PCL Championship: See how Wood-Lansdale Catholic match up
The Philadelphia Catholic League championship game between Archbishop Wood and Lansdale Catholic is on Monday, and you couldn’t ask for a better matchup. It’s almost like it was meant to be…
Follow here for live updates:Follow along for updates as Archbishop Wood, Lansdale Catholic play for title
Lansdale Catholic and Wood have playoff history
Last season, Wood and LC both lost in the PCL semifinals, but they met in the PIAA Class 4A state championship game, with the Vikings winning 57-45 for their second consecutive state title. That set up a highly anticipated rematch this season, at the end of PCL play. It turned out to be a statement game for the Crusaders, who won 49-31.
Despite losing standout players, the Vikings continue to roll
Going into the season, there were some questions about how the Vikings would look this year, after losing players such as 4A Player of the Year Ryanne Allen (Vanderbilt) and Brianne Bowen (Delaware).
But the Vikings (19-4, 9-1 PCL) proved to be resilient, with a deep and talented roster. Deja Evans, a 6-foot-2 Albany commit, can score, rebound and block shots, and Delaney Finnegan has excelled on defense. Sophomore Emily Knouse has turned into a lethal 3-point shooter, junior Ava Renninger is a solid shooter, and senior Kara Meredith is a versatile two-way player. Senior Allie Fleming, one of the Vikings’ top scorers, tore her ACL in January.
Lansdale Catholic in perfect position
The Crusaders (22-2, 9-1) returned nearly all of last year’s team, with the addition of senior Jaida Helm, a transfer from Abington. Gabby Casey, the school’s all-time leading scorer, is averaging over 20 points per game, as well as 8 rebounds and 4 steals, while Helm is second in scoring and rebounding. Junior Olivia Boccella is one the top 3-point shooters in the league, and sophomore Saniyah Littlejohn is dishing out 5 assists per game.
More:Lansdale Catholic's Alana Ciccocelli savoring every moment leading up to PCL Championship game
More:The road to the Palestra: Kara Meredith enjoying the journey with her Archbishop Wood teammates
Plenty of motivation for both teams
“In the past, we’ve always been so nervous playing Wood,” Crusaders’ senior captain Alana Ciccocelli said. “It seemed like something always went wrong, so getting that win (in February) against them was huge. This time, we’re going to have more confidence going into the Palestra.”
This will the first time the Crusaders have ever played in the PCL Championship.
The Vikings, who have seven seniors, are also excited to play at the Palestra. While the Vikings won the 2021 PCL championship, it was played at Archbishop Carroll due to the pandemic. The previous year, the Vikings played in the title game at the Palestra but lost to West Catholic.
“We’re both nervous and excited,” said Wood senior Kara Meredith. “It’s been a long few days (leading up to the championship) but the more we think about it, we risk overthinking it. We’re trying to just enjoy the experience of getting there, but we really don’t want to lose at the Palestra.”
The battle from the stands…
Now, for the important stuff: Who will win the battle between two of the top student sections in the area?
Wood’s student section is pretty famous around here. They have their own name, the Wood Wackies, and an Instagram page. Similar to the two basketball teams they will represent, the Wackies bring loads of experience, but LC is on a major upswing.
“LC’s student section shows up everywhere, no matter how far,” Kara Meredith said. “They came out to the state championship last year. Our Wackies are great, but the freshmen boys are kind of quiet. We (the girls’ team) went to the boys’ semifinal game and we were the loudest ones there.”
The Crusaders’ student section had one of its greatest showings at the regular season matchup against Wood. Though the game was at Wood, LC had taken over the gym by the end of the game.
“Seeing the support from our school and the community is really motivating,” Alana Ciccocelli said. “Last year we had a huge turnout at states, so I can only imagine what it’s going to be like at the Palestra.”
Who will win?
Here are predictions from the Courier/Intell staff:
Tom Haines, PA State Planning Team: Lansdale Catholic, 67-59
Anthony DiMattia, Digital Producer: Lansdale Catholic, 42-38
Tom Moore, Sports Columnist: Archbishop Wood, 43-42
Joe Mason, Digital Producer: Archbishop Wood, 51-45
HSGameOn Instagram Poll: 67 percent of Instagram users picked Archbishop Wood to win
The game:
No. 1 Lansdale Catholic will take on No. 2 Archbishop Wood on Monday at 6 p.m. at the Palestra.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Philadelphia Catholic League title Archbishop Wood vs. Lansdale Catholic
