Exeter, Muhlenberg move into ‘Beast of East’ Class 5A Top 10 rankings
Exeter and Muhlenberg, each gaining momentum as the regular season finish line approaches, have moved into the weekly “Beast of the East” Pennsylvania basketball rankings, which include PIAA schools in Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 11 and 12.
The Eagles are No. 6, the Muhls No. 7, in Class 5A. Each was listed among the honorable mentions last week.
They are the top-ranked teams in District 3 in their classification. Lampeter-Strasburg, Manheim Central, Mechanicsburg, Milton Hershey, Warwick and West York are District 3 teams listed among the honorable mentions in that classification less than three weeks before that highly anticipated tournament tips.
Reading High, at No. 2 in Class 6A, and Berks Catholic and Fleetwood, Nos. 2 and 7, respectively in Class 4A, are the only other Berks teams to crack a Top 10.
The Red Knights are the only District 3 team listed in the 6A Top 10 after Cumberland Valley dropped out following a pair of losses.
Exeter has won seven of its last eight, including a 57-50 win over Muhlenberg at Reiffton Jan. 16. The Muhls have won five straight, including a 67-64 win over then No. 6 Dallas on Saturday. Dallas has slipped to No. 8 in Class 5A after dropping to 15-2.
The rankings will be released weekly throughout the remainder of the season.
“Beasts of East” boys basketball rankings
Class 6A
1 Roman Catholic (12) 16-1
2 Reading High (3) 19-1
3 Archbishop Wood (12) 9-6
4 St. Joe’s Prep (12) 13-4
5 Spring-Ford (1) 19-1
6 Lower Merion (1) 17-2
7 Plymouth-Whitemarsh (1) 17-2
8 Downingtown West (1)15-5
9 Garnet Valley (1) 14-5
10(9) Emmaus (11) 15-4
Dropped Out: (7) Cumberland Valley (3) 15-2; (10) Father Judge (12) 9-7.
Honorable Mention: Central Bucks East (1) 17-2; Coatesville (1) 12-7; Methacton (1) 14-6; North Penn (1) 15-4; Penn Wood(1) 12-4; Hazleton (2) 10-7; Central York (3) 15-5; Cumberland Valley (3) 15-2; Hempfield (3) 16-2; Waynesboro (3) 17-1; William Penn (3) 15-4; Wilson (3) 13-5; Williamsport (4) 11-4; Freedom (11) 13-6; Parkland(11) 12-6; Father Judge (12) 9-7; LaSalle (12) 9-9; Northeast (12) 14-5; Olney (12) 15-3.
Class 5A
1 Imhotep Charter (12) 16-3
2 Radnor (1) 19-0
3 Archbishop Ryan (12) 10-7
4 Abington Heights (2) 16-1
5 West Chester East (1) 15-5
6 Exeter Township (3) 13-5
7 Muhlenberg (3) 12-6
8 Dallas (2) 15-2
9 Dobbins (12) 18-1
10 Pocono Mountain West (11) 15-4
Dropped Out: (7) Bonner-Prendergast (12) 9-7; (8) Unionville (1) 16-2; (9) East Stroudsburg South (11) 16-3; (10) Boys Latin (12) 14-4.
Honorable Mention: Chichester (1) 15-3; Unionville (1) 16-2; Upper Dublin (1) 15-4; Pittston (2) 13-4; Lampeter-Strasburg (3) 15-3; Manheim Central (3) 15-3; Mechanicsburg (3) 13-5; Milton Hershey(3) 11-4; Warwick (3) 12-5; West York(3) 14-6; Selinsgrove (4) 12-6; East Stroudsburg South (11) 16-3; Whitehall (11) 11-8; Ben Franklin (12) 15-2; Bonner-Prendergast (12) 9-7; Boys Latin (12) 14-4; Samuel Fels (12) 17-1.
