Friday night, Penn Wood put the finishing touches on its first District One Class AAAA championship in 18 years ... and the Daily Times was all over it. (Game story and column can be found here.)

The Times was on the baseline, too, with staff photographer Bob Gurecki nabbing some shots of the action:
Penn Wood reserve forward Jeff Kyem pulls down a rebound in front of Plymouth-Whitemarsh's C.J. Aiken in the first half.

Shawn Oakman (center) embraces Aaron Brown (left) and Will Brown (right) in the moments following the Patriots' upset of the Colonials.

Reserve guard Jerry Price (No. 1) rushes to the court after the buzzer to meet Will Brown and Aaron Brown (back) following the Patriots' first district championship victory since 1992.

AROUND THE STATE
In a major upset, Reading dispatched Hempfield, 54-46, Saturday in the District Three Class AAAA title game. Hempfield, the top seed, had gone 27-0 en route to the title game.

What that does is make Penn Wood's road to a repeat as state champion a little more bumpy, with Reading winning and going to the West side of the PIAA bracket. The weekend is long, so let's see how the rest of the bracket shakes out before we reach any conclusions.

AROUND THE COUNTY
In the District One Class AAAA seventh-place game. Penncrest toppled Chester, 56-53, at West Chester East High School. The Lions' Rodney Duncan went off for 31 points, a career high. The Clippers trailed by 10 with two minutes to go before closing the gap. According to Penncrest coach Mike Doyle, Duncan's point tally is the best for any Lion in more than eight years.

Congratulations, Penn Wood Patriots: You are the 2009-10 District One Class AAAA champions.

For the first time since 1992, the Patriots own that distinction, after having beaten Plymouth-Whitemarsh, 54-49, Friday night at the Pavilion.

The Patriots needed an overtime session to overcome a deficit that seemed to last the entire game ... and overcome the top-ranked team in the state and top-seeded team in the district.

Here's what we know about the Patriots:
***They still haven't lost to a team from Pennsylvania.
***They needed every ounce of veteran leadership and playoff experience against the Colonials.
***And, most importantly, they will face District Three's seventh seed, Penn Manor, a team the Patriots beat by five in the opening round of states a year ago.

Ahh, states --- now, the real fun begins.

Penn Wood made it all the way back to the District One Class AAAA championship game.

A year after winning the PIAA title, the Patriots get a shot at winning the one crown that eluded them during a magical 2008-09 season. The Patriots solidified their return trip to the district title game Tuesday with a 71-49 win over Souderton.

Shawn Oakman (pictured), a junior center for coach Clyde Jones' team, had a breakout game. The 6-9, 245-pound Oakman scored a career-best 22 points, pulled in 10 rebounds, dished three assists and blocked three shots in the rout of the Indians. He was one of four players to score in double figures.

And about that championship game...

Everyone with any knowledge of District One has been saying since November that it's going to be an all PW title game. Now, that's official. Top-seeded Plymouth-Whitemarsh knocked off West Chester Rustin to move on to play Penn Wood for the crown.

And we're not just talking about the best two teams in the district --- they're the best two in the state. More incentive to get your tickets ASAP for Friday's final.

The locations and times for upcoming District One boys basketball playoff games have been announced. If you're a fan of a team in Class AAAA, you're staying close to home. If you follow Springfield, you better gas up.

Here's what you're looking at:
Tuesday - Class AAAA
Semifinal: Penn Wood vs. Souderton, Villanova, 6 p.m.
Fifth-place playback: Penncrest vs. Pennsbury, Norristown, 6 p.m.
Fifth-place playback: Chester vs. Neshaminy, Norristown, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday - Class AAA
Semifinal: Springfield vs. Octorara, West Chester East, 7:30 p.m.

Did that subject line shock anyone? It shouldn't have, seeing as the only Delaware County school that held classes Friday was Springfield (with a two-hour delay, of course).

Anyway, here's what you need to know about the District One playoffs:
**All Friday boys games were moved to Saturday, same times and same places
**Only exception to the above statement: Marple Newtown vs. Holy Ghost Prep at 4 p.m. (rather than 7:30)
**Two Saturday girls games slated to be played at Harriton High were moved to Plymouth-Whitemarsh.

