District 1 is a factor as usual in Pennsylvania basketball

That was supposed to be it - March 2005 was supposed to mark the end of dominant programs like Chester High, Plymouth-Whitemarsh and Norristown. The Philadelphia Public League, or "The Pub," as its known by high school hoop followers in Southeastern Pennsylvania, was beginning play for the first time in the PIAA, the statewide sports governing body.

It meant traditionally strong programs like Simon Gratz, Central, Bartram, Strawberry Mansion and a host of various charter schools that were cropping up were about to run roughshod over the District 1 programs that had ruled the state with an iron hand the last 10 years.

"Chester and Plymouth-Whitemarsh are pretty good, but they haven't met schools like Simon Gratz and Bartram, or Strawberry Mansion in March," pub fans would beat their chests and say.

Or so they thought.

It never happened!

The teams that were always strong stayed strong, and with the recent surge of Penn Wood (Lansdowne) over the last four years, the power of District 1, or "The One," seems even more pronounced since The Pub joined the PIAA.

Consider this season, for example. Of the Elite Eight still remaining in the PIAA Class AAAA (large school) state playoffs, four are from District 1 (state-title favorite Chester, defending state champ Plymouth Whitemarsh (Plymouth Meeting), Penn Wood and Council Rock North (Newtown)). On the girls Class AAAA side, three of the Elite Eight are District 1 teams (Mt. St. Joseph Academy (Flourtown), Boyertown and Lower Merion (Ardmore)).

Since 2005, of the 12 state finalists in the boys Class AAAA championship game, eight of those teams were from District 1, and in the last six state championship games played, three were all-District 1 finals (2005: Chester-Lower Merion; 2008: Chester-Norristown; 2010: Plymouth-Whitemarsh-Penn Wood).

"That doesn't surprise me," Chester coach Larry Yarbray said. "You have some people in Philadelphia that think they invented the game, but there is some pretty good basketball being played out here in the suburbs, and that comes from quality coaching, strong traditions and great community support, which is what we have in Chester. Yes, we weren't supposed to be get to another state final with the 'The Pub' in our way. I think we've been to three since they joined."

And at the rate the Clippers are going this season, it could be four state final appearances. Chalk it up to the power of "The One."

MaxPreps Pennsylvania boys basketball playoff brackets
MaxPreps Pennsylvania girls basketball playoff brackets

BEWARE OF PENN WOOD
Speaking of District 1, Penn Wood was expected to have an easy ride back to defend its district championship and ease on to a third-straight state finals appearance. But a few bumps happened along the way. The Patriots had guard issues, sometimes unraveling against the pressure of teams like Chester and Rice (N.Y.).

Despite possessing arguably the best player in the area in West Virginia-bound Aaron Brown, coupled with the formidable frontcourt of 6-9 Shawn Oakman (Penn State for football) and 6-8 Darian Barnes, Penn Wood actually struggled to a 2-5 start this season.

While Chester is the best team in the state, so far, the most dangerous team could be Penn Wood, which has gone 20-3 since its rough start. Credit that turnaround to Pats' coach Clyde Jones, who doesn't get as much credit as he deserves for not only steering the Penn Wood program in a positive direction the last four years, but in making the Pats a perennial state powerhouse.

Jones won a state title in 2009 and guided the Pats to another state final appearance last year, losing to Plymouth-Whitemarsh in the championship game, 58-51, but his best coaching job has been perhaps this season.

He completely overhauled his backcourt after a 71-65 loss to Chester on Jan. 6 and now has Penn Wood in the prime spot of returning again to the state finals. But since the Pats got knocked out of the District 1 playoffs, they were banished to the Western bracket of the state. They've been steadily working their way back. And it's not impossible to see an all-Del-Val League, District 1 state championship matchup between neighboring rival Chester and Penn Wood on March 26 at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center.

Don't rule it out.

ANOTHER COLLISION COURSE COMING?
Chester and Penn Wood aren't the only two rivals from the same league that could be meeting hundreds of miles from home to determine which team wins the state championship. In the PIAA girls bracket, Archbishop Carroll (Radnor), debuting as a Class AAAA school this season (after winning the Class AAA state championship in 2009), looks like it might be heading toward a showdown with Philadelphia Catholic League rival Cardinal O'Hara (Springfield), the 2009 Class AAAA state runner-up.

They both have hard routes to reach that destination though. Carroll (22-5) will first have to get by District 3 runner-up Wilson (West Lawn) (22-8) this weekend, and then could meet District 1 champion Mount St. Joseph's (26-3), which has been crushing everyone in its wake, in the Eastern finals.

O'Hara (22-5), led by senior Marissa Manning and sophomores Shanice Johnson and MacKenzie Rule, will have to get by a feisty Lower Merion team this weekend, and its exceptional backcourt of Lila Jones and Sheba Hall, then possibly meet two-time defending state champion Mt. Lebanon (Pittsburgh) (22-6), the District 7 runner-up, in the Western finals.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
John M. Staudenmayer entered this wrestling season with a singular determination and drive that nothing was going to deter him from winning a state championship. The Plymouth Whitemarsh (Plymouth Meeting) 171-pound senior closed his high school career in a singular fashion - winning the state title in crushing style, devouring Spring Grove's Neal Grudi in a 15-2 decision.

The North Carolina-bound Staudenmayer went 43-0 his senior season and will graduate Plymouth-Whitemarsh as the all-time victory leader and only the second wrestler to win a state title in school history. His work ethic and commitment was unparalleled and he'll end his amazing high school career as the greatest wrestler in school history.

A few days later, Staudenmayer was still coming to grips with all he's done. "I really can't believe it," he said. "It's a great way to leave."

While also leaving a singular legacy.

Joseph Santoliquito can be contacted at JSantoliquito@yahoo.com.