Class 4A
1 Neumann-Goretti (12) 14-2
2 Berks Catholic (3) 16-2
3 Cardinal O’Hara (12) 11-6
4 Archbishop Carroll (12) 12-5
5 Valley View (2) 14-2
6 Allentown Central Catholic (11) 11-6
7 Fleetwood (3) 19-1
8 Bishop McDevitt (3) 13-3
9 Scranton Prep (2) 10-7
10 Bethlehem Catholic (11) 12-6
Dropped Out: (10) Eastern York (3) 13-5.
Honorable Mention: Collegium (1) 8-9; Pope John Paul II(1) 9-9; Greater Nanticoke Area (2) 13-6; Tunkhannock (2) 9-8; Eastern York (3) 13-5; Littlestown (3) 17-3; Schuylkill Valley (3) 13-5; Athens (4) 11-6; Danville (4) 11-4; Shamokin (4) 13-5; Blue Mountain (11) 14-5; North Schuylkill (11) 15-3; Wilson (11) 12-6; FLC (12) 13-6; Overbrook (12) 11-8.
Class 3A
1 West Catholic (12) 9-8
2 Devon Prep (12) 10-7
3 Columbia (3) 15-1
4 Holy Redeemer (2) 16-2
5 Math Civics and Science (12) 12-7
6 Executive Education (11) 15-2
7 Trinity (3) 15-2
8 Mid Valley (2) 13-3
9 Notre Dame Green Pond (11) 16-3
10 North Penn-Mansfield (4) 17-1
Honorable Mention: Mast (1) 11-6; Carbondale (2) 10-6; Old Forge (2) 10-5; Riverside (2) 11-5; Delone Catholic (3) 13-5; Oley Valley (3) 15-4; York Catholic (3) 13-6; Southern Columbia (4) 11-5; Loyalsock (4) 10-6; Troy (4) 12-5; Wellsboro (4) 12-4;
Palmerton (11) 15-3; Saucon Valley (11) 15-4; Mast II (12) 10-5; SLA-Beeber (12) 16-4;
Vaux (12) 15-5.
Class 2A
1 Constitution (12) 12-7
2 Dock Mennonite (1) 17-2
3 Holy Cross (2) 12-3
4 St. John Neumann (4) 11-4
5 Maritime (12) 16-3
6 Sankofa (12) 10-8
7 Church Farm (1) 13-3
8 Marian Catholic (11) 11-7
9 Schuylkill Haven (11) 15-4
10 Mahanoy Area (11) 15-4
Dropped Out: (5) Tri-Valley (11) 14-3, (10) Halifax (3) 12-5.
Honorable Mention: Delco Christian (1) 10-8; Antietam (3) 9-8; Halifax (3) 12-5; Lancaster Mennonite (3) 12-7; Steelton-Highspire (3) 6-10; Muncy (4) 13-5; Northwest Area (4) 13-3; South Williamsport (4) 11-7; Lincoln Leadership (11) 8-8; Minersville (11) 12-7; Nativity BVM(11) 7-10; Tri-Valley (11) 14-3; Paul Robeson (12) 11-10;
Strawberry Mansion (12) 9-8.
Class 1A
1 The City School (12) 17-3
2 Linville Hill Christian (3) 14-0
3 Chester Charter (1) 13-3
4 Greenwood (3) 16-1
5 Mount Calvary Christian (3) 14-5
6 Phil-Mont Christian (1) 12-5
7 La Academia (3) 8-7
8 Lancaster Country Day (3) 9-6
9 Northumberland Christian (4) 11-3
10 GAMP (12) 8-3
Honorable Mention: Plumstead Christian (1) 6-7; Forest City Regional (2) 9-6; Conestoga Christian (3) 10-7; Dayspring Christian (3) 16-3; High Point Baptist (3) 9-4; Lancaster County Christian (3) 9-6; West Shore Christian (3) 10-9; North Penn-Liberty(4) 9-7; Sullivan County(4) 10-7; Bethlehem Christian(11) 10-4; Notre Dame E-S (11) 11-8.
