Philadelphia has become the city of champions thanks to the Phillies making the World Series and the Eagles reaching the Super Bowl.
Those two teams getting to the biggest stage of their sport doesn’t happen every year.
However, the city’s scholastic boys basketball teams from the Public League and Catholic League have been dominant almost from the time they joined the PIAA back in the 2000s.
The latest “Beasts of the East” rankings, which gauge the strength of programs in Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, and 12, reflect the power of Philly hoops as all six classes feature No. 1 teams from District 12.
Imhotep retains the top spot in Class 5A even after it fell to Camden 60-57 Saturday before a sold-out crowd of 4,200 at Saint Joseph’s Hagan Arena. The game, considered to be the most-anticipated in Philly high school hoops in more than 20 years, featured three five-star Kentucky recruits. One of them was Camden’s D.J. Wagner, who led Camden with 22 points.
Wagner and Camden packed Allentown’s PPL Center in a one-night showcase last winter.
Of local interest, Archbishop Wood, which is ranked third in Class 6A, will be at Parkland on Sunday to take on the Trojans at about 1:40 p.m. in the middle contest of the three games in the Lehigh Valley Hoop Group Showcase.
Executive Education, which will play The Patrick School in the Hoop Group event at noon, remains 6th in Class 3A, and Allentown Central Catholic has moved up to sixth in Class 4A.
Here are the latest “Beasts of the East” rankings provided by scholastic basketball gurus Jason Hackman and Toomey Anderson.
CLASS 6A
Rank, Team, District, Record, Last time
1. Roman Catholic (12) 16-1, 1st
2. Reading High (3) 19-1, 2nd
3. Archbishop Wood (12) 9-6, 3rd
4. St. Joe’s Prep (12) 13-4, 5th
5. Spring-Ford (1) 19-1, 6th
6. Lower Merion (1) 17-2, 4th
7. Plymouth-Whitemarsh (1) 17-2, 8th
8. Downingtown West (1) 15-5, HM
9. Garnet Valley (1) 14-5, HM
10. Emmaus (11) 15-4, 9th
Dropped Out: (7) Cumberland Valley (3) 15-2, 7th last time; Father Judge (12) 9-7, 10th last time.
Honorable Mention: Central Bucks East (1) 17-2; Coatesville (1) 12-7; Methacton (1) 14-6; North Penn (1) 15-4; Penn Wood(1) 12-4; Hazleton (2) 10-7; Central York(3) 15-5; Cumberland Valley (3) 15-2; Hempfield (3) 16-2; Waynesboro (3) 17-1; William Penn (3) 15-4; Wilson (3) 13-5; Williamsport (4) 11-4; Freedom (11) 13-6; Parkland (11) 12-6; Father Judge (12) 9-7; LaSalle (12) 9-9; Northeast (12) 14-5; Olney (12) 15-3.
CLASS 5A
1. Imhotep (12) 16-3, 1st
2. Radnor (1) 19-0, 2nd
3. Archbishop Ryan (12), 10-7
4. Abington Heights (2), 16-1
5. West Chester East (1), 15-5
6. Exeter Township (3) 13-5, HM
7. Muhlenberg (3) 12-6, HM
8. Dallas (2) 15-2, 6th
9. Dobbins (12) 18-1, HM
10. Pocono Mountain West (11) 15-4, HM
Dropped Out: Bonner-Prendergast (12) 9-7, 7th; Unionville (1) 16-2, 8th; East Stroudsburg South (11) 6-3, 9th; Boys Latin (12) 14-4, 10th.
Honorable Mention: Chichester (1) 15-3; Unionville (1) 16-2; Upper Dublin (1) 15-4; Pittston (2) 13-4; Lampeter-Strasburg (3) 15-3; Manheim Central (3) 15-3; Mechanicsburg (3) 13-5; Milton Hershey (3) 11-4; Warwick (3) 12-5; West York (3) 14-6; Selinsgrove (4) 12-6; East Stroudsburg South (11) 16-3; Whitehall (11) 11-8; Ben Franklin (12) 15-2; Bonner-Prendergast (12) 9-7; Boys Latin (12) 14-4; Samuel Fels (12) 17-1.
