by Alex Schwartz

Yesterday I posted my predictions for the New Jersey state playoffs, so it's now time for me to do the same for Pennsylvania. I'll be picking the winner of every game for each of the four classes. The PIAA tournament is set up much differently than the NJSIAA's, so it may be a bit harder to follow, but basically, there are 12 districts that each send a designated number of teams to the playoffs for each class, and they are seeded based off how they did in the district tournament. Thus, the Class AAAA District 1 champion, Norristown, is seeded as #1-1, and the Class AAA District 7 runner-up, Highlands, is seeded as #7-2. There are 34 qualifiers for classes A and AAA, 35 in class AA, and 36 in Class AAAA. Take a look at how I see the 2009 PIAA state playoffs going down:

CLASS A
Play-in Round
#1-3 School at Church Farm over #2-2 Freeland MMI
#12-2 Boys' Latin Charter over #3-4 Camp Hill
Round of 32
#3-1 Greenwood over #6-4 Harmony
#12-1 Math, Civics, & Science over #1-3 School at Church Farm
#11-1 Williams Valley over #4-2 St. John Neumann
#1-1 Girard College over #12-2 Boys' Latin Charter
#4-3 Mansfield over #2-1 Old Forge
#1-2 Faith Christian over #3-2 Reading Central Catholic
#4-1 Millville over #11-2 Marian Catholic
#3-3 Scotland School over #6-2 Bishop Carroll
#7-1 Sewickley Academy over #9-4 North Clarion
#5-3 Northern Bedoford County over #9-2 Johnsonburg
#5-2 Tussey Mountain over #7-3 Clairton
#10-1 Kennedy Catholic over #9-3 Keystone
#5-1 Shade over #7-4 Neshannock
#7-2 Serra Catholic over #6-2 Conemaugh Valley
#6-1 Homer Center over #10-2 Vision Quest
#9-1 Elk County Catholic over #7-5 Union
Sweet 16
#12-1 Math, Civics, & Science over #3-1 Greenwood
#1-1 Girard College over #11-1 Williams Valley
#1-2 Faith Christian over #4-3 Mansfield
#4-1 Millville over #3-3 Scotland School
#7-1 Sewickley Academy over #5-3 Northern Bedford County
#10-1 Kennedy Catholic over #5-2 Tussey Mountain
#7-2 Serra Catholic over #5-1 Shade
#6-1 Homer Center over #9-1 Elk County Catholic
Quarterfinals
#12-1 Math, Civics, & Science over #1-1 Girard College
#4-1 Millville over #1-2 Faith Christian
#7-1 Sewickley Academy over #10-1 Kennedy Catholic
#7-2 Serra Cathlic over #6-1 Homer Center
Semifinals
#12-1 Math, Civics, & Science over #4-1 Millville
#7-1 Sewickley Academy over #7-2 Serra Catholic
Finals
#12-1 Math, Civics, & Science over #7-1 Sewickley Academy
Class A State Champion: Math, Civics, & Science


CLASS AA
Play-in Round
#12-3 Prep Charter over #1-2 Devon Preparatory
#6-3 Penns Valley Area over #5-2 North Star
#7-8 Washington over #9-2 Cranberry
Round of 32
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #3-3 Delone Catholic
#4-3 Troy over #11-1 Notre Dame GP
#12-3 Prep Charter over #3-2 Pequea Valley
#4-1 Loyalsock Township over #2-2 Riverside
#2-1 Holy Cross over #4-2 Hughesville
#12-2 West Catholic over #11-2 Salisbury Township
#1-1 St. Pius X over #2-3 Dunmore
#12-4 Strawberry Mansion over #3-1 Trinity
#7-1 North Catholic over #6-3 Penns Valley Area
#10-2 Mercyhurst Prep over #7-4 South Fayette
#7-3 Monessen over #6-2 Central Cambria
#7-5 Aliquippa over #9-1 Brockway
#7-7 Beaver Falls over #6-1 Cambria Heights
#7-2 Jeannette over #10-3 Reynolds
#7-6 Quaker Valley over #5-1 Everett
#10-1 Fairveiw over #7-8 Washington
Sweet 16
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #4-3 Troy
#12-3 Prep Charter over #4-1 Loyalsock Township
#12-2 West Catholic over #2-1 Holy Cross
#12-4 Strawberry Mansion over #1-1 St. Pius X
#10-2 Mercyhurst Prep over #7-1 North Catholic
#7-5 Aliquippa over #7-3 Monessen
#7-2 Jeannette over #7-7 Beaver Falls
#10-1 Fairview over #7-6 Quaker Valley
Quarterfinals
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #12-3 Prep Charter
#12-4 Strawberry Mansion over #12-2 West Catholic
#10-2 Mercyhurst Prep over #7-5 Aliquippa
#7-2 Jeannette over #10-1 Fairview
Semifinals
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #12-4 Strawberry Mansion
#7-2 Jeannette over #10-2 Mercyhurst Prep
Finals
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #7-2 Jeannette
Class AA State Champion: Imhotep Charter


