Opening round notes

As I sat courtside at Hempfield last night, I started looking up some stats for upcoming opponents Columbia might play. Well, I picked the wrong time to spend about 30 minutes researching Upper Dauphin. UDA was beaten by Pequea Valley, 57-51 in overtime.

So tomorrow at a rather small venue called Middletown High School (noon is tip, get there early), I think the place will be rocking. And it might be the students who will be front and center. Over the last few weeks, the Tide has developed quite a student fan base. I think its great that the students have come out in mass to support their fellow students. Pequea Valley also has a good student fan base as well. If their entire "Red Zone" shows up and our students are there, it could be a rather loud afternoon.

There is another game after that -- Lebanon Catholic girls play Halifax. Might be interesting in terms of the crowd. District 3 always said that after the first round, all sites (with the exception of the Giant Center) are tentative, but I guess they feel Middletown can hold the crowd. I hope that proves me wrong, but, I've been there and done that.

I know in talking with coach Wisler, he really wanted to play UDA, playing someone different. Although the Tide hasn't beaten PV badly twice this year, its always though to beat a team three times. Columbia needs to be ready for a challenge.

Here are some other thoughts from the first round, after scanning the papers, the internet, etc.

• When Hanover took the floor last night, I thought they looked rather young.
• Surprised to see two L-L officials working the game -- Mel Newcomer and Denny Kinloch. Most times in playoffs, just like the gyms, the officials are suppose to be neutral.
• Just a note to the Columbia students. I know we all tend to get excited with the possibility of playing on the big floor in Hershey, but please don't liter the floor at Middletown with Hershey Kisses, if Columbia wins. Wouldn't want to see a game forfeited.
• There will be some scoreboard watching tomorrow -- Trinity and York Catholic play at Dover High School. The Irish already have one win over the Shamrocks.
• A lot has been made about some of the mistmatches in round one. There was none worse than the Scotland/York Country Day. Scotland won the game 74-5. According to the box score, YCD had just two field goals -- one in the second quarter (a three) and a two-pointer in the third.
• Not surprised that Harrisburg beat McCaskey in Boys AAAA.
• Do you realize the two finalists (Hempfield being the other) in the L-L boys' championship lost in the first round!
• Looking at the brackets, going by seedings, other than the 8-9 games, which are toss ups in my mind, here were the upsets by Class: Girls 4-A, 2; Girls 3-A, 3; Girls 2-A, 1; Girls A, one. Halifax is the only public school left in that class. Boys 4A: 4, including E-town dumping 4th seed Cedar Crest; Boys 3-A, 4, including Eastern's OT win over YAIAA champ West York; Boys 2-A, none really; Boys 1-A, 1.
• Teams that played play-in games that are still alive: Delone Catholic and Lancaster Catholic, Girls 3-A; E-town, Harrisburg, Boys 4-A.
• League by league on boys' side: Mid-Penn: 11-5; L-L League, 5-7; York-Adams, 4-7; Berks, 6-4, Tri-Valley, 2-3, Other, 2-9.
• League by league on girls' side: Berks, 5-5; Mid-Penn, 8-9; L-L, 6-6; York-Adams, 5-4; Tri-Valley, 2-1; Other, 2-3.