Marian, Palmerton earn top seeds
Two area girls basketball teams have earned No. 1 seeds for the upcoming District 11 playoffs.
Marian and Palmerton are top seeds in their respective brackets, with a total of 11 area teams – seven girls and four boys – qualifying for the postseason.
The Fillies, who advanced to the Schuylkill League title game, are the top seed in Class 2A and have a bye into the semifinals. They will face the winner of the No. 5 Panther Valley-No. 4 Northern Lehigh game in the semifinals on Wednesday, March 1.
The Blue Bombers, who advanced to the Colonial League title game, are the top seed in Class 3A, and will face the winner of the No. 5 Executive Education-No. 4 Pine Grove contest in the semifinals on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Northwestern, which captured its third straight Colonial League title this season, is the No. 3 seed in Class 4A and will face No. 6 Saucon Valley Saturday, Feb. 25 in the quarterfinals.
Jim Thorpe is the fifth seed in the Class 4A bracket and will face Blue Mountain in the quarterfinals. The winner of the Jim Thorpe-Blue Mountain contest will face top seed Allentown Central Catholic in the semifinals.
The Palmerton boys earned the fourth seed in the Class 3A tournament and will face No. 5 seed Panther Valley in the quarterfinals on Saturday, Feb. 25.
Action kicks off this Friday, with No. 5 Marian Catholic playing No. 4 Minersville (at Martz Hall) at 5 p.m. in the Class 2A boys bracket in a quarterfinal matchup, and No. 7 Northwestern taking on No. 2 Allentown Central Catholic (at Allen) at 7:30 p.m. in a Class 4A quarterfinal contest.
Below are the matchups, seeds and dates for the upcoming District 11 tournament.
GIRLS
CLASS 1A
SEMIFINALS
Tuesday, Feb. 28
No. 4 Weatherly vs. No. 1 Mountain View (District 2), TBA
No. 3 Salem Christian Academy vs. No. 2 Nativity BVM, TBA
FINALS
TBA
CLASS 2A
QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, Feb. 25
No. 1 Marian Catholic – Bye
No. 5 Panther Valley vs. No. 4 Northern Lehigh (at Whitehall), 1 p.m.
No. 6 Moravian Academy vs. No. 3 Tri-Valley (at Martz Hall), 1 p.m.
No. 2 Minersville – Bye
SEMIFINALS
Wednesday, March 1
Winner of Panther Valley/Northern Lehigh vs. Marian Catholic, TBA
Winner of Moravian Academy/Tri-Valley vs. Minersville, TBA
FINALS
Saturday, March 4
TBA
CLASS 3A
QUARTERFINALS
Friday, Feb. 24
No. 5 Executive Education vs. No. 4 Pine Grove (at Blue Mountain), 6 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Tuesday, Feb. 28
Winner of Executive Education/Pine Grove vs. No. 1 Palmerton, TBA
No. 3 Pen Argyl vs. No. 2 Notre Dame of Green Pond, TBA
FINALS
Friday, March 3
TBA
CLASS 4A
QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, Feb. 25
No. 1 Allentown Central Catholic – Bye
No. 5 Jim Thorpe vs. No. 4 Blue Mountain (at Martz Hall), 2:30 p.m.
No. 6 Saucon Valley vs. No. 3 Northwestern (at Catasauqua), 1:30 p.m.
No. 2 North Schuylkill – Bye
SEMIFINALS
Wednesday, March 1
Winner of Jim Thorpe/Blue Mountain vs. Allentown Central Catholic, TBA
Winner of Saucon Valley/Northwestern vs. North Schuylkill, TBA
FINALS
Saturday, March 4
TBA
CLASS 5A
SEMIFINALS
Wednesday, March 1
No. 4 Whitehall vs. No. 1 Bethlehem Catholic, TBA
No. 3 Pocono Mountain East vs. No. 2 Bangor, TBA
FINALS
Saturday, March 4
TBA
CLASS 6A
QUARTERFINALS
Friday, Feb. 24
No. 8 Stroudsburg vs. No. 1 Easton (at Whitehall), 7:45 p.m.
No. 5 Nazareth vs. No. 4 Emmaus (at Catasauqua), 6 p.m.
No. 6 Northampton vs. No. 3 Parkland (at Whitehall), 6 p.m.
