District 11 cage playoffs are set

Playoffs?

You bet.

The District 11 playoffs are set to begin Tuesday, and the Times News area will be well represented in most classifications.

A total of 16 boys and girls basketball teams qualified for the district playoffs, up from 10 a year ago.

There are several intriguing matchups on both sides, with a number of local rivalries highlighting the schedule.

Beginning with the boys, Panther Valley earned the No. 2 seed in the Class 2A bracket and will take on third-seeded Marian on Feb. 27 in a semifinal contest.

The first meeting between the teams went down to the wire, with the Panthers (15-7) picking up a 68-63 victory. Panther Valley secured a regular season sweep – and the Schuylkill League Division 3 title – with a 90-65 win in the regular season finale, a game that saw Rene Figueroa explode for 44 points against the Colts (12-9).

Two area teams will tangle in the Class 4A bracket, as No. 3 seed Tamaqua meets sixth-seeded Jim Thorpe in a quarterfinal matchup.

The Blue Raiders (16-6) defeated the Olympians (12-10) twice during the regular season. The third meeting will take place on Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. at Panther Valley.

Northwestern (12-10) will also be in the Class 4A field. The Tigers are the seventh seed and will face No. 2 seed Lower Moreland on Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Lower Moreland.

Palmerton (11-11) ended a long postseason drought with a win over rival Northern Lehigh in the regular season finale. The Blue Bombers earned the fifth seed in the Class 3A bracket and will face No. 4 seed Pine Grove (13-9) in a quarterfinal contest on Feb. 24 at 1 p.m. at Blue Mountain.

Northern Lehigh (11-11) qualified as the sixth seed in the 3A bracket. The Bulldogs will face Colonial League foe and No. 3 seed Catasauqua (14-8) on Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. in a quarterfinal game at Northampton.

The Roughies won both regular season meetings against the Bulldogs, picking up a 62-59 victory on Dec. 20 and a 54-42 win on Jan. 12.

Weatherly (10-12) is the sixth seed in the Class 1A bracket. The Wreckers will take on No. 3 seed Nativity (12-10) in a quarterfinal game on Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. at Minersville.

Nativity defeated Weatherly 69-56 on Jan. 19.

Pleasant Valley returns to the postseason for the first time since 2013 as the 10th seed in the Class 6A bracket. The Bears (11-11) will face No. 7 seed Emmaus (12-10) in the first round on Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. at Emmaus.

The Green Hornets earned a 62-42 win over the Bears on Jan. 19.

On the girls side, Weatherly (14-8) is seeded second in the Class 1A bracket.

The Wreckers earned a bye into the semifinals and will face the winner of No. 3 Salem Christian and No. 6 Forest City Regional on Feb. 27. The Wreckers defeated Salem Christian 44-34 in the regular season finale.

The Class 4A field features three area teams, with Northwestern leading the way as the No. 2 seed. The Tigers (18-4) will face seventh-seeded Tamaqua (11-11) in a quarterfinal game at Northern Lehigh on Feb. 24 at 2:30 p.m.

Lehighton (15-7) will be in action earlier in the day at Northern Lehigh. The fourth-seeded Indians will take on No. 5 seed Blue Mountain (13-9) at 1 p.m.

Lehighton swept the regular season meetings between the two teams.

Marian has a bye as the third seed in the Class 2A bracket. The Fillies (16-6), however, will face defending state champion and No. 2 seed Minersville in the semifinals.

The Battlin’ Miners picked up a 49-33 win in the only regular season meeting between the teams on Jan. 26.

Palmerton (9-13) secured its spot in the postseason with a win in the regular season finale over rival Northern Lehigh. The Blue Bombers are the seventh seed in the Class 3A field and will meet No. 2 seed St. Basil Academy in the quarterfinals on Feb. 23.

Pleasant Valley (13-9) qualified as the eighth seed in the Class 6A bracket. The Bears will host No. 9 seed Pocono Mountain West (10-12) on Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.

