Boyer’s Bulletin: Breaking down the PIAA girls’ basketball playoffs
Schuylkill Haven's Audrey Hutchinson drives to the basket around a screen by teammate Mckenna Runkle during the District 11 Class 3A semifinals against Pine Grove at Martz Hall (Photo by Mel Rose).
7 local squads begin state playoff action this weekend
The Road to Hershey has been a well-traversed one by Schuylkill League girls’ basketball teams over the years.
For 20 straight seasons, from 1987 through 2006, the Schuylkill League had at least one girls’ basketball team reach the state final, a stretch widely known as “The Streak.”
Nativity (8), Marian (4), Mahanoy Area (3), North Schuylkill (3), Lourdes (2) and Pine Grove (1) all advanced teams to the state championship, with the Schuylkill League capturing nine PIAA crowns. Mahanoy Area and Nativity each won three state titles in that stretch, while Lourdes, North Schuylkill and Pine Grove each claimed one.
For a roughly 30-year period from 1978 to 2008, the Schuylkill League was one of the elite girls’ basketball leagues in Pennsylvania.
Since then, however, the PIAA has drastically changed. Despite expanding from four classes to six for the 2016-17 season, the addition of the Philadelphia schools — the Philadelphia Catholic League in particular — and the continuous creation of non-boundary charter schools — has made it difficult for Schuylkill League teams to reach the Giant Center.
Since “The Streak” ended in 2007, just seven Schuylkill League girls’ teams have completed the journey to the state final — Marian (2008), Nativity (2009), Tri-Valley (2013), Lourdes (2016, ’19, ’23) and Minersville (2017).
The Battlin’ Miners’ unbeaten run to the 2017 gold, capped by a 63-49 win over Bishop McCort, is the Schuylkill League’s last girls’ basketball state championship. Hard to believe that was nine years ago already.
As the 2026 PIAA Basketball Tournament gets under way tonight, seven Schuylkill League girls’ teams will take the court this weekend with a goal of hoisting gigantic Hershey chocolate bars and having a PIAA gold medal draped around their necks in two weeks.
It’s a grueling four-game trek to Hershey, one that will test teams’ resiliency, chemistry and toughness, how they handle pressure and adversity, and their ability to make plays in the clutch.
What can we expect?
Do we have a team capable of getting to Hershey?
Let’s take a deep dive into the PIAA Tournament as it pertains to our local teams:
Weekend Schedule
The first-round of the PIAA Tournament features games at the home gymnasiums of the top team on the bracket. Thus, Schuylkill Haven, Williams Valley, Lourdes and Blue Mountain will play games this weekend on their home floors.
Here’s the complete schedule, with radio broadcasts on WPPA and T-102 included. You can click on the live broadcasts here:
T-102: https://player.aiir.com/wavt/
WPPA: https://player.aiir.com/wppa/
TONIGHT
AA girls — 4-2 Southern Columbia (12-13) at 11-1 Williams Valley (18-6), 7 p.m. (T-102)
AA girls — 11-2 Marian (14-11) at 12-2 Vaux (12-7), Girls’ HS, Philadelphia, 6 p.m.
3A girls — 11-4 Pine Grove (14-11) vs. 12-1 Imhotep (15-10), Ben Franklin HS, 6 p.m.
3A girls — 12-4 Phila. Academy Charter (10-8) at 11-2 Schuylkill Haven (22-5), 7 p.m. (WPPA)
SATURDAY
4A girls — 2-2 Valley View (19-6) at 11-2 Blue Mountain (14-12), 1 p.m. (WPPA)
A girls — 3-6 Conestoga Christian (16-9) at 4-1 Lourdes (25-2), 1 p.m.
A girls — 11-2 Weatherly (8-16) vs. 12-1 Motivation (11-4), Lincoln HS, noon
** Note: The Schuylkill Haven boys’ game will be on T-102, starting at 1 p.m. **
Second-round games are slated for Tuesday-Wednesday, March 10-11, with quarterfinals set for Friday-Saturday, March 13-14. Semifinals are scheduled for Monday-Tuesday, March 16-17, with the PIAA Basketball Championships to be played over three days from Thursday, March 19, through Saturday, March 21, four games per day.
Tickets for all PIAA basketball games cost $9 if purchased in advance online or $10 at the door. There is not a senior citizen or student discount. To purchase online tickets, visit https://www.piaa.org/sports/tickets.aspx?sport=basketball.
For a complete look at the PIAA brackets, visit http://www.piaa.org/sports/championship_details.aspx?sport=basketball
Trivia Question
The have been 10 Schuylkill League schools to win a PIAA girls’ basketball state championship. Can you name all 10?
This road looks familiar …
For four of the Schuylkill League’s seven teams, the Road to Hershey follows a familiar path at the start.
Williams Valley, Marian, Schuylkill Haven and Lourdes each finished in the same positions in their respective district tournaments as they did in 2025. By doing so, they ended up with the basically the same draw as last year.
Not just in the first round. The possible opponents as they navigate through the tournament are very similar to a year ago as well.
** The back-to-back District 11 Class AA champion Vikings again draw the District 4 runner-up in tonight’s first round at home. Last year, Williams Valley squeaked past Northeast Bradford 49-46. Tonight, the Vikes (18-6) host Southern Columbia (12-13).
GAME-WINNER: Sage Smeltz converted the game-winning basket in Williams Valley’s PIAA win over Northeast Bradford last year: https://youtu.be/u2_30nUbwW8?si=2GQWXAirf3Q-3zk9
Seeded fifth in the District 4 tournament, the Tigers topped Canton 40-33 and upset top-seeded Northeast Bradford 48-33 before falling to Muncy 44-43 in the title game.
