District high school football playoffs loaded with Bucks County teams. Vote for the winner
Here we go.
The regular season, incredibly, is already behind us and it's time for the PIAA district tournaments to get started.
With the majority of our Courier Times/Intelligencer teams playing in Class 6A in District One, we're going to focus on that tournament while also taking a look at where our other teams are competing.
The PIAA District One Class 6A tournament begins Friday with eight first-round games. The winners advance to next week's quarterfinals, then the semifinals. The district final is Nov. 24.
The higher seed in each matchup will host the game, including the district final.
Garnet Valley defeated Central Bucks West in last year's district championship game.
Vote below for who you think will win the PIAA District One Class 6A title.
Check it out: Williams enjoying the ride with unbeaten Central Bucks West
Here's a brief look at each Class 6A first-round matchup with our pick to win:
(16) Cheltenham (5-5) at (1) Central Bucks West (10-0), Friday, 7 p.m.: After a 1-5 start, the Panthers rattled off four straight wins to grab the final spot in the district field. The Bucks, a district finalist a year ago, are averaging over 31 points a game while allowing just 10. Last week, in a win over rival CB East, they ran for 384 yards.
The pick: Central Bucks West 34-9.
(15) Wissahickon (6-4) at (2) Downingtown East (9-0), Friday, 7 p.m.: How good have the Cougars been this season? Well, six shutouts and 39 total points allowed is impressive. What's more impressive? Subtract the 26 points State College scored against the Cougars in Week 2 and they've allowed a paltry 13 points in their eight other games.
The pick: Downingtown East 42-0.
(14) Pennsbury (5-5) at (3) Souderton (10-0), Friday, 7 p.m.: These two played, and beat, two common opponents this season (Council Rock South and Central Bucks East). The Falcons beat the Golden Hawks and Patriots by a combined 11 points while the Big Red beat them by a combined nine points. Yeah, this one will be close.
The pick: Souderton 17-16.
(13) North Penn (6-4) at (4) Spring-Ford (8-2), Friday, 7 p.m.: Three of the Knights four losses came against teams also in the Class 6A field (Quakertown, Central Bucks West and Central Bucks South). North Penn is also riding a four-game winning streak. The Rams' two losses came against teams that are a combined 20-0 (Manheim Township of District Three and Pope John Paul II).
The pick: Spring-Ford 34-17.
(12) Coatesville (7-3) at (5) Central Bucks South (9-1), Friday, 7 p.m.: The Red Raiders are the eighth-winningest program in state history (and tops in District One), but, a bit surprisingly, haven't won a district title since 2018. The Titans lone loss came against unbeaten and top-seeded Central Bucks West.
The pick: Coatesville 24-21.
(11) Council Rock South (7-3) at (6) Downingtown West (8-2), Saturday, 7 p.m.: Nice work by the Golden Hawks, who had their first winning season since 2018 and are back in the playoffs for the first time in five years.
The pick: Downingtown West 26-22.
(10) Quakertown (6-4) at (7) Perkiomen Valley (8-2), Friday, 7 p.m.: The Panthers come in having won four straight games while the Vikings own impressive wins over Chester (the top seed in the Class 5A tournament) and No. 9 Owen J. Roberts.
The pick: Quakertown 21-20.
(9) Owen J. Roberts (8-2) at (8) Garnet Valley (8-2), Friday, 7 p.m.: A win here by the Jaguars, the two-time defending district champs, would likely set up a 2022 district final rematch against Central Bucks West.
The pick: Garnet Valley 28, Owen J. Roberts 18.
PIAA District One Class 5A
(16) Upper Moreland (4-6) at (1) Chester (9-1), Saturday, 1 p.m.: The Golden Bears were rebuilding this season and still made the playoffs. Well done.
The pick: Chester 30-14.
(13) Hatboro-Horsham (5-5) at (4) Plymouth Whitemarsh (8-1), Friday, 7 p.m.: Nice job by the Hatters for making the playoffs after going just 1-20 the last three seasons. Great turnaround.
The pick: Plymouth Whitemarsh 34-15.
PIAA District One Class 2A (championship)
(2) New Hope-Solebury (4-5) at (1) Bristol (6-3), Friday, 7 p.m.: The Lions snapped a four-game losing skid with a win over Lower Moreland last week while the Warriors are riding a five-game winning streak.
The pick: Bristol 29-13.
PIAA District One Class A (championship)
(2) Jenkintown (3-7) at (1) Morrisville (5-5), Friday, 7 p.m.: These two played each other twice during the regular season with each winning a game. The Drakes won the most recent matchup 18-14 two weeks ago.
The pick: Morrisville 25-14.
Take a look: Just two unbeatens remain in big-school high school football rankings in Bucks County area
Other playoff games:
Philadelphia Catholic League Class 6A (semifinal)
(3) Father Judge (4-6) vs. (2) La Salle (5-4), Friday, 6 p.m. (at Wissahickon): The Explorers topped the Crusaders 43-13 in last week's regular-season finale and now face them again.
The pick: La Salle 41-17.
PCL Class 5A (championship)
(2) Archbishop Wood (1-7) vs. (1) Roman Catholic (7-2), Saturday, noon (at Wissahickon): It's been a tough season for the Vikings, who won their opener but haven't won since. The Cahillites beat the Vikings 34-3 about a month ago.
The pick: Roman Catholic 28-6.
PCL Class 3A (championship)
(2) Conwell-Egan (6-4) vs. (1) Neumann-Goretti (8-1), Sunday, 11:30 a.m. (at South Philly Supersite): This is a familiar spot for both teams since they faced each other right here last year. The Saints won that game on the way to reaching the PIAA title game. This season, Neumann-Goretti topped the Eagles 28-14 .
The pick: Neumann-Goretti 21-10.
Drew Markol: dmarkol@theintell.com; @dmarkol
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Districts loaded with Bucks County football teams. Vote for the winner
