With the high school football season coming to a close this weekend, basketball isn’t right around the corner.
No, it’s officially here.
Last season teams competed in Classes 1A through 4A. This season the PIAA will award state championships in Classes 1A through 6A.
To coincide with the commencement of the 2016-17 season, PennLive has compiled its first top 10 state rankings for girls basketball across each of the six PIAA classifications. Those rankings are displayed below.
In Class 6A, Cardinal O’Hara edged three-time defending PIAA champion Cumberland Valley for the top spot. Cumberland Valley defeated O’Hara, 57-34, to win the Class 4A state title last season.
O’Hara returns virtually everyone from last year’s title run including all-state players Hannah Nihill (11.5 PPG) and Mary Sheehan (13 PPG). Meanwhile, the Eagles’ will have to replace Kelly Jekot (21.3 PPG), the two-time Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year, and Morgan Baughman (9.9 PPG).
Reigning PIAA Class 3A state champion Archbishop Wood begins the 2016-17 campaign as the team to beat in Class 5A.
Head coach Mike McDonald, selected by sports writers across Pennsylvania as last year’s Class 3A coach of the year, returns experienced guards Cassie Sebold, Karly Brown and Shannon May and forward Katie May. The Vikings will be challenged by a slew of skilled teams from the WPIAL including Hampton, Mars and South Fayette.
Speaking of the WPIAL, league kingpin Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic starts the season as the top squad in Class 4A. The Trojanettes won the Class 1A state title last year, and they hope their inaugural season in the 4A ranks proves equally as fruitful.
The 6-foot-1 Sam Breen, the reigning Class 1A player of the year, averaged 26.6 points per game last season. She’s one of four returning starters for the Trojanettes.
CW North Catholic’s primary competition to begin the year is WPIAL foe Blackhawkand 2016 Class 3A state finalist Villa Maria.
Two-time defending state champion Neumann-Goretti earns top honors in Class 3A. All-state guard Chyna Nixon, an Ole Miss signee, headlines a skilled Saints roster.
Minersville gets the nod in Class 2A after losing just one game last season. All-state guard Abby Schoffstall (14.8 PPG) is back to run the floor for the Battlin’ Miners.
A pair of District 6 stalwarts in Bishop McCort and Bishop Guilfoyle figure to be Minersville’s stiffest competition.
Finally, Bishop Carroll is No. 1 in Class 1A. All-state guard Alyssa Martinazzi (13.9 PPG) and the Huskies will be challenged by Lourdes Regional and Winchester Thurston.
Here are PennLive’s initial top 10 state rankings for girls basketball beginning with Class 6A and ending with Class 1A.
Each team’s district is in parenthesis with its final 2015-16 record listed to the far right.
Class 6A:
1. Cardinal O'Hara (12) – 26-4
2. Cumberland Valley (3) – 29-3
3. North Allegheny (7) – 25-5
4. North Penn (1) – 29-4
5. Mt. Lebanon (7) – 16-10
6. Penn Hills (7) – 23-4
7. Peters Township (7) – 18-5
8. Pine-Richland (7) – 19-7
9. CD East (3) – 12-11
10. Central Dauphin (3) – 19-10
Teams to Watch (teams are listed in alphabetical order with district in parenthesis and last year’s record): Cedar Crest (3) – 22-6, Central Bucks West (1) – 18-9, Garnet Valley (1) – 25-6, Nazareth (11) – 19-9, Norwin (7) – 27-1
Class 5A:
1. Archbishop Wood (12) – 25-6
2. Hampton (7) – 20-7
3. Southern Lehigh (11) – 27-2
4. Mars (7) – 19-7
5. South Fayette (7) – 24-4
6. Chartiers Valley (7) – 15-11
7. Trinity (7) – 21-5
8. Pottsville (11) – 23-6
9. Lower Dauphin (3) – 21-8
10. Greencastle-Antrim (3) – 24-4
Teams to Watch (teams are listed in alphabetical order with district in parenthesis and last year’s record): Abington Heights (2) – 21-6, Bishop Shanahan (1) – 23-5, Harrisburg (3) – 21-6, Obama Academy (8) – 21-5, Susquehannock (3) – 21-4
Class 4A:
1. Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic (7) – 28-3
2. Blackhawk (7) – 19-8
3. Villa Maria (10) – 29-1
4. Northern Lebanon(3) – 28-4
5. South Park (7) – 22-8
6. Beaver Area (7) – 14-7
7. Bishop McDevitt(3) – 19-8
8. Lancaster Catholic (3) – 29-2
9. Burrell (7) – 22-7
10. Berks Catholic (3) – 24-7
Teams to Watch (teams are listed in alphabetical order with district in parenthesis and last year’s record): Ambridge (7) – 21-6, Bethlehem Catholic (11) – 18-11, Danville (4) – 27-2, Gwynedd Mercy (1) – 24-5, Nanticoke (2) – 23-4
Class 3A:
1. Neumann-Goretti (12) – 29-1
2. Dunmore (2) – 27-3
3. Bishop Canevin (7) – 23-5
4. Holy Redeemer (2) – 24-4
5. York Catholic (3) – 21-7
6. Imhotep Charter (12) – 26-3
7. Neshannock (7) – 21-5
8. Holy Cross (2) – 24-4
9. Carlynton (7) – 20-6
10. Charleroi (7) – 16-8
Teams to Watch (teams are listed in alphabetical order with district in parenthesis and last year’s record): Delone Catholic (3) – 19-8, Karns City (9) – 24-3, Mt. Carmel (4) – 26-3, New Hope—Solebury (1) – 26-3, Seton-La Salle (7) – 15-7
Class 2A:
1. Minersville (11) – 28-1
2. Bishop McCort (6) – 28-2
3. Bishop Guilfoyle (6) – 22-7
4. Chartiers-Houston (7) – 18-9
5. Bellwood-Antis (6) – 20-5
6. Greensburg Central Catholic (7) – 18-11
7. Mahanoy Area (11) – 22-6
8. Leechburg (7) – 14-9
9. Camp Hill (3) – 22-5
10. Vincentian Academy (7) – 22-5
Teams to Watch (teams are listed in alphabetical order with district in parenthesis and last year’s record): California (7) – 14-8, Cambridge Springs (10) – 22-5, Marian Catholic (11) 22-4, Meyersdale (5) 21-6, West Middlesex (10) – 25-2
Class 1A:
1. Bishop Carroll (6) – 24-5
2. Lourdes Regional (4) – 23-7
3. Winchester Thurston (7) – 14-12
4. Jenkintown (1) – 23-6
5. Lebanon Catholic (3) — 22-7
6. Kennedy Catholic (10) – 21-5
7. West Greene (7) – 16-7
8. Halifax (3) – 20-10
9. North Clarion (9) – 22-4
10. Cornell (7) – 18-7
Teams to Watch (teams are listed in alphabetical order with district in parenthesis and last year’s record): Juniata Valley (6) – 16-6, Linden Hall (3) – 20-3, Quigley Catholic (7) – 20-7, Southern Fulton (5) – 20-6, St. Joseph (7) – 12-10
