Boys Basketball Class 6A Championship Preview
No. 3 Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils (21-3) vs. No. 5 Butler Gold Tornado (20-4) At Petersen Events Center
The top two seeds will not be competing Class 6A WPIAL Championship but that doesn’t mean two of the top teams in the WPIAL won’t be in the stacked field. Both Butler and Mt. Lebanon were contenders from the beginning of the season. The Golden Tornado earned that status led by junior standout, Ethan Morton, and role players such as junior Luke Patten, sophomore Mattix Clement and freshman Devin Carney. Mt. Lebanon bounced back after being the top-seed last year and losing a couple of starters. The Blue Devils won the section again this year with two first-team all-section players, juniors Jake Hoffman and Blaine Gartley. Seniors Sean Loughran and Hayden Mitchell made second team and honorable mention, respectively…Both teams eclipsed the 20-win plateau on the season during their playoff runs. Mt. Lebanon has made it look easy with a couple of double-digit wins against No. 6 Fox Chapel and No. 7 Canon-McMillan. The Blue Devils defeated the Big Macs in the semifinals, 58-39. It was the third double digit win against them this season. Hoffman led with 17 points. Gartley finished with 15 and Loughran with 12. Mt. Lebann is seeking its third championship under head coach Joe David and first since 2010…Butler survived all the way from the first round. The Golden Tornado defeated No. 12 Connellsville, No. 4 Upper St. Clair, and No. 1 Pine-Richland on their path to the Pete. The 70-68 win against the Rams in the semifinals was their first in three games this season against their section rivals. Morton led the way with 40 points in the game. Butler will be looking for its first WPIAL title since 1991…This is the second matchup of the season between Mt. Lebanon and Butler, with the Blue Devils winning 87-60 at home on Dec. 18.
For a complete look at the Class 6A bracket, click here.