And this is the entire Delco slate, including girls games:
Boys Class AAAA
Chester vs. Souderton, Norristown High School, 6
Penncrest vs. Plymouth-Whitemarsh, Norristown High School, 7:30
Penn Wood vs. Neshaminy, West Chester East High School, 7:30
Boys Class AAA
Springfield vs. Phoenixville, West Chester East High School, 1
Marple Newtown vs. Holy Ghost Prep, Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School, 4
Boys Class A
Delco Christian vs. Christopher Dock, West Chester East High School, 6
Girls Class AAA
Radnor vs. Villa Maria, Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School, 1
Springfield vs. Merion Mercy, Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School, 2:30
Girls Class A
Delco Christian vs. Sacred Heart, West Chester Rustin High School, 1

Check here for the full report.

When I attend games, I don't like to sit at the scorer's table. Well, I do. But it's not my first choice. And especially not at a gym in which I've never seen a game.

So when I found a spot at Council Rock North Tuesday behind the Chester bench, I took it. In case you didn't get today's paper, the Chester backcourt of Laquan Robinson and Maurice Nelson (pictured) tore it up in the Clippers' win. Here's what I saw and heard from my vantage point:

TV timeout? At Rock North, there was a huge projection screen set up in the far right corner of the gym – sort of like a closed-circuit television broadcast of the game. But the opening tip was delayed for 60 seconds until technical difficulties had been ironed out and the refs had gotten a thumbs-up from the staff at Rock North. So, in a high school game, we had a TV timeout. … Good grief.

“Call it both ways.” Late in the second quarter, Council Rock North's John Raymon was whistled for a personal foul, the Indians' second of the half. A fan of the home team shouted toward the court, “Hey, ref, call it both ways.” … to which Chester assistant coach Keddy Harris shouted back, “Yeah, that's right – call it both ways.” By the time Rock North got its second foul, Chester already had seven.

Just in awe. At halftime, the Rock North cheerleaders did their little song and dance … then they waited on the court to watch the Chester High cheerleaders. Standing there, hands on their waist, they applauded the Clippers' crew after their in-unison splits. And the home-fan-heavy crowd gave the visiting cheerleaders a greater applause than its own squad.

BY THE NUMBERS
22 … turnovers by Council Rock North
15 … Chester's biggest lead, at 32-17 with more than 12 minutes remaining
9 … missed free throws by Chester
4 … first-quarter 3-pointers by Chester's Nelson
2 … offensive rebounds and subsequent putbacks by Chester's Ronnell Williams at the second- and third-quarter buzzers, effectively breaking the Indians' will

Nine teams from District One Class AAAA advance to the PIAA Class AAAA bracket. After Tuesday, it became clear that three of those nine will be from Delco.

Penn Wood (in a squeaker), Chester (in a cozy win) and Penncrest (in a clear victory) all punched their tickets to the state tournament. Here are the results from Tuesday night's second-round action ... and, perhaps more importantly, the district quarterfinal pairings:

DISTRICT ONE CLASS AAAA
Second Round - Tuesday
Plymouth Whitemarsh 58, Upper Dublin 51
Penncrest 49, Downingtown West 39
Pennsbury 40, Coatesville 39
West Chester Rustin 66, Norristown 43
Penn Wood 56, Bensalem 55
Neshaminy 45, Wissahickon 44
Souderton 64, Central Bucks South 54
Chester 50, Council Rock North 42

QUARTERFINALS - Friday
No. 8 Penncrest vs. No. 1 Plymouth Whitemarsh
No. 13 Pennsbury vs. No. 5 West Chester Rustin
No. 7 Neshaminy vs. No. 2 Penn Wood
No. 11 Chester vs. No. 3 Souderton

PLAYBACK ROUNDS - Friday
No. 24 Downingtown West vs. No. 17 Upper Dublin
No. 12 Norristown vs. No. 4 Coatesville
No. 15 Bensalem vs. No. 10 Wissahichon
No. 14 Central Bucks South vs. No. 6 Council Rock North
Semifinals: Tuesday, March 2, at Villanova
Championship: Friday, March 6, at Villanova
NOTE: Nine (9) teams qualify for the PIAA tournament.

