HERSHEY, Pa. – It’s time to pick the games in Chocolate Town with three District 10 teams vying for a state title.
How can win – all of them of course – who will win? Our fearless prognosticator and editor, Chris Rossetti, takes another shot at the games.
So far, in the last two rounds, Chris’ Crystal Ball (resurrecting that from his days at the Clarion News nearly 2 1/2 decades ago, has predicted 10 of 12 games correctly – the Crystal Ball had a terrible time with Mercyhurst Prep.
So without further ado here are the predictions for the title games
THURSDAY – Class 2A Girls – Kennedy Catholic vs. Marion Center
The Golden Eagles are the defending champions and they are making their third straight trip to the Giant Center.
Marion Center is playing with house money. The Stingers were the FIFTH seed in the District 6 playoffs but will be no worse than the second-place team in the state in 2A.
Any team that has Layke Fields inside and Monique Vincent – she has missed two 3-pointers in her last two games while hitting 10 – is hard to bet against.
The Cinderella run of Marion Center ends in Hershey.
Score Prediction: Kennedy Catholic 65, Marion Center 40
SATURDAY – Class 3A Boys – Franklin vs. Devon Prep
The Knights are back in the title game for the first time since winning its second PIAA title in 2006.
Devon Prep entered the PIAA playoffs with a losing record (10-13) but don’t be fooled. The Tide play in the ultra-competitive Philadelphia Catholic League.
Outside of league play, Devon Prep is 10-4 and it has three blowout PIAA wins plus a double-overtime victory over Executive Education.
Franklin’s perfect record in PIAA championship games is going to be tested, and unfortunately for the Knights, the Tide will roll on.
Prediction: Devon Prep 68, Franklin 58
SATURDAY – Class 5A Girls – Cathedral Prep vs. Archbishop Wood
This is Blue Blood vs. Blue Blood for these schools located about as far a part in Pennsylvania as you can get – 415 miles apart (for those who like geography Chicago is 446 miles from Cathedral Prep and Montreal is 427 miles from Archbishop Wood.
This is also a rematch of the 2021 title game between Villa Maria (which became Cathedral Prep last season) and Archbishop Wood won by the Vikings, 44-34, in Class 4A. That was the first of three straight titles for the school just outside Philadelphia with the first two coming in 4A and last year coming in 5A.
Both teams get after it on defense with the Vikings allowing 40 ppg and the Ramblers 33.6 ppg.
Both teams are loaded with D1 talent.
Man, the Crystal Ball could see this game going either way.
But in the end, the champion is the champion until someone says otherwise.
Score Prediction: Archbishop Wood 42, Cathedral Prep 38
