DISTRICT 6 CLASS 1A BOYS PREVIEW

THE SCOOP: Will this be the year that Williamsburg claims its first District 6 championship since 2001? The top-seeded Blue Pirates have been on the doorstep several times but have fallen short of the goal despite qualifying for the state playoffs several times in the period since their last championship.

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Conemaugh Valley

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Saint Joseph’s jr. Ethan Bowen; Saint Joseph’s so. Zach Cadman; Saint Joseph’s fr. Isaiah Crispin; Williamsburg sr. Evan Zehner; Williamsburg sr. Preston Isenberg; Williamsburg sr. Ty Uplinger; Williamsburg jr. Ethan Reffner; Conemaugh Valley sr. Jaylen Henry; Conemaugh Valley jr. Lance Masser; Bishop Carroll sr. Jace Casses; Ferndale sr. Chance Washington; Ferndale sr. Logan Bryner

MOST INTRIGUING POSSIBLE MATCHUP: Bishop Carroll vs. Williamsburg

SLEEPER: Bishop Carroll

MIRROR’S TEAM TO BEAT: Williamsburg

NUMBER OF TEAMS ADVANCING: Up to three

WHO THEY’LL PLAY IN INTERDISTRICTS: 6-1 vs. 3-6; 6-2 vs. 7-2; 6/5-3 vs. 3-1

ANALYSIS: When Bishop Carroll Catholic wins enough games to make the playoffs, the Huskies are usually a safe bet to make a run once they get there.

That wasn’t the case last year when Conemaugh Valley knocked off Carroll in the first round and went on to win a District 6 championship.

The Huskies lost six of their last seven games, but they comfortably made it to the postseason and should be able to knock off Harmony in the first round.

That would set up a matchup that might decide the championship at Williamsburg. It’s possible that the girls teams from these schools could also meet up this postseason, so this is a rivalry that is on the rise.

In past years, Bishop Carroll had a few star players and other players developed around them as scorers, but Jace Casses will probably have to lead the way if the Huskies are going to win the District 6 title this year. The Blue Pirates are much more balanced but don’t have a player who will consistently score 25-plus like Casses.

Conemaugh Valley shouldn’t be left out of consideration to repeat, either. The Blue Jays have a lot of talent back, but it’s hard to weigh where they are as a team. For the most part, they won the games they should have but weren’t competitive when they played the better ones on their schedule. A possible quarterfinal matchup with Saint Joseph’s Academy is tough to pick, because the Wolfpack also have talented players but don’t play many of the teams from District 6 that Williamsburg and Bishop Carroll do.