Heartland Conference first-team all-star Kailee Helwig, a sophomore guard, leads the team in scoring with 14.8 ppg. Sophomore guard Olivia Jones (10.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg), sophomore guard Macie Swank (8.2 ppg), senior center Alana Reuter (4.1 rpg) and freshman forward Bella Snyder round out the starting five for Jim Kessler’s club.
The WV-SCA winner takes on the winner of 3-2 Shalom Christian (15-6) and District 12 champion MaST Charter II (11-7). Last year, Williams Valley beat Shalom Christian 23-18 in the second round before falling to District 2 champion Mountain View 32-14 in the quarterfinals. The Vikings would face Mountain View in the quarterfinals again if both teams win their first two games.
** Schuylkill Haven, the District 11 Class 3A runner-up, opened the 2025 tourney with a game against District 12 No. 4 Bodine at Martz Hall. The Hurricanes cruised to a 51-15 victory.
Tonight, Schuylkill Haven (22-5) again plays the 12-4, this time its Philadelphia Academy Charter (10-8). The only change here between last year and this year is that tonight’s game is at the CACL Center, not Martz Hall.
Like Bodine, Philadelphia Academy Charter doesn’t play a rigorous schedule. The Chargers have a roster of only seven girls, six of which are freshmen. Freshman guard Kaitlyn Asher, the coach’s daughter, is their leading scorer at 10.7 ppg. She was a Philadelphia Public League second-team selection. Five of the seven players have scored 49 points or less the entire season.
The Chargers are athletic … five of the seven players are three-sport athletes. Freshman guard Isabella Hernandez (5.9 ppg) is a decorated AAU player.
Should the Hurricanes prevail, a familiar foe could await. The Haven-PAC winner will take on the winner of 3-2 Pequea Valley (20-4) and 12-3 Mastery North Pickett (13-11). Last season, Pequea Valley rallied late to eliminate the Hurricanes 56-53 in the second round.
** Marian, the District 11 Class AA runner-up, travels to Philadelphia for the second straight year in the first round. In 2025, the Fillies made the most of their trip, blasting MaST Charter II 76-11. Marian then defeated Elk Lake 47-45 before falling to District 5 champ Berlin Brothersvalley in the quarterfinals.
This year, Marian takes on District 12 runner-up Vaux (12-7). Don’t be surprised if the result is similar to last year. District 4 champion Muncy (22-4) or District 2 runner-up Wyoming Seminary (17-7) await in the second round. Another meeting with Berlin Brothersvalley (21-5) would happen in the quarterfinals if both teams win their first two games.
** Like Williams Valley, Lourdes opens PIAA play on the Lee Korbich Gymnasium hardwood for the second straight year. The Red Raiders (25-2) face District 3 No. 6 Conestoga Christian (16-9) at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Last season, Lourdes topped 3-6 Veritas Academy 51-36 in the first round and advanced to the PIAA Class A semifinals before falling to District 3 powerhouse Linville Hill. This year, Linville Hill (15-6) is the District 3 runner-up, meaning the Red Raiders and Linville would meet in the quarterfinals.
District 3 champion New Covenant Christian (22-2), District 1 champion Delco Christian (25-2) and District 11 champion Bethlehem Christian (24-3) are the teams to watch in the upper part of the East bracket in Class A.
In an interesting twist, Lourdes could play Schuylkill League Division II rival Weatherly (8-16) in the second round. The Wreckers trek to Philadelphia to play District 12 champion Motivation (11-4). Last year, Motivation lost 49-34 to Bethlehem Christian in the first round.
Eagles open at home … again
Blue Mountain also earned a first-round home game despite losing to Allentown Central Catholic in the District 11 Class 4A championship game. The Eagles (14-12) entertain District 2 runner-up Valley View (19-6) at 1 p.m. Saturday.
For Blue Mountain, it’s the second time in three years the Eagles have opened the state playoffs at home. In 2024, Neumann-Goretti traveled to Orwigsburg in the first round and left with a 65-43 victory.
Success in the PIAA playoffs has been rare for Blue Mountain. The Eagles’ last PIAA win came in 2008 over Lampeter-Strasburg at Martz Hall. The 2006 club opened with victories over Palmyra and Berwick before losing to Moon in the state quarterfinals.
Blue Mountain’s 1999 squad made the program’s deepest run, beating Daniel Boone, Conrad Weiser and Lancaster Catholic before falling to Kelly Mazzante and Montoursville in the state semifinals.
Valley View is in the state playoffs for the second straight season. Last year, the Cougars defeated Palmerton 39-34 in the first round.
Valley View has an impressive resume, with a 49-30 win over ACC early in the season and a regular-season win over District 2 champion Scranton Prep. Scranton Prep returned the favor 52-47 in the District 2 final.
The Cougars are led by junior shooting guard Cora Castellani, who had 19 points in the District 2 title game. She averages 18.1 ppg and has hit 62 3-pointers.
Senior forward Ava Gazoo (8.4 ppg), junior forward Sadie Cardoni (7.7 ppg), sophomore wing Ashlan Palickar (4.9 ppg, 16 3s), sophomore point guard Mady Minelli (5.4 ppg, 10 3s) and freshman guard Ali Mauro (5.0 ppg, 18 3s) complete the top-six rotation for Rob Martin’s club.
Saturday’s winner gets either District 12 champion Neumann-Goretti (15-10) or District 3 No. 5 Susquenita (20-5).
