HERSHEY, Pa. — Four District 10 basketball teams — three boys teams and one girl’s team — will be playing for PIAA titles this week in Hershey at the Giant Center.
On the boys’ side, District 10 champion Kennedy Catholic meets District 1 champion Girard College at 2 p.m. Thursday in Class 1A.
Then at 8 p.m. Friday, District 10 champ Meadville takes on District 12 champion Archbishop Wood in Class 5A, and at 2 p.m. Saturday District 10 champion Erie Strong Vincent meets District 12 champion Imhotep Charter in Class 4A.
Villa Maria, the District 10 Class 4A champion, is the lone D10 girls’ team playing for a state title. The Victors will take on District 11 champion Bethlehem Catholic at 6 p.m. Thursday.
The expanded classifications — from four to six this year — didn’t solve the long-time debate between traditional public schools and Catholic, private, charter, magnet schools.
Of the 24 teams playing for state titles, eight are traditional public schools, 11 are Catholic schools, two are charter schools, one is a magnet school and one is a five-day boarding school.
Only two of the 12 games feature public schools battling each other and both come in the largest classification, 6A, with Reading taking on Pine-Richland in the boys’ title game and Boyertown facing North Allegheny in the girls’ championship contest.
BOYS
PIAA Class 1A Championship
1-1 Girard College vs. 10-1 Kennedy Catholic — 2 p.m., Thursday, March 23
PIAA Class 2A Championship
12-2 Constitution vs. 7-1 Sewickley Academy — 2 p.m. Friday, March 24
PIAA Class 3A Championship
12-1 Neumann-Goretti vs. 7-2 Lincoln Park — 8 p.m. Thursday, March 23
PIAA Class 4A Championship
12-1 Imhotep vs. 10-1 Erie Strong Vincent — 2 p.m., Saturday, March 25
PIAA Class 5A Championship
12-1 Archbishop Wood vs. 10-1 Meadville — 8 p.m., Friday, March 24
PIAA Class 6A Championship
3-3 Reading vs. 7-1 Pine-Richland
GIRLS
PIAA Class 1A Championship
3-1 Lebanon Catholic vs. 6-2 Juniata Valley — Noon, Friday, March 24
PIAA Class 2A Championship
11-1 Minersville vs. 6-1 Bishop McCort — Noon, Thursday, March 23
PIAA Class 3A Championship
12-1 Neumann-Goretti vs. 7-1 Bishop Canevin — Noon, Saturday, March 25
PIAA Class 4A Championship
11-1 Bethlehem Catholic vs. 10-1 Villa Maria — 6 p.m., Thursday, March 23
PIAA Class 5A Championship
12-1 Archbishop Wood vs. 7-3 Trinity — 6 p.m., Saturday, March 25
PIAA Class 6A Championship
1-6 Boyertown vs. 7-1 North Allegheny — 6 p.m. Friday, March 24