The first round of the 2018 PIAA state playoffs begin in earnest today, with plenty of intriguing matchups featuring District 9 teams.
The North Tier League sends Cameron County and Coudersport into action on the boys side of the bracket over the next two days. Here’s a look at those games.
(9-4) Cameron County vs. (7-1) Vincentian Academy, Today at Northwest High School, 7:30 p.m.
Cameron County enters Friday’s first-round matchup having lost their final two District 9 playoff games, and five of seven contests overall, but have the shooting ability to upset Vincentian.
The Red Raiders (17-7) have a balanced offensive attack, led by senior Adam Shaffer, who averages a team-high 17.3 points per game. Cameron County is especially potent from beyond the arc, with a starting five that boasts four shooters that are capable firing from deep.
“We have guys that can really shoot the ball. When we shoot it well, we can beat anybody,” Cameron County head coach Mark Guido told the Era last week. “When it’s not going like it has been the last couple of games, anybody can beat us. But, it is really nice for us because it makes us really tough to guard.”
What the Red Raiders are lacking, however, is a big presence inside. It was a big reason as to why they lost to North Clarion 65-57 in the Class A consolation game last Friday, and it could prove to be their achilles heel against Vincentian Academy today.
The Royals have 6-foot-6 freshman Angelo Reeves at their disposal, which should create some matchup problems for the Red Raiders. Senior Zach McDonough leads the Royals with 20 points per game.
Vincentian can also shoot from three, as evidenced by their performance in the WPIAL Championship Game. The Royals shot 10-of-25 in that game en route to beating Union-New Castle 54-51 to win the title.
Vincentian (18-7) enters the playoffs as one of the hotter teams in the bracket, having won five straight and 13 of 15 under first-year head coach Tim Tyree. The Royals are ranked number six in the state by MaxPreps.
The winner of this game gets the winner of Shadle/Cornell next Tuesday.
(10-3) Wilmington vs. (9-1) Coudersport, Saturday at St. Marys High School, 7 p.m.
The Falcons are still riding high following their 66-46 rout of Ridgway to win the Class AA title last Saturday.
Coudersport (21-3) enters Saturday’s game as the highest scoring offense in D-9, averaging close to 80 points per contest. The Falcons also have two of the deadliest scorers in the district with Owen Chambers (24.7 ppg) and Jared Green (17.6).
Chambers, only a junior, reached the 1,000-point plateau earlier this season and will certainly be a top pick for NTL MVP.
The Falcons are also a deep team. Forward Hunter Ricke knocked down 17 points in that championship game, while freshman Hayden Keck has been getting big minutes of late and scored 12 points in Coudy’s semifinal matchup against Brockway.
Wilmington, meanwhile, enters the state playoffs at 14-12, but ended the year on a nice run. The Greyhounds won six of their last eight games, including a 57-45 victory over Cochranton in the District 10 consolation game.
Wilmington, who have scored over 70 points just three times this season, should struggle to keep pace with Coudy. The Greyhounds’ leading scorer, Daniel Hanssen, averages just 13 ppg.
Wilmington did, however, have one of the best defense in D-10. The Greyhounds allowed just 49 ppg this season, and saved their best defensive performances to close the season. Wilmington allowed fewer than 40 points in each of their final three regular season contests, and a total of 87 in two playoff matchups.
The winner of this game gets either Our Lady of Sacred Heart or Homer Central in the second round next Wednesday.
