Parkland, Freedom are ranked in top 10
The state championship games are now a little more than three weeks away, and the number of teams in contention for PIAA gold has dwindled to 96 out of 555 participating schools statewide.
In the Lehigh Valley area, just eight teams remain in the hunt for state titles, while several others still have Thanksgiving games left. Five of the eight alive in either the District 11 or PIAA tournament have earned rankings in the latest state polls issued by Eric Epler of Pennlive. com. They are 6A district finalists Freedom and Parkland, 3A finalists Northwestern Lehigh and North Schuylkill, and 1A champion Northern Lehigh.
Freedom and Parkland, both unranked in the latest rankings, are 9th and 10th respectively in 6A. Northwestern Lehigh and North Schuylkill are 6th and 9th in 3A and Northern Lehigh is 6th in 1A.
Freedom was fifth in the preseason state rankings but quickly dropped out after starting 1-2. Parkland was 10th in 6A after beating Easton on opening night but dropped out after losing to Nazareth in Week 2.
District 11 4A champion Allentown Central Catholic, 5A titlist Whitehall and 2A gold medalists Executive Education are not ranked, although the Zephyrs are listed as a team to watch.
Of note, ACCHS will be playing the No. 3 ranked team in Class 4A, unbeaten District 4 champ Jersey Shore and Executive will take on the No. 3 ranked team in Class 2A, unbeaten District 2 champion Lakeland.
Here’s a complete look at the state rankings:
CLASS 6A
Rank — Team — District — Record — Previous
1. St. Joseph’s Prep (12) — 8-1— 1
2. Garnet Valley (1) — 11-0— 2
3. State College (6) — 11-0— 3
4. North Allegheny (7) — 10-1— 5
5. Harrisburg (3) — 8-2— 6
6. Central York (3) — 10-1— 8
7. Perkiomen Valley (1) — 11-1— 9
8. Downingtown East (1) — 9-3— 10
9. Bethlehem Freedom (11) — 10-2— NR
10. Parkland (11) — 8-4— NR
Teams to watch: Central Bucks West (1) 8-4, Hempfield (3) 9-2, McDowell (10) 10-2, Manheim Township (3) 8-3, Pittsburgh C.C. (7) 7-4.
CLASS 5A
Rank — Team — District — Record — Previous
1. Upper Dublin (1) — 12-0— 1
2. Exeter Township (3) — 11-0— 2
3. Imhotep Charter (12) — 7-2— 3
4. Strath Haven (1) — 12-0— 4
5. Cathedral Prep (10) — 8-2— 6
6. Roman Catholic (12) — 8-2— 8
7. Solanco (3) — 11-0— 7
8. Upper St. Clair (7) — 10-2— 10
9. Plymouth-Whitemarsh (1) — 10-2— NR
10. Pine-Richland (7) — 9-3— NR
Teams to watch: Cocalico (3) 8-4, Delaware Valley (2) 7-5, Northern York (3) 8-4, West Chester Rustin (1) 10-1, Whitehall (11) 7-5.
CLASS 4A
Rank — Team — District — Record — Previous
1. Aliquippa (7) — 10-0— 1
2. Bishop McDevitt (3) — 9-1— 2
3. Jersey Shore (4) — 12-0— 3
4. Meadville (10) — 11-1— 4
5. Central Valley (7) — 10-1— 5
6. Manheim Central (3) — 10-1— 6
7. McKeesport (7) — 11-1— 7
8. Bonner-Prendergast (12) — 10-1— NR
9. Lampeter-Strasburg (3) — 9-2— 10
10. Crestwood (2) — 11-1— NR
Teams to watch: Interboro (1) 10-2, Juniata (6) 8-3, Thomas Jefferson (7) 8-3, Twin Valley (3) 7-4, Valley View (2) 10-2.
CLASS 3A
Rank — Team — District — Record — Previous
1. Wyomissing (3) — 11-0— 1
2. Danville (4) — 11-0— 2
3. Belle Vernon (7) — 8-2— 3
4. Loyalsock (4) — 11-1— 4
5. Avonworth (7) — 10-1— 5
6. Northwestern Lehigh (11) — 10-2— 9
7. West Perry (3) — 11-1— NR
8. Freeport (7) — 10-1— 10
9. North Schuylkill (11) — 10-2— NR
10. Central Martinsburg (6) — 10-2— NR
Teams to watch: Clearfield (9) 8-3, Grove City (10) 8-3, Scranton Prep (2) 9-3, Slippery Rock (10) 7-4.
CLASS 2A
Rank — Team — District — Record — Previous
1. Farrell (10) — 9-1— 1
2. Mount Carmel (4) — 12-0— 2
3. Lakeland (2) — 12-0— 4
4. Steel Valley (7) — 10-0— 5
5. Beaver Falls (7) — 10-1— 7
6. Westinghouse (8) — 11-0— 8
7. Sto-Rox (7) — 9-2— 9
8. Sharpsville (10) — 9-2— NR
9. Trinity (3) — 8-4— NR
10. Southern Columbia (4) — 9-3— NR
Teams to watch: Bishop Guilfoyle (6) 9-3, Central Clarion (9) 10-1, Neshannock (7) 11-1, Penns Valley (6) 10-2. CLASS 1A
Rank — Team — District — Record — Previous
1. Canton (4) — 11-1— 1
2. Steelton-Highspire (3) — 10-1— 2
3. Bishop Canevin (7) — 11-1— 3
4. Reynolds (10) — 10-1— 4
5. Eisenhower (10) — 11-0— 6
6. Northern Lehigh (11) — 11-1— 7
7. South Side Area (7) — 11-1— NR
8. Penns Manor (6) — 11-1— NR
9. Port Allegany (9) — 10-1— NR
10. Northern Cambria (6) — 9-3— NR
Brockway (9) 8-4, Lackawanna Trail
(2) 8-4, Rochester (7) 7-4, Union Area (7) 9-3.