Here are the scores from Friday night:

First Round
Friday
Plymouth Whitemarsh 70, West Chester East 28
Penncrest 44, Owen J Roberts 39
Downingtown West 56, Lower Merion 54
Coatesville 70, Hatboro Horsham 51
Pennsbury 40, North Penn 28
West Chester Rustin 53, Cheltenham 41
Norristown 50, Boyertown 41
Penn Wood 80, Oxford 36
Bensalem 60, West Chester Henderson 44
Neshaminy 59, Abington 41
Wissahickon 47, Central Bucks West 44
Souderton 60, Glen Mills 33
Central Bucks South 41, Ridley 32
Council Rock North 64, Quakertown 47
Chester 57, Conestoga 39
Today
No. 17 Upper Dublin at No. 16 Spring-Ford, 7

Second Round
Tuesday
No. 17 Upper Dublin/No. 16 Spring-Ford winner at No. 1 Plymouth Whitemarsh
No. 24 Downingtown West at No. 8 Penncrest
No. 13 Pennsbury at No. 13 Pennsbury
No. 12 Norristown at No. 5 West Chester Rustin
No. 15 Bensalem at No. 2 Penn Wood
No. 10 Wissahickon at No. 7 Neshaminy
No. 14 Central Bucks South at No. 3 Souderton
No. 11 Chester at No. 6 Council Rock North


Pick up a copy of Saturday's Daily Times for coverage of Chester's first-round win over Conestoga and Penncrest's victory against Owen J. Roberts.

The basketball season's extension is here ... finally. It seemed like forever, the five or six days between the seeding meeting and the first-round games.

When the District One Class AAAA commence tonight, let Gettin' Schooled be your first stop for scores from around the district. I'll update tonight when all the scores have been reported, from No. 1 Plymouth Whitemarsh all the way through the bracket.

Check back throughout the night for the latest ... and enjoy a fun night of basketball.

The District One Class AAAA bracket has been out for a couple days, being decided upon by the coaches Sunday. And as such, I have had a couple days to let it marinate.

Here are some of my observations surrounding the district playoffs, which begin Friday:
Deserved draw – No. 1 Plymouth-Whitemarsh. The Colonials lost only once – to a nationally ranked team from out of state. Penn Wood, the No. 2 seed, lost three games – all to nationally ranked teams from out of state. You could say it could've gone either way, with one PW team jumping ahead of the other. Penn Wood lost the top spot by five-tenths of a point. “They had the best season,” said Penn Wood coach Clyde Jones. “They deserved it more than we did.”

Best draw – No. 11 Chester. Nobody is ready to dismiss the Clippers. You can't do that to a team that has earned so much respect (and won so many district crowns) over the years. That being said, look at their bracket: First round vs. No. 22 Conestoga. Second round, either vs. No. 6 Council Rock North or No. 28 Quakertown. Quarterfinal, probably vs. No. 3 Souderton or No. 19 Ridley. Keep in mind, you only have to win two rounds to make states.

Flip-Flop draw – No. 4 Coatesville, No. 5 West Chester Rustin. Hours after the district seeding meeting, the numbers were run again and these two teams were flipped. I think Rustin got the worst of this, potentially seeing No. 12 (and defending district champ) Norristown in the second round.

Head-scratching draw – No. 6 Council Rock North. The Indians, based on a few highly unofficial pre-seeding meeting projections, should have been ranked in the top five. Instead the earned the sixth seed, which could work against them. They might have the talent to escape the first round, but getting Chester (potentially) in Round 2 is a tough draw.

Luckiest draw – No. 30 Glen Mills. It's tough to call the 30 th seed in a 32-team bracket lucky, but at least the Battlin' Bulls get to avoid No. 1 Plymouth-Whitemarsh and No. 2 Penn Wood in the first round. For a team that – in this writer's opinion – was on the outside of the playoff bubble looking in, the Bulls have a great chance to get into Round 2 and vie for a state-playoff spot. More power to them.

