today have earned many district banners before, but never in games at PPL Center. It figures to be a great way to cap a great week of basketball in downtown Allentown.
Here’s a look at what’s in store:
District 11 4A boys championship
The matchup: No. 1 Bethlehem Catholic (12-4) vs. No. 2 Central Catholic (15-4)
When/where: 2:30 p.m. Thursday at PPL Center.
What’s next: Winner will host District1 schamp (NewHopeor Pope John Paul II) in a PIAA firstround game on March 16.
How they got here: Bethlehem Catholic defeated No. 9 North Schuylkill 76-54 and No. 5 Jim Thorpe 60-39. CCHS defeated No. 7 Wilson 61-44 and No. 3 Northwestern Lehigh 84-44.
Key Becahi personnel: Probable starters, Caden McClary (6-4, Sr. F) 4.7 ppg; Ryan Glassmacher (6-4. Jr. G-F) 14.8 ppg; Alex Cercado (5-11, So. G) 8.7 ppg; Edixon Gomez (6-1, Jr. G) 16.8 ppg; Steve Recchio (6-1, Jr. F) 7.7 ppg. Others to watch, Louis Vidal (5-10 Jr. G) 4.3 ppg; Michael Richardson (6-4 Jr. F); Jared Richardson (6-4, Jr. F) 5.0 ppg.
Key CCHS personnel: Probable starters, Tyson Thomas (6-1, Jr. G) 16.2 ppg; Andrew Csensits (6-1, Sr. F) 5.1 ppg; Liam Joyce (6-5, Sr. F) 16.0 ppg; Griffin Patridge (6-2, So. G) 2.0 ppg; Aidan Burmeister (6-2, Sr. G) 5.9 ppg. Others to watch, David
Fridia (6-6, Fr. F) 1.6 ppg; Christian Spugnardi (6-5, Sr. C) 6.2 ppg; Jacob Lynds (6-6, Jr. C) ; Anthony Jones (5-11, So. G) 2.0 ppg; Brendan Reed (5-10, Jr. G) 3.3 ppg.
Coaches: Scott McClary is in his third season at Becahi, 52-21. Dennis Csensits is in his ninth season at CCHS, 176-63.
Previous meeting: CCHS beat Becahi 52-48 at Easton in last year’s District 11 4A championship game.
What to expect: A spirited, highly competitive game between two longtime rivals who didn’t get to play one another in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference season. Thomas and Joyce are two of the best players in the area and Glassmacher and Gomez have become a potent pair for the Golden Hawks. But a member of the supporting cast will likely decide it. It might be Burmeister or Reed for CCHS or Cercado or McClary for Becahi. Neither team has been challenged so far in the tournament. That will change on the portable court at PPL Center.
Keith Groller’s pick: Central Catholic has been looking to get back to the downtown Allentown arena since losing to Liberty in last year’ s E PC semi finals. The Vikings have been slightly more consistent than the Hawks and played in a tougher division, but a repeat won’t come easy. CCHS 59-55.
District 11 6A boys championship
The matchup: No. 4 Allen (10-4) vs. No. 3 Parkland (13-3)
When/where: 8 p.m. Thursday at PPL Center.
What’s next: Winner will host the District 12 champ in the PIAA quarterfinals on March 20.
How they got here: Allen defeated No. 12 Freedom 66-47 and No. 1 Pocono Mountain West 80-67. Parkland defeated No. 6 Nazareth 61-56 and No. 2 Northampton 45-39.
Key Allen personnel: Probable starters, Mel Copeland (6-0, Sr. G) 12.6; Nate Ellis (5-9, Jr. G) 16.7 ppg; Manny Ozuna (5-10, Sr. G) 10.7 ppg; Eli Vigo (5-11, Jr. G) 6.7 ppg; Evan Wilt (6-3, Sr. F) 5.3 ppg.
Others to watch, Josh Carrion (5-10, Sr. G) 5.6; Anthony Rondon (6-0, Sr., G-F) 9.9 ppg.
Key Parkland personnel: Probable starters, Will Meeker (6-4, Jr. F) 10.8 ppg; Trey Rolle (5-10, Sr. G) 7.2 ppg; Nick Coval (5-11, Fr. G); 17.2 ppg; J.T. Siggins (6-3, Sr. G/F) 2.9 ppg; Jake Mclean (6-5, Sr. F) 8.9 ppg. Other to watch, Matt Bauer (6-3, Jr. G/F) 3.1 ppg; Matt Rantz (6-10, Jr. F) 2.7; Blake Barthol (5-9 Jr. G) 2.5 ppg.
Coaches: Darnell Braswell is in his first season at Allen. Andy Stephens is in his 13th season at Parkland 236-102; 310-137 including four seasons at Emmaus.
Previous meeting: The Canaries and Trojans met twice in a span of three nights in late January. The Canaries won 56-50 at Sewards Gym on Jan. 26 when Ellis scored 21. Two nights later, Parkland prevailed at home 64-51 behind Coval’s 23.
What to expect: A battle of contrasting styles. The Canaries will want to push the pace, beat the Trojans in transition and spread the floor in search of wide-open 3s, which they excel at making. Parkland has more size and bothered Allen with a zone defense the last time they met. The Trojans will run when they have a chance, but would prefer to make it a halfcourt game and take advantage of their height advantage and Coval’s crafty dissection of defenses.
Keith Groller’s pick: Not only have these two split games this season, but they have also split two previous meetings at PPL Center with Parkland prevailing in the 2017 6A semifinals and the Canaries winning in overtime in last year’s league semis. There’s a lot of respect between the coaches and a lot of talented guards on the floor. Ellis vs. Coval alone is worth the price of admission. Can Allen, particularly Ron don, keep draining 3s as though Steph Curry was the one launching them? The percentagesdon’ t favor that, plus Park land has been the E PC’ s best team down the stretch. Parkland 67-63.