By Matthew DeGeorge
Leading the way for Delco is Chester (10-4), which sits fourth (ahead of 13-1 Plymouth Whitemarsh, which beat Chester). Also in line for first-round home games would be No. 7 Ridley (12-3), No. 13 Penn Wood (10-5) and No. 14 Academy Park (12-3).
Penncrest (11-5), Springfield (8-7) and Upper Darby (9-7) are also in the mix at 23rd, 26th and 28th, respectively, while Haverford (7-8) is the next-to-last team in the field at 31st, a seeding that would send them to No. 2 Conestoga in the first round. District One receives 10 bids to the PIAA Class AAAA tournament.
Among the teams with work to do are Chichester (38), Garnet Valley (39) and Marple Newtown (43).
Glen Mills sits second in Class AAA with an 11-3 record, which means they’d get a home game prior to the semis and finals, both scheduled for Plymouth Whitemarsh. The Battlin’ Bulls, who are 10-0 at home, are sandwiched between a pair of one-loss teams in Octorara (15-1) and Lower Moreland (14-1), with Glen Mills boosted by its comparatively stronger league and a solid nonleague schedule. Two Class AAA teams advance to states.
Sun Valley (3-13) remains in the hunt for the Class AAA districts field in 10th place.
In Class A, Delco Christian (4-8) is in the sixth spot for the eight-team field. There’s a big gap to No. 5 Jenkintown (8-6), but with the ninth spot being occupied by winless Friends’ Select (0-13), there’s ample cushion to remain in the field.