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Revisiting our 2014 Preseason Team Rankings: PIAA Class A

December 9, 2014

By Jacob Gill
Philadelphia Region Director of Scouting

This week we will be revisiting our preseason team rankings to see what we got right and where we were off base in 2014. Yesterday we examined the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA). Today we will move onto the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) working our way through the four classifications, from smallest schools (class A) to largest (class AAAA), throughout the week.

2014 Pre-season PIAA Class A Super 16

1. Bishop McCort
2. Canton
3. California Area
4. Devon Prep
5. Carmichaels Area
6. York Catholic
7. Western Beaver
8. Tri-Valley
9. Elk County Catholic
10. Delaware County Christian
11. Lancaster County Christian
12. Clarion Area
13. Meyersdale Area
14. Vincentian Academy
15. Lackawanna Trail
16. GAMP

What We Got Right

District I champ Devon Prep (16-8) beat District IX champ Elk County Catholic (26-1) in extra innings in the championship game. Don't be deceived by Devon Prep's record, as they played the majority of the season against AA and AAA schools, and without their projected top two starting pitchers (including current Seton Hall freshman Zach Schellenger, who was receiving MLB First-Year Player Draft interest before getting injured). ECC was agonizingly close to an undefeated season.

Six other members of our Preseason Super 16 survived district play to advance to the state tournament. District VI champ Bishop McCort (18-8) reached the state semifinals after playing all but two regular-season games against schools above Class A, while District IV champ Canton (21-3) reached the state quarterfinals a year after falling in the state title game. District VII champ California Area (20-1) entered the state tournament undefeated before dropping a 2-1 game in the first round, while District VII runner-up Carmichaels Area (15-4) fell to ECC in the state quarterfinals after suffering its only three regular-season losses against California Area. District III champ Lancaster County Christian (16-2) and District III runner-up York Catholic (11-11), which played most of the season without its projected ace pitcher against a schedule largely composed of bigger schools, both succumbed in the first round of states, but lived up to their billing as the top two teams in the district.

Other preseason ranked teams that had commendable regular-seasons and were one win away from a state tournament bid include: Tri-Valley (18-6), which fell in the District XI championship game; and Meyersdale Area (20-3), which lost in the District V title game.

Where We Were Off Base

Western Beaver (16-2), Clarion Area (13-3), Vincentian Academy (16-3), and Lackawanna Trail (11-4) had solid regular-seasons, but were bounced from their respective district tournaments at least two wins from a state bid.

District IX runner-up Cranberry Area (14-3), which reached the state quarterfinals, was on our Preseason Others to Watch list, but not among our projected state tournament teams.

District II champ MMI Prep (9-7), which played most of its games against AA and AAA schools, District VII third place Sewickley Academy (10-7), which lost both of its regular-season games to Vincentian, and Eisenhower (9-8), each earned state tournament bids despite struggling somewhat during the regular-season.

Where We Swung and Missed

Delaware County Christian (7-11) was inconsistent early on and then lost five of six to end the season.

Three teams were not on our radar at the beginning of the season, but had very strong showings: Schuylkill Haven (20-7), which won the District XI tournament by a combined score of 20-1 in three games, knocked off Tri-Valley in the championship game, and reached the state semifinals; District VI runner-up Juniata Valley (15-8), which reached the state quarterfinal round; and Southern Fulton (22-3), which won the District V championship, giving Meyersdale Area its only two losses of the season against schools from Pennsylvania, on its way to a state tourney bid.

Final Thoughts

As you will see throughout the week, this was a pretty good showing on our part. We had only one complete miss among the pre-season ranked teams, with half of the group emerging from single-elimination district tournaments to earn state bids. Certain programs continued to assert their dominance within their districts, as Bishop McCort and Elk County Catholic went to states for the fourth consecutive year, California Area and Lancaster County Christian made their third straight trip to the state tournament, while Canton, Devon Prep, and York Catholic all earned state bids for the second year in a row.

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