By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 1/17/15
The PIAA has released the 2015 PIAA pairings for the state tournament – and the news was not good for District 1.
For the girls, District 1 has lost a state berth and will send five teams to the PIAA tourney – the top four of which will be in the same half (top) of the bracket. Meanwhile, again there will be five boys’ teams headed to states and the top four of those teams also will be playing in the upper half of the bracket.
(See attached photos of the brackets).
The lacrosse brackets have been a source for disappointment for coaches and fans since the PIAA began its tournament in 2009. Teams from District 1 and the region’s other district, District 12 (Catholic and Public League), have dominated the tourney each year and sent all 12 finalists to Hershey in both the boys’ and girls’ brackets – and yet the Philly teams have been forced to play each other early in the tourney and receive what coaches have claimed are an unfair numbers of berths based on their past and present success.
In the girls’ side, all 12 PIAA finalists have come from District 1. This year, this only can happen if the fifth-place team advances to states from the bottom half of the bracket – and that No. 5 team has a perennially tough matchup against the District 12 champion (which has been Archbishop Carroll each of the six years). In 2014, the No. 2, 3 and 5 teams from District 1 were placed in the bottom half of the bracket while the No. 1 and No. 6 teams were at the top.
In the boys’ bracket, the District 1 fifth-place team also has to open state play against the District 12 champion in that bottom half of the bracket. Last year, the District 1 fifth-place team – Penncrest – went all the way to Hershey and defeated District 1 champion Avon Grove for the state crown. In the previous five years, the District 12 champion has won the bottom half of the bracket and advanced to states (winning twice, both by La Salle).
Overall, District 1 boys’ teams have gone 23-4 in PIAA games against teams outside of its own District 1 foes and District 12 teams. Manheim Township (District 3) and Emmaus (District 11) each have won twice over District 1 teams, all coming from 2009-11.
On the girls’ side, District 1 has an even more amazing 22-1 record against teams from outside of its own district and District 12 (Manheim Township defeated Boyertown in 2013).
Maximum Number of Entries (Qualifiers) to the 2015 and 2016 PIAA Girls’ and Boys’ Lacrosse Championships
District Girls Boys
I 5 5
II 1 1
III 3 3
IV 1 1
VI/X 1 1
VII 3 3
VIII 0 0
IX 0 0
XI 1 1
XII 1 1
Totals 16 16
In comparison from the past two years (the brackets are redone every 2 years; note that the PIAA has said it’s possible there will be two classes beginning in 2017 due to the increased number of teams in the state)
Boys’ Brackets – for 2013, 2014
First Round
Game 1- District 1 champion (1-1) vs. District 3, third-place (3-3)
Game 2 – 11-1 vs. 3-2
Game 3 – 3-1 vs. 1-4
Game 4 – 4-1 vs. 2-1
Game 5 – 12-1 vs. 1-3
Game 6 – 1-2 vs. 1-5
Game 7 – 7-1 vs. 3-4
Game 8 – 6-1/10-1 (combined) vs. 7-2
Girls’ Brackets – for 2013, 2014
First Round
Game 1- District 1 champion (1-1) vs. District 1, sixth-place (1-6)
Game 2 – 11-1 vs. 3-2
Game 3 – 3-1 vs. 1-4
Game 4 – 4-1 vs. 2-1
Game 5 – 12-1 vs. 1-3
Game 6 – 1-2 vs. 1-5
Game 7 – 7-1 vs. 3-3
Game 8 – 6-1/10-1 (combined) vs. 7-2
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