by Alex Schwartz

The PIAA state tournaments will begin later today with the play-in games in each of the four classifications. Some of the same teams that have dominated the Keystone State hoops landscape the past couple years enter as top seeds, including Archbishop Carroll, Chester, Imhotep Charter, Neumann-Goretti, and Plymouth-Whitemarsh. As is usually the case, the majority of the top teams in Pennsylvania come from District 1, District 7, and District 12 (all five aforementioned schools are in 1 or 12). There are several teams from the other nine districts that are talented as well and they will be looking to make some noise too.

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 33 and 36 teams in each of the four state brackets, which include both private and public schools. Prep schools such as Friends Central and Academy of the New Church are ineligible. Friends Central beat Malvern Prep in the championship of the Independents Schools Tournament.

Have a look at my projections in each of the four classifications of the PIAA state tournaments below. If you would like to see the bracket setup, click Here.

CLASS A
Play-in Round
#3-4 Antietam over #2-2 Susquehanna Community

Round of 32
#3-1 Reading Central Catholic over #4-4 Sayre Area
#1-2 Faith Christian over #2-1 Old Forge
#4-2 Mansfield Area over #11-2 Mahoney Area
#12-1 Constitution over #1-3 Philmont Christian
#4-1 Milville over #3-3 Lancaster Country Day
#12-2 Math, Civics, & Sciences over #11-1 Marian Catholic
#3-2 Greenwood over #4-3 Sullivan County
#1-1 School at Church Farm over #3-4 Antietam
#7-1 Vincentian Academy over #9-4 North Clarion
#5-1 Southern Fulton over #6-3 Conemaugh Valley
#9-2 Rimersburg Union over #6-2 Northern Cambria
#7-4 North Catholic over #10-1 Rocky Grove
#9-3 DuBois Central Catholic over #6-1 Bishop Carroll
#5-2 Shade over #7-3 Clairton
#7-2 Lincoln Park Charter over #10-2 West Middlesex
#9-1 Elk County Catholic over #7-5 Serra Catholic

Round of 16
#3-1 Reading Central Catholic over #1-2 Faith Christian
#12-1 Constitution over #4-2 Mansfield Area
#12-2 Math, Civics, & Sciences over #4-1 Milville
#1-1 School at Church Farm over #3-2 Greenwood
#7-1 Vincentian Academy over #5-1 Southern Fulton
#7-4 North Catholic over #9-2 Rimersburg Union
#5-2 Shade over #9-3 DuBois Central Catholic
#9-1 Elk County Catholic over #7-2 Lincoln Park Charter

Quarterfinals
#12-1 Constitution over #3-1 Reading Central Catholic
#1-1 School at Church Farm over #12-2 Math, Civics, & Sciences
#7-1 Vincentian Academy over #7-4 North Catholic
#9-1 Elk County Catholic over #5-2 Shade

Semifinals
#12-1 Constitution over #1-1 School at Church Farm
#9-1 Elk County Catholic over #7-1 Vincentian Academy

Final
#12-1 Constitution over #9-1 Elk County Catholic
Class A State Champion: Constitution

CLASS AA
Play-in Round
#5-2 Tussey Mountain over #7-7 Beaver Falls Area

Round of 32
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #3-3 Wyomissing
#2-2 Elmer L. Meyers over #4-2 Central Columbia
#12-5 Prep Charter over #11-1 Salisbury Township
#12-3 Vaux over #3-2 Delone Catholic
#12-4 Communications Tech over #3-1 New Hanover
#4-3 Loyalsock Township over #2-1 Riverside
#11-2 Pine Grove over #12-2 West Catholic
#4-1 Hughesville over #2-3 Holy Cross
#7-1 Monesson over #10-2 Mercyhurst Prep
#5-1 North Star over #6-2 Richland
#7-4 Sto-Rox over #10-2 Sharpsville
#9-1 Brookville over #7-5 Jeanette
#5-2 Tussey Mountain over #6-1 Bishop McCort
#7-3 Wilkinsburg over #9-2 Moniteau
#7-2 Greensburg Central Catholic over #6-3 Bellwood Antis
#10-1 North East over #7-6 Summit Academy

Round of 16
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #2-2 Elmer L. Meyers
#12-5 Prep Charter over #12-3 Vaux
#12-4 Communications Tech over #4-3 Loyalsock Township
#4-1 Hughesville over #11-2 Pine Grove
#7-1 Monesson over #5-1 North Star
#9-1 Brookville over #7-4 Sto-Rox
#7-3 Wilkinsburg over #5-2 Tussey Mountain
#7-2 Greensburg Central Catholic over #10-1 North East

Quarterfinals
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #12-5 Prep Charter
#12-4 Communications Tech over #4-1 Hughesville
#7-1 Monesson over #9-1 Brookville
#7-2 Greensburg Central Catholic over #7-3 Wilkinsburg

Semifinals
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #12-4 Communications Tech
#7-2 Greensburg Central Catholic over #7-1 Monesson

