Top-seeded Saints earn first-round bye, home opener for District 3 tourney
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Berks Catholic, Fleetwood and Reading High have earned home openers for next week’s District 3 Tournament, but most of the Berks Conference’s nine boys qualifiers will be hitting the road.
The tournament tips Monday and concludes with championships Feb. 28-March 1. All championship games will be played at Giant Center. All other games will be played on the home court of the higher-seeded team. All seeds are based on power ratings.
The Saints (20-3) and Tigers (19-3) are ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in Class 4A and earned opening-round byes. They will open at home in the quarterfinal round Friday, Feb. 23.
Berks Catholic will draw either No. 8 Schuylkill Valley (15-6) or No. 9 Middletown (14-6). The Panthers open at home against the Blue Raiders on Tuesday. The Saints have won back-to-back titles.
Fleetwood will draw either No. 7 Boiling Springs (15-7) or No. 10 Elco (13-9). The Tigers reached the district title game last season, falling to Berks Catholic.
A late-season rush which saw Reading High win seven of its final nine regular season games netted an opening-round home game for the No. 6 Red Knights (17-7) against No. 10 Penn Manor (17-7). That will give seniors Nick Chapman, Malik Osumanu, and Yadiel Cruz one more chance to play at the Geigle. They’ll meet the Comets (17-7) Tuesday at 7 in a Class 6A opener.
Reading is seeking its fourth straight championship and record 25th overall.
Wilson (16-8), which has hit stride this week with a pair of Berks Conference playoff victories, opens as the No. 10 seed in Class 6A on the road at No. 7 Cedar Crest (18-5) on Tuesday.
In Class 5A, No. 10 Exeter (15-8) and No. 11 Muhlenberg (14-9) open on the road. The Eagles play at No. 7 Lampeter-Strasburg (16-7) Monday at 7; the Muhls play at No. 6 West York (13-8) Monday at 7. Exeter is the defending champion.
In Class 3A, No. 5 Oley Valley (12-10) opens at No. 4 York Catholic (11-11) Tuesday at 7.
In Class 2A, No. 3 Antietam (12-11) opens at No. 2 Lancaster Mennonite (15-7). The Blazers beat the Mounts in each of the last three championship games.
