Allentown Central to face Villa Maria in hoops event

District 11 power Allentown Central Catholic will be in the field today at the third annual Hoops for Hope Classic, a daylong girls' showcase to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The Vikings, 27-3 a year ago, will take on Villa Maria Academy at 1 p.m. in the third game of the day at Cabrini College. Harriton will open the showcase at 10 a.m. against Radnor in a battle of Central League teams.

Council Rock North of the Suburban One League's Continental Division will take on Methacton at 11:30. The Warriors have moved from the SOL American Division to the Pioneer Athletic Conference, where they are expected to be title contenders.

At 2:30, Central League favorite Lower Merion plays defending PAC-10 champion Spring-Ford, followed by Cardinal O'Hara and Upper Dublin at 4. O'Hara was The Inquirer's top-ranked team last season with a 25-2 record.

In the evening contests, Archbishop Wood meets Notre Dame Academy at 5:30 and Downingtown West plays Archbishop Ryan at 7.

The Allentown/Villa Maria matchup figures to be a good one. The Vikings, who beat Bethlehem Freedom in their opener, lost to Philadelphia's Engineering and Science in the second round of last year's PIAA playoffs. Vikings Jess Slamm and Becky Guman have accepted Division I scholarships to Niagara and Lehigh, respectively.

Villa Maria, which reached the PIAA Class AAA semifinals last season before being ousted by eventual champion Mount St. Joseph, will counter with Erin Mann and Ellen Cannon.