Final
#12-1 Imhotep Charter over #7-2 Greensburg Central Catholic
Class AA State Champion: Imhotep Charter

CLASS AAA
Play-in Round
#7-5 West Mifflin Area over #9-2 Bradford Area
#7-4 Newcastle Area over #8-2 Peabody
#6-2 Forest Hills over #7-6 Uniontown Area

Round of 32
#3-1 Lancaster Catholic over #12-4 Boys' Latin
#11-1 Allentown Central Catholic over #2-3 Abington Heights
#12-2 Philadelphia Electric over #1-3 Pope John Paul III
#2-1 Holy Redeemer over #4-2 Danville Area
#1-1 Octorara over #3-5 Bishop McDevitt
#4-1 Mifflinburg over #11-2 Wilson Area
#2-2 West Scranton over #3-3 Lampeter-Strasburg
#12-1 Neumann-Goretti over #3-6 Annville-Cleona
#12-3 Archbishop Carroll over #3-2 Eastern York
#1-2 Holy Ghost Prep over #3-4 Northeastern
#6-1 Greater Johnstown over #7-5 West Mifflin Area
#7-2 South Fayette over #10-2 General McLane
#7-1 Montour over #10-3 Sharon
#7-4 Newcastle Area over #9-1 St. Mary's
#8-1 Perry Traditional Academy over #7-3 Blackhawk
#10-1 Franklin over #6-2 Forest Hills

Round of 16
#3-1 Lancaster Catholic over #11-1 Allentown Central Catholic
#2-1 Holy Redeemer over #12-2 Philadelphia Electric
#1-1 Octorara over #4-1 Mifflinburg
#12-1 Neumann-Goretti over #2-2 West Scranton
#12-3 Archbishop Carroll over #1-2 Holy Ghost Prep
#7-2 South Fayette over #6-1 Greater Johnstown
#7-1 Montour over #7-4 Newcastle Area
#10-1 Franklin over #8-1 Perry Traditional Academy

Quarterfinals
#3-1 Lancaster Catholic over #2-1 Holy Redeemer
#12-1 Neumann-Goretti over #1-1 Octorara
#12-3 Archbishop Carroll over #7-2 South Fayette
#7-1 Montour over #10-1 Franklin

Semifinals
#12-1 Neumann-Goretti over #3-1 Lancaster Catholic
#12-3 Archbishop Carroll over #7-1 Montour

Final
#12-3 Archbishop Carroll over #12-1 Neumann-Goretti
Class AAA State Champion: Archbishop Carroll

CLASS AAAA
Play-in Round
#1-9 Penn Wood over #2-2 Wyoming Valley West
#7-5 Upper St. Clair over #10-2 McDowell
#7-4 Mt. Lebanon over #8-2 Schenley
#7-3 Butler Area over #6-2 Altoona Area

Round of 32
#1-1 Chester #3-7 Dallastown
#1-5 Bayard Rustin over #3-3 Cedar Cliff
#11-1 William Allen over #1-7 Norristown
#12-2 La Salle College HS over #3-4 Reading
#12-1 Frankford over #1-8 Bensalem
#1-3 Plymouth-Whitemarsh over #3-5 Central Dauphin
#2-1 Scranton over #1-6 Lower Merion
#3-2 Red Land over #12-4 John Bartram
#1-9 Penn Wood over #3-1 York
#1-4 Neshaminy over #11-3 Pottsville
#1-2 Council Rock North over #3-6 Chambersburg
#11-2 Liberty over #12-3 Roman Catholic
#7-1 Gateway over #7-5 Upper St. Clair
#7-4 Mt. Lebanon over #6-1 State College Area
#7-2 Chartiers Valley over #8-1 Allerdice
#7-3 Butler Area over #10-1 Cathedral Prep

Round of 16
#1-1 Chester over #1-5 Bayard Rustin
#11-1 William Allen over #12-2 La Salle College HS
#1-3 Plymouth-Whitemarsh over #12-1 Frankford
#2-1 Scranton over #3-2 Red Land
#1-4 Neshaminy over #1-9 Penn Wood
#1-2 Council Rock North over #11-2 Liberty
#7-1 Gateway over #7-4 Mt. Lebanon
#7-2 Chartiers Valley over #7-3 Butler Area

Quarterfinals
#1-1 Chester over #11-1 William Allen
#1-3 Plymouth-Whitemarsh over #2-1 Scranton
#1-4 Neshaminy over #1-2 Council Rock North
#7-2 Chartiers Valley over #7-1 Gateway

Semifinals
#1-1 Chester over #1-3 Plymouth-Whitemarsh
#1-4 Neshaminy over #7-2 Chartiers Valley

Final
#1-4 Neshaminy over #1-1 Chester
Class AAAA State Champion: Neshaminy

Note- photo is of Archbishop Carroll's Juan'ya Green and is from http://www.delcotimes.com/