With the conclusion of the regular season this week, Pennsylvania basketball now turns their eyes to the District 9 playoffs, where the official postseason brackets have just been released.
Starting with the girls in Class A, Otto-Eldred led the charge from the start, ending their 2025-2026 campaign with the North Tier League title and the second seed in the D9 bracket for a second consecutive year. Standing behind only No. 1 DuBois Central Catholic, the Lady Terrors earned a home playoff game against No. 7 Austin on Friday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
If or when they beat the Lady Panthers, O-E will advance to the neutral site semifinals, where they will see either No. 3 Elk County Catholic or No. 6 Northern Potter, both of whom the Lady Terrors have met at least once this season. That round of the playoffs will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at a location yet to be determined.
Staying with the Blue and Gold, the 15-7 Otto-Eldred boys secured the fifth seed in Class A, striking up yet another meeting with their rivals, Cameron County, who earned the fourth seed in the playoffs. Seeing the Red Raiders for the third time in just under a month, the Terrors will look to move the scale in their direction after losing both regular season meetings.
Terrors vs Red Raiders III will take place in Emporium, PA on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m.
Beyond Cam Co, top-seeded Elk County Catholic lays on the horizon. The boy’s second round of the D9 playoffs will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at a yet to be decided time and place.
Moving into Class 2A, the Port Allegany boy’s basketball team took a big jump in the end-of-season standings. After finishing as the sixth seed in 2025, the Gators now hold the fourth seed, ending with a 16-6 record and their first North Tier League title in 25 years.
After competing in the NTL finals on Saturday at 8 p.m. at Bradford Area High School, Port will then see Coudersport for a third time this season. As the higher seed, the Gators will host the No. 5 Falcons on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m.. Upon a win, they face either No. 1 Clarion or No. 8 Brockway on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at a neutral time and place.
Last but not least, the Lady Gators enter the 2A bracket just one win away from a return trip to the D9 Championship. Similar to last year’s finals run, Port boasts the fourth seed as they concluded their season with a 15-7 overall record. Facing second-seeded Kane, the Lady Gators will travel to the Wolf’s Den on Wednesday, Feb. 25 for a 7 p.m. showdown. If they earn a spot in the finals for a second consecutive year, Port will see either No. 1 Keystone or No. 4 Brockway.
As the postseason excitement begins to spread, every team knows this is where the rubber hits the road, and at the end of that road is Super Saturday, an all-day stage where the D9 championships will be decided. This year, Super Saturday will take place on Feb. 28. The exact time slots for each team has yet to be released.