The teams split their regular season meetings. But Pleasant Valley won the regular season finale, 61-47.

GIRLS

CLASS 1A

Quarterfinals

Friday, Feb. 23

No. 5 Nativity vs. No. 4 Lincoln Leadership at Catasauqua, 6 p.m.

No. 6 Forest City vs. No. 3 Salem Christian at Catasauqua, 7:30 p.m.

Semifinals

Tuesday, Feb. 27

Nativity-Lincoln Leadership winner vs. No. 1 Susquehanna Community, TBA

Forest City-Salem Christian winner vs. No. 2 Weatherly, TBA

Finals

Friday, March 2

Semifinal winners, TBA

CLASS 2A

Quarterfinals

Thursday, Feb. 22

No. 5 Williams Valley vs. No. 4 Shenandoah Valley at Martz Hall, 6 p.m.

Semifinals

Monday, Feb. 27

Williams Valley-Shenandoah Valley winner vs. No. 1 Mahanoy Area, TBA

No. 3 Marian vs. No. 2 Minersville, TBA

Finals

Thursday, March 1

Semifinal winners, TBA

CLASS 3A

Quarterfinals

Friday, Feb. 23

No. 8 Salisbury vs. No. 1 North Schuylkill at Martz Hall, 6 p.m.

No. 5 New Hope-Solebury vs. No. 4 Pine Grove at Minersville, 7 p.m.

No. 6 Palisades vs. No. 3 Notre Dame-GP at Allen, 6 p.m.

No. 7 Palmerton vs. No. 2 St. Basil Academy, TBA

Semifinals

Tuesday, Feb. 27

Salisbury-North Schuylkill winner vs. New Hope-Solebury-Pine Grove winner, TBA

Palisades-Notre Dame-GP winner vs. Palmerton-St. Basil Academy winner, TBA

Finals and Consolation

Friday, March 2

Semifinal winners and losers, TBA

CLASS 4A

Quarterfinals

Saturday, Feb. 24

No. 5 Blue Mountain vs. No. 4 Lehighton at Northern Lehigh, 1 p.m.

No. 6 Wilson vs. No. 3 Allentown Central Catholic at Catasauqua, 1 p.m.

No. 7 Tamaqua vs. No. 2 Northwestern at Northern Lehigh, 2:30 p.m.

Semifinals

Wednesday, Feb. 28

Blue Mountain-Lehighton winner vs. No. 1 Bethlehem Catholic, TBA

Wilson-Central Catholic winner vs. Tamaqua-Northwestern winner, TBA

Finals

Saturday, March 3

Semifinal winners, TBA

CLASS 5A

Semifinals

Saturday, Feb. 24

No. 4 East Stroudsburg North vs. No. 1 Southern Lehigh at Catasauqua, 2:30 p.m.

No. 3 Pottsville vs. No. 2 Bangor at Pleasant Valley, 4 p.m.

Finals

Saturday, March 3

ES North-Southern Lehigh winner vs. Pottsville-Bangor winner, TBA

CLASS 6A

First Round

Tuesday, Feb. 20

No. 9 Pocono Mountain West at No. 8 Pleasant Valley, 7 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Thursday, Feb. 22

PM West-Pleasant Valley winner vs. No. 1 Easton at Whitehall, 7:30 p.m.

No. 5 Parkland vs. No. 4 Nazareth at Whitehall, 6 p.m.

No. 6 Stroudsburg vs. No. 3 Allen at Catasauqua, 6 p.m.

No. 7 Northampton vs. No. 2 Freedom at Catasauqua, 7:30 p.m.

Semifinals

Monday, Feb. 26

PM West-Pleasant Valley-Easton winner vs. Parkland-Nazareth winner, TBA

Stroudsburg-Allen winner vs. Northampton-Freedom winner, TBA

Finals and Consolation

Thursday, March 1

Semifinal winners and losers, TBA

DISTRICT 11 BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

BOYS

CLASS 1A

Quarterfinals

Thursday, Feb. 22

No. 5 Lincoln Leadership vs. No. 4 Notre Dame-ES at Pleasant Valley, 7 p.m.