CLASS 4A
1. Neumann-Goretti (12) 14-2, 1st
2. Berks Catholic (3) 16-2, 2nd
3. Cardinal O’Hara (12) 11-6, 3rd
4. Archbishop Carroll (12) 12-5, 4th
5. Valley View (2) 14-2, 5th
6. Allentown Central Catholic (11) 11-6, 8th
7. Fleetwood (3) 19-1, 6th
8. Bishop McDevitt (3) 13-3, NM
9. Scranton Prep (2) 10-7, 9th
10. Bethlehem Catholic (11) 12-6, 7th
Dropped Out: Eastern York (3) 13-5, 10th.
Honorable Mention: Collegium (1) 8-9; Pope John Paul II (1) 9-9; Greater Nanticoke Area (2) 13-6; Tunkhannock (2) 9-8; Eastern York (3) 13-5; Littlestown (3) 17-3; Schuylkill Valley (3) 13-5; Athens (4) 11-6; Danville (4) 11-4; Shamokin (4) 13-5; Blue Mountain (11) 14-5; North Schuylkill (11) 15-3; Wilson (11) 12-6; FLC (12) 13-6; Overbrook (12) 11-8.
CLASS 3A
1. West Catholic (12) 9-8, 2nd
2. Devon Prep (12) 10-7, 1st
3. Columbia (3) 15-1, 3rd
4. Holy Redeemer (2) 16-2, 4th
5. Math Civics and Science (12) 12-7, 5th
6. Executive Education (11) 15-2, 6th
7. Trinity (3) 15-2, 7th
8. Mid Valley (2) 13-3, 8th
9. Notre Dame Green Pond (11) 16-3, 9th
10. North Penn-Mansfield (4) 17-1, 10th
Honorable Mention: Mast (1) 11-6; Carbondale (2) 10-6; Old Forge (2) 10-5; Riverside (2) 11-5; Delone Catholic (3) 13-5; Oley Valley (3) 15-4; York Catholic (3) 13-6; Southern Columbia (4) 11-5; Loyalsock (4) 10-6; Troy (4) 12-5; Wellsboro (4) 12-4; Palmerton (11) 15-3; Saucon Valley (11) 15-4; Mast II (12) 10-5; SLA-Beeber (12) 16-4; Vaux (12) 15-5.
CLASS 2A
1. Constitution (12) 12-7, 1st
2. Dock Mennonite (1) 17-2, 2nd
3. Holy Cross (2) 12-3, 3rd
4. St John Neumann Regional (4) 11-4, 4th
5. Maritime (12) 16-3, 7th
6. Sankofa (12) 10-8, 6th
7. Church Farm (1) 13-3, HM
8. Marian Catholic (11) 11-7, HM
9. Schuylkill Haven (11) 15-4. 8th
10. Mahanoy Area (11) 15-4, 9th
Dropped Out: Tri-Valley (11) 14-3, 5th; Halifax (3) 12-5, 10th.
Honorable Mention: Delco Christian (1) 10-8; Antietam (3) 9-8; Halifax (3) 12-5; Lancaster Mennonite (3) 12-7; Steelton Highspire (3) 6-10; Muncy (4) 13-5; Northwest Area (4) 13-3; South Williamsport (4) 11-7; Lincoln Leadership (11) 8-8; Minersville (11) 12-7; Nativity BVM (11) 7-10; Tri-Valley (11) 14-3; Paul Robeson (12) 11-10; Strawberry Mansion (12) 9-8.
CLASS 1A
1. The City School (12) 17-3, 1st
2. Linville Hill Christian (3) 14-0, 2nd
3. Chester Charter (1) 13-3, 3rd
4. Greenwood (3) 16-1, 4th
5. Mount Calvary Christian (3) 14-5, 6th
6. Phil-Mont Christian (1) 12-5, 5th
7. LaAcademia (3) 8-7, 7th
8. Lancaster Country Day (3) 9-6, 8th
9. Northumberland Christian (4) 11-3, 9th
10. GAMP (12) 8-3, 10th
Honorable Mention: Plumstead Christian (1) 6-7; Forest City Regional (2) 9-6; Conestoga Christian (3) 10-7; Dayspring Christian (3) 16-3; High Point Baptist (3) 9-4; Lancaster County Christian (3) 9-6; West Shore Christian (3) 10-9; North Penn-Liberty (4) 9-7; Sullivan County (4) 10-7; Bethlehem Christian (11) 10-4; Notre Dame E-S (11) 11-8.
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