Hardware on the line for several area high school programs this weekend

While there’s very little that resembled a typical high school soccer season this year with the pandemic forcing late starts, countless cancelations and forfeits and shutting down the boys soccer season altogether in Delaware, there will be some familiar celebratory scenes this weekend.

State finals will play out in Hershey while the season will be capped by sectional champions being crowned in New Jersey and the Central League will give out league titles.

Neshaminy and Faith Christian on the boys side and Pennridge and Villa Joseph Marie will all play for state titles in Hershey. Faith Christian takes on Greensburg today at 1:30 p.m. for the 1A title and Villa Joseph Marie will battle Mars for the 3A crown at 4 p.m.

Pennridge plays North Allegheny for the 4A crown at 4 p.m. Saturday, followed by Neshaminy taking on Seneca Valley for the boys 4A crown at 6:30 p.m.

All of the games in Hershey will be broadcast live on PCN.

The Central League, which didn’t participate in the state tournament, will crown champions on Saturday with Lower Merion in line for a chance at a sweep. The No. 3 seed boys will play at top seed Conestoga while the top-seeded girls team will host third seed Radnor.

Girls regional semifinals in New Jersey will be played today after the boys finalists were decided on Thursday. The finals will be played on Sunday.

Top seed Shawnee will play Cherry Hill East for the Group 4 South title, Mainland takes on Moorestown in Group 3, West Deptford and Cedar Creek in Group 2, Haddon Township and Schalick in Group 1B, Riverside and Florence in Group 1A and No. 1 St. Augustine will play second seed Paul VI in the Non-Public final.