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Philly Teams Make Up Almost Half Of PIAA State Hoops Finalists

By Joseph Santoliquito

PHILADELPHIA (CBS)— On the surface, at the city's current pro sports level, it's a barren wasteland. The Phillies could lose 100 games this summer, the Flyers aren't making the playoffs and the Sixers want to lose. The Eagles won't resume until July.

There is hope though.

If you dig a little, you'll find fertile soil in the hot bed of basketball in Pennsylvania—that's the high school level where seven of the 16 teams playing in this weekend's PIAA state championship at Hershey Park's Giant Center are Philly-based teams, including two all-Philadelphia state boys' finals.

On Friday at 8 p.m. in the Class AAA boys' championship, Catholic League rivals Neumann-Goretti and Archbishop Carroll will meet. Neumann-Goretti will be going for its second-straight state and fifth in the last six years. Carroll's boys are in the state finals for the third time, and the Patriots were the first Catholic League team to win a state basketball championship (the Philadelphia Catholic League joined the PIAA in 2008).

On Saturday at 8 p.m. in the boys' Class AAAA final history will be made, because Roman Catholic and Martin Luther King will be playing for the first state championship in their respective schools' history.

Constitution will be looking for its second-straight state championship, and second in the last four years at the Class A level (Constitution won the Class AA title last year). Conwell-Egan will be looking to win its first state crown at Class A.

On the girls' side, Neumann-Goretti, the nation's No. 1 team, will be seeking its first state title and also looking to go undefeated in a return state final against Seton-LaSalle, which beat the Saints last year in the Class AA title game.

At Class AAAA, Central Bucks West star, Michigan-bound Nicole Munger, has a chance to finish a brilliant career with the first state basketball championship in school history, and Class AAA Archbishop Wood and Blackhawk meet again in the state championship.

 

PIAA State Basketball Championships
Boys

Class A: Constitution (23-8) vs. Farrell (24-4) - Fri. 2 p.m.
Class AA: Conwell-Egan (20-8) vs. Aliquippa (29-0) - Sat. 2 p.m.
Class AAA: Neumann-Goretti (28-2) vs. Archbishop Carroll (23-6) - Fri. 8 p.m.
Class AAAA: Roman Catholic (28-2) vs. Martin Luther King (23-8) - Sat. 8 p.m.

Girls

Class A: Old Forge (16-10) vs. Vincentian (29-1) - Sat. 12-noon
Class AA: Neumann-Goretti (29-0) vs. Seton-LaSalle (23-7) - Fri. 12-noon
Class AAA: Archbishop Wood (26-4) vs. Blackhawk (27-3) - Sat. 6 p.m.
Class AAAA: Central Bucks West (32-1) vs. Cumberland Valley (31-1) - Fri. 6 p.m.

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