by Alex Schwartz

The PIAA state tournaments will begin tomorrow, and some familiar names will be atop the seed lines. Defending champs Girard College (Class A), Imhotep Charter (Class AA), and Penn Wood (Class AAAA) all won their districts and are strong contenders to grab the crown again. Class AAA defending champion Archbishop Carroll also has a shot to win yet again.

For those unfamiliar with how the PIAA seeding works, there are twelve districts in Pennsylvania, and in each classification (A is the smallest and AAAA is the largest) a certain number of teams per district qualify for states. For example, a team seeded #7-3 finished in third place in District 7. There are between 32 and 40 teams in each of the four state brackets, which include both private and public schools. Prep schools like Academy of the New Church and Friends Central are ineligible. Friends Central beat Germantown Academy in the Independent Schools Tournament.

Check out my projections for the PIAA state tournaments below. If you want to see the bracket setup, click Here.

CLASS A
Play-in Round
#1-3 Phil-Mont Christian Academy over #2-2 Freeland MMI
#12-2 Constitution over #3-4 Millersburg

Round of 32
#3-1 Reading Central Catholic over #6-4 Northern Cambria
#12-1 Math, Civics, & Sciences over #1-3 Phil-Mont Christian Academy
#4-2 Milville over #11-1 Marian Catholic
#1-1 Girard College over #12-2 Constitution
#4-3 Sayre over #2-1 Old Forge
#3-2 Greenwood over #1-2 School at Church Farm
#4-1 Mansfield over #11-2 Pius X
#6-2 Homer Center over #3-3 Lebanon Catholic
#7-1 Sewickley Academy over #9-4 Coudersport
#9-2 Elk County Catholic over #5-3 Forbes Road
#5-2 Tussey Mountain over #7-3 Cornell
#10-1 Rocky Grove over #9-3 Keystone
#7-4 Serra Catholic over #5-1 Southern Fulton
#7-2 Lincoln Park over #6-3 Penns Manor
#6-1 Connemaugh Valley over #10-2 Linesville
#9-1 DuBois Central Catholic over #7-5 Neshannock

Round of 16
#12-1 Math, Civics, & Sciences over #3-1 Reading Central Catholic
#1-1 Girard College over #4-1 Milville
#3-2 Greenwood over #4-3 Sayre
#4-1 Mansfield over #6-2 Homer Center
#7-1 Sewickley Academy over #9-2 Elk County Catholic
#5-2 Tussey Mountain over #10-1 Rocky Grove
#7-4 Serra Catholic over #7-2 Lincoln Park
#9-1 DuBois Central Catholic over #6-1 Connemuagh Valley

Quarterfinals
#1-1 Girard College over #12-1 Math, Civics, & Sciences
#4-1 Mansfield over #3-2 Greenwood
#7-1 Sewickley Academy over #5-2 Tussey Mountain
#7-4 Serra Catholic over #9-1 DuBois Central Catholic

Semifinals
#1-1 Girard College over #4-1 Mansfield
#7-1 Sewickley Academy over #7-4 Serra Catholic

Final
#7-1 Sewickley Academy over #1-1 Girard College
Class A State Champion: Sewickley Academy

CLASS AA
Play-in Round
#1-2 Devon Prep over #12-3 Benjamin Franklin
#6-3 Westmont Hilltop over #5-2 Chestnut Ridge
#7-8 Jeanette over #9-2 Kane

Round of 32
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #3-3 Hanover
#11-1 Notre Dame GP over #4-3 Lewisburg
#1-2 Devon Prep over #3-2 Lancaster Mennonite
#4-1 Hughesville over #4-4 Dunmore
#4-2 Loyalsock Township over #2-1 Holy Cross
#12-2 West Catholic over #11-2 Tri Valley
#1-1 Saint Pius over #2-3 Wilkes Barre GAR
#12-4 Strawberry Mansion over #3-1 Trinity
#7-1 North Catholic over #6-3 Westmont Hilltop
#7-4 Shady Side Academy over #10-2 Fairview
#7-3 South Fayette over #6-2 Cambria Heights
#9-1 Brookville over #7-5 Washington
#6-1 PennsValley over #7-7 Beaver Falls
#7-2 Rochester over #10-3 Eisenhower
#7-6 Greensburg Central over #5-1 North Star
#10-1 Mercyhurst Prep over #7-8 Jeanette

Round of 16
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #11-1 Notre Dame GP
#4-1 Hughesville over #1-2 Devon Prep
#4-2 Loyalsock Township over #12-2 West Catholic
#12-4 Strawberry Mansion over #1-1 Saint Pius
#7-1 North Catholic over #7-4 Shady Side Academy
#7-3 South Fayette over #9-1 Brookville
#7-2 Rochester over #6-1 PennsValley
#10-1 Mercyhurst Prep over #7-6 Greensburg Central Catholic

