Imhotep Charter from Philadelphia has won six consecutive PIAA boys basketball titles, but the Panthers don’t necessarily blow teams off the court with offensive fireworks or slam-dunk displays. On Saturday night at Reading’s Geigle Complex, the Panthers won their 35th consecutive state tournament game by playing great defense.

It’s a blueprint that brought Central Dauphin to this second stage of the PIAA 6A girls basketball showcase. So why change a good thing? Squaring off with District 11 champ Parkland Tuesday, the Rams deployed its full compliment of defense and got double-digit efforts from Maya Dickerson and Sam Sembrot in a 39-23 round of 16 win.

Pikesville defeats Forest Park during a Class 1A girls basketball semifinal at New Town High School on Tuesday, Mar. 11.

The three nastiest words to a District 11 football champion is St. Joe’s Prep. Whether it’s Freedom, Nazareth or Parkland, our local entry in the highest classification in the state tournament usually has its season end in the state quarterfinals when it meets St.