District 1 boys’ breakdown: Dock Mennonite, Lower Merion, and Bensalem lead league standings

With about three weeks left in the high school basketball regular season, it’s a good time to take a look at the various leagues in District 1 and see how things are shaping up.

Here’s a look at some of the boys’ races in the region.

Stop us if you’ve heard this before — Lower Merion is on top in the Central League. Yes, coach Gregg Downer’s Aces (14-1, 9-0) are in first place yet again, but this team was not expected to run away in the league like it has thus far. There’s certainly quality outside of LM as well; Conestoga (9-4, 7-2), Radnor (10-2, 7-2), Harriton (11-4, 6-3), Marple Newtown (7-7, 5-4), Penncrest (11-4, 5-4), and Garnet Valley (8-5, 4-4) are a tightly-grouped bunch with solid talent, and all but one of that group will qualify for the league playoffs.

Lower Merion does have plenty of difficult games left, including Radnor (Thursday), Garnet Valley (Jan. 27), Harriton (Jan. 23), and Conestoga (Jan. 30), so it’s possible the Aces take two losses and fall down in the pack. ‘Stoga has picked up quality wins over Radnor, Springfield (Delco), and Garnet Valley while getting tripped up by LM and Upper Darby in December.

The 15-team small-school league plays an uneven schedule, which is why league leader Dock Mennonite (12-4, 9-0) has played five more games overall and three more league contests than second-place Delco Christian (7-4, 5-1), which has played two fewer than third-place Faith Christian (10-3, 6-2). Dock — which beat DC, 51-49, in December — is the clear front-runner to nab the top seed in the BAL tournament. Dock visits Jenkintown (6-3) on Friday, the only game it has left against a team with a winning league record.

Delco Christian has a busy three weeks ahead, with 11 games stuffed into 21 days, which will present more of a challenge than any individual opponent.

There was a big upset in the Ches-Mont National last week, as West Chester Henderson (12-2, 4-1) got upended at the buzzer by Bishop Shanahan (6-8, 2-4). That puts the Warriors into a tie in the loss column with Coatesville (9-4, 4-1), Downingtown West (7-7, 3-2), and West Chester East (8-4, 3-2) close behind in the standings. Downingtown West has a huge stretch upcoming at Coatesville (Thursday) and Henderson (Jan. 20), two games that will determine if the Whippets can make a run for a spot in the Ches-Mont playoffs. Henderson and Coatesville meet again Jan. 30 at Coatesville.

The American Division is led by Unionville (13-2, 5-0). The defending District 1 Class 5A runner-up has picked up some impressive wins thus far, including at Spring-Ford, the Haverford School, Pottstown, and more. If the Longhorns can beat West Chester Rustin (9-5, 3-1) at home on Jan. 23, the division will almost certainly be theirs. As for Rustin, the Golden Knights need to hold off Sun Valley (7-6, 3-2). The two were supposed to face off Tuesday, but the game was rescheduled to Jan. 27 because of the weather.

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Perhaps the biggest regular-season game in the FSL this season will be Wednesday night, as Academy of the New Church (4-0) hosts George School (1-1). All of the FSL contenders — ANC, Georgetown, Westtown, and Friends’ Central, with Friends Select a dark horse — will qualify for the postseason, where anything could happen.

The PAC’s Frontier Division is clearly a two-horse race at this point, as Phoenixville (11-4, 5-0) and Pottstown (9-4, 4-1) are the only two teams in the division with a winning record. Those two met for the first time Jan. 5 in Phoenixville, with the Phantoms winning, 64-55. The return game is Jan. 30 in Pottstown. Phoenixville will have to play four of its final five games on the road, while Pottstown still has a dangerous road game at Norristown (Feb. 2).

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In the Liberty Division, Spring-Ford (12-3, 5-0) has established itself as the clear division favorite after a 31-point win at Methacton (10-4, 4-1) on Jan. 5, then a 53-52 win against Perkiomen Valley (12-3, 3-2) on Jan. 11.

There’s only one unbeaten team left in the entire SOL — and it’s Bensalem (13-1, 9-0 Patriot Division), which has won in all sorts of incredible ways, from overtime buzzer-beaters to game-saving shots. The Owls are riding a nine-game winning streak heading into a Friday game at Pennridge.

The SOL Colonial is in Central Bucks East’s hands, as the Patriots (13-2, 7-1) have a three-game lead on any other team in the division. Upper Dublin (12-3, 8-1) leads the Liberty with Abington (10-3, 6-2) and Plymouth Whitemarsh (8-5, 6-2) not too far behind.

The most competitive division in Suburban One is the Freedom, with Cheltenham (9-4, 6-2), Upper Moreland (9-5, 6-3), and William Tennent (8-5, 5-3) all in the mix. Cheltenham beat Tennent and UM December. Tennent comes to Cheltenham on Jan. 30, three days before Cheltenham goes to Upper Moreland. Tennent will hosts Upper Moreland on Jan. 26, but it also has to get through PW and Abington in crossover games (which count toward division standings).

This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.