Quarterfinals
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #4-1 Hughesville
#12-4 Strawberry Mansion over #4-2 Loyalsock Township
#7-1 North Catholic over #7-3 South Fayette
#7-2 Rochester over #10-1 Mercyhurst Prep

Semifinals
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #12-4 Strawberry Mansion
#7-1 North Catholic over #7-2 Rochester

Final
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #7-1 North Catholic
Class AA State Champion: Imhotep Charter

CLASS AAA
Play-in Round
#9-2 Clearfield over #10-3 Central Tech
#8-2 Perry Traditional Academy over #7-6 Montour

Round of 32
#3-1 Eastern York over #2-3 Coughlin
#12-2 Dobbins Tech over #1-2 Springfield Delco
#11-1 Pottsville over #4-2 Mifflinburg
#2-1 Abington Heights over #3-4 East Pennsboro
#12-1 Neumann-Goretti over #3-5 Susquehanna Township
#2-2 Holy Redeemer over #3-3 Steelton-Highspire
#4-1 Danville over #11-2 Allentown Central Catholic
#12-3 Archbishop Carroll over #1-1 Holy Ghost Prep
#3-2 Lancaster Catholic over #1-3 Pottsgrove
#6-1 Greater Johnstown over #3-6 York Suburban
#7-1 Chartiers Valley over #9-2 Clearfield
#10-2 Hickory over #7-3 West Allegheny
#8-1 Oliver over #7-4 West Mifflin
#9-1 Bradford over #7-5 Trinity
#7-2 Hampton over #6-2 Huntingdon
#10-1 East over #8-2 Perry Traditional Academy

Round of 16
#3-1 Eastern York over #12-2 Dobbins Tech
#2-1 Abington Heights over #11-1 Pottsville
#12-1 Neumann-Goretti over #2-2 Holy Redeemer
#12-3 Archbishop Carroll over #4-1 Danville
#3-2 Lancaster Catholic over #6-1 Greater Johnstown
#7-1 Chartiers Valley over #10-2 Hickory
#9-1 Bradford over #8-1 Oliver
#7-2 Hampton over #10-1 East

Quarterfinals
#3-1 Eastern York over #2-1 Abington Heights
#12-1 Neumann-Goretti over #12-3 Arhcbishop Carroll
#7-1 Chartiers Valley over #3-2 Lancaster Catholic
#7-2 Hampton over #9-1 Bradford

Semifinals
#12-1 Neumann-Goretti over #3-1 Eastern York
#7-1 Chartiers Valley over #7-2 Hampton

Final
#12-1 Neumann-Goretti over #7-1 Chartiers Valley
Class AAA State Champion: Neumann-Goretti

CLASS AAAA
Play-in Round
#1-9 Council Rock North over #2-2 Hazelton Area
#6-2 State College Area over #7-5 McKeesport
#7-4 North Allegheny over #8-2 Carrick
#7-3 Upper St. Clair over #10-2 Cathedral Prep

Round of 32
#1-1 Penn Wood over #3-7 Penn Manor
#12-2 John Bartram over #1-6 Neshaminy
#2-1 Scranton over #3-6 Warwick
#3-3 Wilson over #1-5 Pennsbury
#12-1 La Salle College over #1-8 Chester
#3-2 Hempfield over #11-3 Nazareth
#11-1 Liberty over #1-7 Penncrest
#1-3 Bayard Rustin over #3-4 York
#1-2 Plymouth-Whitemarsh over #3-5 Red Land
#12-1 Frankford over #11-2 Whitehall
#3-1 Reading over #1-9 Council Rock North
#12-3 Roman Catholic over #1-4 Souderton
#7-1 Mt. Lebanon over #6-2 State College Area
#10-1 Strong Vincent over #7-4 North Allegheny
#6-1 Hollidaysburg over #7-3 Upper St. Clair
#7-2 Gateway over #8-1 Allderdice

Round of 16
#1-1 Penn Wood over #12-2 John Bartram
#2-1 Scranton over #3-3 Wilson
#3-2 Hempfield over #12-1 La Salle College
#1-3 Bayard Rustin over #11-1 Liberty
#1-2 Plymouth-Whitemarsh over #12-1 Frankford
#12-3 Roman Catholic over #3-1 Reading
#7-1 Mt. Lebanon over #10-1 Strong Vincent
#7-2 Gateway over #6-1 Hollidaysburg

Quarterfinals
#1-1 Penn Wood over #2-1 Scranton
#3-2 Hempfield over #1-3 Bayard Rustin
#1-2 Plymouth-Whitemarsh over #12-3 Roman Catholic
#7-1 Mt. Lebanon over #7-2 Gateway

Semifinals
#1-1 Penn Wood over #3-2 Hempfield
#7-1 Mt. Lebanon over #1-2 Plymouth-Whitemarsh

Final
#1-1 Penn Wood over #7-1 Mt. Lebanon
Class AAAA State Champion: Penn Wood

Note- photo is of Tony Chennault and is from http://scouthoops.scout.com/