No. 7 Liberty vs. No. 2 Pocono Mountain West (at Pleasant Valley), 6 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Tuesday, Feb. 28
Winner of Stroudsburg/Easton vs. Winner of Nazareth/Emmaus, TBA
Winner of Northampton/Parkland vs. Winner of Liberty/PM West, TBA
FINALS
Friday, March 3
TBA
BOYS
CLASS 1A
QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, Feb. 25
No. 1 Notre Dame of East Stroudsburg – Bye
No. 5 Lehigh Christian Academy at No. 4 MMI Prep, TBA
No. 6 Susquehanna Community vs. No. 3 Bethlehem Catholic (at Catasauqua), 12 p.m.
No. 2 Forest City Regional – Bye
SEMIFINALS
Wednesday, March 1
Winner of Lehigh Christian Academy/MMI Prep vs. Notre Dame of East Stroudsburg, TBA
Winner of Susquehanna Community vs. Bethlehem Catholic, TBA
FINALS
Saturday, March 4
TBA
CLASS 2A
QUARTERFINALS
Friday, Feb. 24
No. 1 Mahanoy Area – Bye
No. 5 Marian Catholic vs. No. 4 Minersville (at Martz Hall), 5 p.m.
No. 6 Lincoln Leadership vs. No. 3 Schuylkill Haven (at Martz Hall), 6:30 p.m.
No. 7 Nativity BVM vs. No. 2 Tri-Valley (at Martz Hall), 8 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Tuesday, Feb. 28
Winner of Marian Catholic/Minersville vs. Mahanoy Area, TBA
Winner of Lincoln Leadership/Schuylkill Haven vs. Winner of Nativity/Tri-Valley, TBA
FINALS
Friday, March 3
TBA
CLASS 3A
QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, Feb. 25
No. 1 Executive Education – Bye
No. 5 Panther Valley vs. No. 4 Palmerton (at Whitehall), 2:30 p.m.
No. 6 MaST Community Charter vs. No. 3 Saucon Valley (at Catasauqua), 3 p.m.
No. 2 Notre Dame of Green Pond – Bye
SEMIFINALS
Wednesday, March 1
Winner of Panther Valley/Palmerton vs. No. 1 Executive Education, TBA
Winner of MaST Community Charter/Saucon Valley vs. Notre Dame of Green Pond, TBA
FINALS
Saturday, March 4
TBA
CLASS 4A
QUARTERFINALS
Friday, Feb. 24
No. 1 Blue Mountain – Bye
No. 5 Wilson vs. No. 4 Bethlehem Catholic (at Allen), 6 p.m.
No. 6 Pottsville vs. No. 3 North Schuylkill (at Blue Mountain), 7:45 p.m.
No. 7 Northwestern vs. No. 2 Allentown Central Catholic (at Allen), 7:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Tuesday, Feb. 28
Winner of Wilson/Bethlehem Catholic vs. Blue Mountain, TBA
Winner of Pottsville/North Schuylkill vs. Winner of Northwestern/Allentown Central Catholic, TBA
FINALS
Friday, March 3
TBA
CLASS 5A
QUARTERFINALS
Friday, Feb. 24
No. 1 Pocono Mountain West – Bye
No. 5 East Stroudsburg North vs. No. 4 Whitehall (at Pleasant Valley), 7:30 p.m.
No. 6 Bangor vs. No. 3 Southern Lehigh (at Catasauqua), 7:30 p.m.
No. 2 East Stroudsburg South – Bye
SEMIFINALS
Tuesday, Feb. 28
Winner of ES North/Whitehall vs. Winner of Bangor/Southern Lehigh, TBA
Winner of Bangor/Southern Lehigh vs. ES South, TBA
FINALS
Friday, March 3
TBA
CLASS 6A
QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, March 25
No. 1 Emmaus – Bye
No. 5 William Allen vs. No. 4 Liberty (at Easton), 6 p.m.
No. 6 Northampton vs. No. 3 Parkland (at Easton), 7:30 p.m.
No. 2 Freedom – Bye
SEMIFINALS
Wednesday, March 1
Winner of William Allen/Liberty vs. Emmaus, TBA
Winner of Northampton/Parkland vs. Freedom, TBA
FINALS
Saturday, March 4
TBA