No. 6 Weatherly vs. No. 3 Nativity at Minersville, 6 p.m.

No. 7 Salem Christian vs. No. 2 Tri-Valley at Minersville, 7:30 p.m.

Semifinals

Monday, Feb. 26

Lincoln Leadership-Notre Dame-ES winner vs. No. 1 Susquehanna Community, TBA

Weatherly-Nativity winner vs. Salem Christian-Tri-Valley winner, TBA

Finals

Thursday, March 1

Semifinal winners, TBA

CLASS 2A

Semifinals

Tuesday, Feb. 27

No. 4 Schuylkill Haven vs. No. 1 Moravian Academy, TBA

No. 3 Marian vs. No. 2 Panther Valley, TBA

Finals

Friday, March 2

Schuylkill Haven-Moravian Academy winner vs. Marian-Panther Valley winner, TBA

CLASS 3A

Quarterfinals

Saturday, Feb. 24

No. 5 Palmerton vs. No. 4 Pine Grove at Blue Mountain, 1 p.m.

No. 6 Northern Lehigh vs. No. 3 Catasauqua at Northampton, 6 p.m.

No. 7 New Hope-Solebury vs. No. 2 Notre Dame-GP at Northampton, 7:30 p.m.

Semifinals

Wednesday, Feb. 28

Palmerton-Pine Grove winner vs. No. 1 Valley Forge Military Academy, TBA

Northern Lehigh-Catasauqua winner vs. New Hope-Solebury-Notre Dame-GP winner, TBA

Finals

Saturday, March 3

Semifinal winners, TBA

CLASS 4A

Quarterfinals

Friday, Feb. 23

No. 8 Octorora vs. No. 1 Bethlehem Catholic at Allen, 7:30 p.m.

No. 5 Wilson vs. No. 4 North Schuylkill at Martz Hall, 7 p.m.

No. 6 Jim Thorpe vs. No. 3 Tamaqua at Panther Valley, 7 p.m.

No. 7 Northwestern at Lower Moreland, 7:30 p.m.

Semifinals

Tuesday, Feb. 27

Octorora-Bethlehem Catholic vs. Wilson-North Schuylkill winner, TBA

Jim Thorpe-Tamaqua winner vs. Northwestern-Lower Moreland winner, TBA

Finals and Consolation

Friday, March 2

Semifinal winners and losers, TBA

CLASS 5A

Quarterfinals

Thursday, Feb. 22

No. 5 Southern Lehigh vs. No. 4 Blue Mountain at Martz Hall, 7:30 p.m.

Semifinals

Monday, Feb. 26

Southern Lehigh-Blue Mountain winner vs. No. 1 Bangor, TBA

No. 3 Allentown Central Catholic vs. No. 2 Pottsville, TBA

Finals

Thursday, March 1

Semifinal winners, TBA

CLASS 6A

First Round

Wednesday, Feb. 21

No. 9 Liberty at No. 8 Nazareth, 7 p.m.

No. 10 Pleasant Valley at No. 7 Emmaus, 7 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Saturday, Feb. 24

Liberty-Nazareth winner vs. No. 1 East Stroudsburg South at Pleasant Valley, 7 p.m.

No. 5 Pocono Mountain West vs. No. 4 Allen at Pleasant Valley, 5:30 p.m.

No. 6 Parkland vs. No. 3 Northampton at Allen, 1 p.m.

Pleasant Valley-Emmaus winner vs. Easton at Allen, 2:30 p.m.

Semifinals

Wednesday, Feb. 28

Liberty-Nazareth-ES South winner vs. PM West-Allen winner, TBA

Parkland-Northampton winner vs. Pleasant Valley-Emmaus-Easton winner, TBA

Finals and Consolation

Saturday, March 3

Semifinal winners and losers, TBA