By Matthew DeGeorge
Springfield’s boys basketball team entered last Friday’s twice-postponed game with Radnor with a simple imperative: Beat a team with an 0-15 league record and make the playoffs.
The Cougars didn’t. But the District 1 Class 5A power rankings still nudged the Cougars into the playoffs. Until the Cougars declined the invite.
Springfield won’t be participating in the District 1 Class 5A tournament, its athletic department confirmed Sunday, despite the Cougars finishing 16th in the standings. The final postseason spot, per brackets posted on the District 1 web site, will go to Upper Moreland, the 17th seed.
Springfield, which qualified for the state tournament last year, went 8-14, despite an 8-8 Central League mark. It won just two of its last nine games, yet snuck into the top 16 on strength of schedule as results trickled in Saturday. The 16th seed would’ve entailed a third meeting with top-seeded Penncrest; the previous two ended with the Lions winning by 27 and 29 points.