CLASS AAA
Play-in Round
#10-3 East over #9-2 St. Mary's
#7-6 Valley over #8-2 Oliver
Round of 32
#3-1 York Suburban over #2-3 Abington Heights
#12-2 Franklin Learning Center over #1-2 Strath Haven
#11-1 Southern Lehigh over #4-2 Danville
#3-4 Eastern York over #2-1 Crestwood
#12-1 Neumann-Goretti over #3-5 Steelton-Highspire
#3-3 Susquehanna Township over #2-2 Holy Redeemer
#4-1 Shamokin over #11-2 Pottsville
#12-3 Archbishop Carroll over #1-1 Phoenixville
#3-2 Wyomissing over #1-3 Holy Ghost Prep
#6-1 Greater Johnstown over #3-6 Lancaster Catholic
#7-1 Hampton over #10-3 East
#10-2 General McLane over #7-3 Moon
#7-4 Chartiers Valley over #8-1 Perry Traditional Academy
#9-1 Clearfield over #7-5 Greensburg Salem
#7-2 Highlands over #6-2 Somerset
#10-1 Farrell over #7-6 Valley
Sweet 16
#12-2 Franklin Learning Center over #3-1 York Suburban
#3-4 Eastern York over #11-1 Southern Lehigh
#12-1 Neumann-Goretti over #3-3 Susquehanna Township
#12-3 Archbishop Carroll over #4-1 Shamokin
#3-2 Wyomissing over #6-1 Greater Johnstown
#7-1 Hampton over #10-2 General McLane
#7-4 Chartiers Valley over #9-1 Clearfield
#10-1 Farrell over #7-6 Valley
Quarterfinals
#12-2 Franklin Learning Center over #3-4 Eastern York
#12-1 Neumann-Goretti over #12-3 Archbishop Caroll
#7-1 Hampton over #3-2 Wyomissing
#7-4 Chartiers Valley over #10-1 Farrell
Semifinals
#12-1 Neumann-Goretti over #12-2 Franklin Learning Center
#7-1 Hampton over #7-4 Chariters Valley
Finals
#12-1 Neumann-Goretti over #7-1 Hampton
Class AAA State Champion: Neumann-Goretti


CLASS AAAA
Play-in Round
#1-9 Glen Mills over #2-2 Hazelton Area
#7-5 Pittsburgh Central Catholic over #6-2 Hollidaysburg
#7-4 North Hills over #8-2 Schenley
#10-2 McDowell over #7-3 Seneca Valley
Round of 32
#1-1 Norristown over #3-7 Elizabethtown
#1-6 Plymouth-Whitmarsh over #12-2 Southern Philadelphia
#4-1 Williamsport Area over #3-6 Cedar Cliff
#1-5 Chester over #3-3 Red Land
#12-1 Roman Catholic over #1-8 Central Bucks South
#3-2 William Penn over #11-3 Bethlehem Liberty
#1-7 Lower Merion over #11-1 Parkland
#3-4 Harrisburg over #1-3 Conestoga
#1-2 Penn Wood over #3-5 Penn Manor
#12-4 John Bartram over #11-2 Pocono Mountain East
#1-9 Glen Mils over #3-1 Central Dauphin East
#1-4 Pennsbury over #12-3 North Catholic
#7-1 Peters Township over #7-5 Pittsburgh Central Catholic
#10-1 Cathedral Preparatory over #7-4 North Hills
#10-2 McDowell over #6-1 State College
#7-2 Mount Lebanon over #8-1 Allerdice
Sweet 16
#1-1 Norristown over #1-6 Plymouth-Whitemarsh
#1-5 Chester over #4-1 Williamsport Area
#12-1 Roman Catholic over #3-2 William Penn
#1-7 Lower Merion over #3-4 Harrisburg
#1-2 Penn Wood over #12-4 John Bartram
#1-4 Pennsbury over #1-9 Glen Mills
#7-1 Peters Township over #10-1 Cathedral Preparatory
#7-2 Mount Lebanon over #10-2 McDowell
Quarterfinals
#1-5 Chester over #1-1 Norristown
#12-1 Roman Catholic over #1-7 Lower Merion
#1-2 Penn Wood over #1-4 Pennsbury
#7-1 Peters Township over #7-2 Mount Lebanon
Semifinals
#12-1 Roman Catholic over #1-5 Chester
#1-2 Penn Wood over #7-1 Peters Township
Finals
#1-2 Penn Wood over #12-1 Roman Catholic
Class AAAA State Champion: Penn Wood