The PIAA basketball playoffs often send Schuylkill County hoops fans on long road trips.
That will be the case for several schools when the state playoffs get under way this weekend.
Ten area teams — five girls, five boys — qualified for the PIAA postseason, which begins Friday and Saturday with opening-round games. The PIAA announced its first-round sites and times Sunday.
For four local teams, their first-round matchups will be close to home — with three of them playing at Martz Hall in Pottsville.
Friday, District 11 Class AAA boys’ champion Pottsville (27-0) will travel down Route 61 to Blue Mountain to face District 2 third-place team Valley View (15-11) at 7 p.m.
The District 11 Class AA champion Minersville girls (25-2), meanwhile, will face District 4 runner-up Montoursville (22-3) at 7 p.m. at Martz Hall.
Saturday, District 11 Class A girls’ champion Shenandoah Valley and District 11 Class AA boys’ winner Mahanoy Area are paired in a matinee doubleheader at Martz Hall.
The Blue Devils (21-4) take on District 1 runner-up Faith Christian (24-4) at 1 p.m., while the Golden Bears (20-5) meet District 4 runner-up Wellsboro (19-6) at 2:30 p.m.
While the fans of those four schools don’t have far to travel, the others ... well, gas up the car.
Three Schuylkill County schools are headed to Philadelphia.
Friday, the North Schuylkill girls (24-3) will take on District 12 runner-up Imhotep Charter in a Class AA contest at 6 p.m. at Archbishop Carroll High School.
Saturday, the Williams Valley girls (16-8) face District 12 champion Philadelphia West Catholic (5-13) in a Class A game at 1 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Prep High School, while the Minersville boys (19-5) square off against District 12 runner-up Freire Charter (13-13) in a Class AA matchup at 1 p.m. at Archbishop Ryan High School.
The Tamaqua boys (21-6), meanwhile, will head south, traveling to Milton Hershey High School to battle District 3 champion Steelton-Highspire (22-5) in a Class AAA first-round contest at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The game is the second game of a doubleheader, with District 3 runner-up Bishop McDevitt facing District 12 fourth-place Charles Audenreid in a boys’ Class AAA contest at 6 p.m.
Also Friday, the Nativity boys (15-9) travel north to the Magic Dome in Williamsport to face District 4 champion St. John Neumann (25-1) at 7 p.m.
The area’s final state qualifier, the Lourdes girls (18-7) will travel to Lebanon High School to take on District 3 champion Lebanon Catholic (17-9) in a Class A game at noon Saturday.
Advance tickets for all PIAA playoff games are being sold at participating schools through Friday. Advance tickets cost $6 for adults and $3 for students, with all tickets $6 at the door. There is no senior citizen discount.
Local pairings
PIAA Basketball Playoffs
FRIDAY
Class AAA Boys
Pottsville vs. Valley View, 7 p.m., Blue Mountain High School
Tamaqua vs. Steel-High, 7:30 p.m., Milton Hershey High School
Class A Boys
Nativity vs. St. John Neumann, 7 p.m., Williamsport High School
Class AA Girls
Minersville vs. Montoursville, 7 p.m., Martz Hall
North Schuylkill vs. Imhotep Charter, 6 p.m., Archbishop Carroll H.S., Philadelphia
SATURDAY
Class AA Boys
Mahanoy Area vs. Wellsboro, 2:30 p.m., Martz Hall
Minersville vs. Freire Charter, 1 p.m., Archbishop Carroll H.S., Philadelphia
Class A Girls
Shenandoah Valley vs. Faith Christian, 1 p.m., Martz Hall
Williams Valley vs. Philadelphia West Catholic, 1 p.m., St. Joseph’s Prep H.S., Philadelphia
Lourdes vs. Lebanon Catholic, noon, Lebanon High School