You want 'em, you've got 'em. Here are the District One Class AAAA and AAA playoff brackets. (Analysis from your favorite boys basketball beat writer soon to follow):

District One Class AAAA Playoffs
(Higher seeds host in first two rounds)
First Round – Feb. 19
(32) West Chester East at (1) Plymouth Whitemarsh
(17) Upper Dublin at (16) Spring-Ford
(25) Owen J Roberts at (8) Penncrest
(24) Downingtown West at (9) Lower Merion
(29) Hatboro Horsham at (4) West Chester Rustin
(20) North Penn at (13) Pennsbury
(28) Cheltenham at (5) Coatesville
(21) Boyertown at (12) Norristown
(31) Oxford at (2) Penn Wood
(18) West Chester Henderson at (15) Bensalem
(26) Abington at (7) Neshaminy
(23) Central Bucks West at (10) Wissahickon
(30) Glen Mills at (3) Souderton
(19) Ridley at (14) Central Bucks South
(27) Quakertown at (6) Council Rock North
(22) Conestoga at (11) Chester
Second Round: Feb. 23
Quarterfinals: Feb. 26
Semifinals: March 2, at Villanova
Championship: March 6, at Villanova
NOTE: Nine (9) teams qualify for the PIAA tournament.

######

District One Class AAA Playoffs
(Higher seeds host in first two rounds)
First Round – Feb. 24
(9)Harriton at (8) Marple Newtowna
(12) Upper Merion at (5) Upper Perkiomen
(10) Pottstown at (7) Lower Moreland
(11) Phoenixville at (6) Strath Haven
Quarterfinals – Feb. 27
Harriton/Marple Newtown winner at (1) Holy Ghost Prep
Upper Merion/Upper Perkiomen winner at (4) Pottsgrove
Pottstown/Lower Moreland winner at (2) Octorara
Phoenixville/Strath Haven winner at (3) Springfield
Semifinals: March 3
Championship: March 6, at Villanova
NOTE: Three (3) teams qualify for the PIAA tournament.

Penncrest assistant coach Jason Ritter is an algebra teacher, which means he fiddles with numbers for fun. (Crazy, right?) Curious where his Lions would be seeded in the upcoming District One Class AAAA playoff bracket - if the season ended today - Ritter went to work.

He volunteered his time and effort to assemble the top 20 seeds of the district-playoff field. He utilized various Web sites to piece together a points system that, while it's highly unofficial, should provoke some water-cooler talk among the types who enjoy that sort of thing. Will Brown and Penn Wood and Del Val League rival Chester, and Robert Pittman (pictured above), will factor in somewhere.

Here's what we're Ritter found, based on teams' records through Sunday:
1 Plymouth-Whitemarsh (14.4697 points)
2 Penn Wood (13.0*)
3 Neshaminy (12.79215)
4 Souderton (12.6101)
5 WC Rustin (12.3706)
6 Council Rock North (12.0545)
7 Coatesville (11.609)
8 Lower Merion (11.5519)
9 Bensalem (11.3967)
10 Penncrest (11.3747)
11 Central Bucks South (11.265)
12 Chester (11.207)
13 Norristown (10.9497)
14 Upper Dublin (10.6237)
15 Downingtown West (10.319)
16 Spring-Ford (9.9997)
17 Pennsbury (9.9008)
18 Owen J. Roberts (9.8868)
19 Wissahickon (9.8465)
20 WC Henderson (8.1725)

And here's what we can disseminate from all of this:
*** Penncrest would have the 10 seed for the second straight year. Despite the Lions' gaudy record, their only win against a team on this points table is No. 20 West Chester Henderson.
***Chester, at No. 12, would have its lowest seed in recent memory. However, who among us would want to face the Clippers in March? No takers? Didn't think so.
***Plymouth-Whitemarsh is good. Quite good. The Colonials' only loss is to perennial national power St. Benedict's (N.J.) And Penn Wood, well, let's just say it wouldn't surprise anyone to see an all PW district final.
***Neshaminy is kind of a surprise. The Redskins have a couple senior leaders who provide nice balance. But they primarily lean on Ryan Arcidiacano, a sharp-shooting sophomore. Sorry, but you can never count on an underclassman in the playoffs.

For dates and bracket specifics, visit District One's Web site.