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By Josh Verlin + Rich Flanagan

It’s time for the Catholic League championships. Back on a Sunday afternoon for the first time since 1998, the PCL title games have moved from the evening to the afternoon, but that shouldn’t change anything about the atmosphere inside the Palestra for one of the city’s annual highlights on the sports calendar. 

They’re a couple of matchups filled with intrigue — Father Judge going for its first title since the last time it was a Sunday championship, Roman Catholic going for a 3-point; Neumann-Goretti aiming to break a 10-year spell against a Carrol squad that came oh-so-close a year ago before losing in double overtime.

Here’s a look at each game on Sunday:

Girls’ Championship
1) Neumann-Goretti vs. 3) Archbishop Carroll
Previous Matchup: Neumann-Goretti, 52-43 (Jan. 18 @ Neumann-Goretti)

Head Coaches
NG: Andrea Peterson (11th year, one championship)
AC: Renie Shields (9th year, one championship)

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By Josh Verlin

We’re down to eight teams in the running for the 2025 District 1 6A girls crown, including all of the top six seeds and a couple others in the top 10 moving through.

Each of those eight has already punched their ticket to the PIAA tournament, so even the quarterfinal losers still have at least three more games after that: two to determine seeding and a first-round state playoff game. The eight teams in playbacks all have to win their next two games to qualify for the PIAA bracket, with the losers of those games done for the year.

Here’s a look at all four quarterfinals, with a quick peek at the four playbacks:

(2) Garnet Valley vs. (10) Haverford High (1:00 PM)

It’s a Central League rubber match with the most at stake yet this season between the second-seeded Jaguars and the tenth-seeded Fords. They’ve each won on their home courts: Haverford by a 47-28 final back on Dec. 17, Garnet Valley by a near-identical 43-26 result on Jan. 30. A Conestoga win over Haverford (20-5) in the Central League semifinals prevented a third GV/Haverford meeting in the Central League championship, which the Jaguars (24-1) won before beating North Penn 54-38 in the second round. Haverford, meanwhile, beat CB South in the opening round before taking down Downingtown West on the road in the second to get back to states.

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By Matthew DeGeorge

The question wasn’t one Mikey Mita was expecting to have to answer Wednesday night.

Not when Penncrest’s offense was flowing in the first three quarters of the District 1 Class 5A quarterfinals. Not when it led Holy Ghost Prep by seven points at half, by 14 in the third quarter and 10 as fourth started. Maybe not even on an inbounds play with 10 seconds left and the game tied, one basket from a berth in states.

Instead, after a 52-48 loss to the Firebirds, Mita let the word “disappointment” land with the thud it packed, then turned his attention to the one game that can extend the Lions’ season.

“We didn’t handle our pressure as we should have,” Mita said. “Pressure has been a been a problem, and we need to sharpen up.”

In so doing, the second-seeded Lions (20-4) frittered away a chance to reach the state tournament and, they hoped, add to their collection of District 1 banners, letting a Holy Ghost team that looked lifeless resurrect itself in the fourth quarter. No. 7 Holy Ghost (16-8) outscored Penncrest, 17-7, in the fourth quarter and 25-11 in the final 12 minutes to reach states for the first time since 2023.

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By Matt Smith

Anna Reger had one job: stay locked in on Strath Haven’s Maddie Fanning from start to finish.

In Wednesday’s District 1 Class 5A quarterfinal showdown between the Central League rivals, the matchup between Radnor’s Reger and the Panthers’ Fanning was one to watch. Both are quick, undersized guards who can take over a game with their speed and defensive intensity.

Reger, a three-year starter, got the best of the exciting rookie. Her relentless on-ball defense on the Panthers’ standout freshman helped propel No. 2 Radnor to a 50-32 victory over seventh-seeded Strath Haven.

With the win, the Raptors advance to Friday night’s semifinal round and punched their ticket to the PIAA tournament next month. Radnor will host sixth-seeded Villa Maria, which claimed a 51-31 decision over No. 3 Lower Moreland Tuesday.

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By Joseph Santoliquito

If she needs to rebound one night, that’s okay with Charlotte Aldridge. If the 6-foot junior swing has to defend the opposition’s best offensive player the next game, she’s okay with that, too. If Downingtown East needs her to stretch a defense with her outside shooting, that’s also okay with her.

Wherever she is needed, Aldridge is more than willing to fulfill that role.

On Wednesday, it happened to be a little of all the above, scoring 17 points and being an interior defensive presence against smaller Chester in Downingtown East’s 57-44 second-round District 1 Class 6A victory at East.

The No. 5-seeded Cougars (22-3) will now advance to the district quarterfinal round at No. 4 Central Bucks East on Saturday at 1 p.m., while No. 12 Chester (19-5) will try to qualify for states in the playback round hosting No. 14 Spring-Ford on Saturday at 2 p.m.

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By Owen McCue 

Before Colson Campbell arrived at Upper Moreland High School, the Golden Bears boys basketball program had only been to the state playoffs three times.

Campbell was part of a team in 2022 that broke a nine-year state playoff drought. On Wednesday night, he and his senior teammates became the only group to be a part of two state playoff teams. 

Senior Jadon Cybok caught fire and Campbell celebrated a milestone night as No. 4 Upper Moreland pulled away from No. 5 Marple Newtown for a 67-49 District 1 5A quarterfinal win.

The victory secures the fifth state playoff berth in program history for the Golden Bears (1983, 2006, 2013, 2022, 2025) and advances them to Saturday’s district semifinal against top seed Upper Dublin. The Tigers will host No. 9 Chichester in a state playback game.

“They showed me freshman year, I saw from those seniors how to lead the team,” Campbell said. “Upper Moreland doesn’t really go to states that often, so I knew it was special. And sophomore, junior year it was harder to get there, but this year it feels like it came all the way back around and all the hard work I put in finally paid off. For this team to make it to states is just incredible.”

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