Mars Continues to Roll Through WPIAL Opponents

The Mars boys’ basketball team won its first WPIAL championship a little but over a week ago, but they continue to strengthen its grip on its WPIAL opponents in the PIAA playoffs.

After defeating Hampton for the second time in the postseason in the first round, the Planets did the same to Trinity in the second round with a 48-40 win at Moon.

Usually known for its offense, it was the defense that was the difference against the Hillers. The Planets held them to four points in the first quarter, but were held to four points of their own in the second and trailed 19-16 at the half.

Mars came out strong in the third quarter, outscoring Trinity 16-9 to take the lead for good.

Senior Robby Carmody scored half of his team’s points, finishing with 24 points. Senior Cade Hetzler chipped in with 13 points. Senior Joey Koroly led Trinity with 15 points.

Mars improves to 23-4 and won its eighth straight game. They will face Highlands in the PIAA quarterfinals on Friday at Gateway at 7:30 p.m.

Boys Class 5A WPIAL Semifinal Preview

The top teams in boys basketball Class 5A throughout the season will be the ones competing in the WPIAL semifinals on Tuesday.

The top three teams all advanced, along with the fifth seed with a minor upset over No. 4. Both semifinal games will be played at 8 p.m.

Below are capsules on each game.

No. 1 Mars Planets (19-4) vs. No. 5 Trinity Hillers (20-4) At Baldwin

Entering the playoffs, Mars was the clear-cut favorite to get to the WPIAL Championship Game, and that notion has not changed entering the semifinals. The Planets have only lost one game all season to a WPIAL team. The other losses game to a City League team and to two teams down in a tournament in Florida. Mars cruised past section rival Hampton in the quarterfinals at Butler, 72-51. It was the Planets’ fourth straight win. In the win, senior Notre Dame recruit Robby Carmody led the team with 23 points. Senior Cade Hetzler added 17 points and junior Andrew Recchia chipped in 14 points. This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams. The win against Hampton was redemption after last year’s 61-59 loss to the Talbots in the semifinals…Trinity finished second to McKeesport in the Section 1 standings and split the regular season series, however the Hillers won the rubber match in the quarterfinals at Baldwin, 48-39. It was the seventh time this season Trinity held its opponent under 40 points. Senior Dylan Kern led the team with 14 points. Senior Zach Ecker finished with 11 points for the Hillers’ eighth straight win. In their two playoff wins, they have outscored their opponents 109-91. Trinity is the only team in Class 5A to record 20 wins to this point. There are no records of Trinity making the WPIAL semifinals since 2003.

No. 2 Highlands Golden Rams (18-4) vs. No. 3 Franklin Regional Panthers (19-4) At Fox Chapel

These two Section 3 co-champions are very familiar with each other. Both team defeated each other in the regular season, handing each other their only section losses of the season. Franklin Regional won the first game at home on Dec. 22, 70-49. Highlands returned the favor in its home game on Jan. 23, 87-68. The Golden Rams advanced to the semifinals with a 66-58 win against West Allegheny at Fox Chapel, making this their second straight playoff game being played there. In the quarterfinal win, sophomore Jonny Crise led the team with 16 points. Seniors Shawn Erceg and Romello Freeman finished with 15 and 13 points, respectively. It was their sixth straight win. Highlands last competed in the WPIAL semifinals in 2015-16 when they defeated New Castle, 79-76, at North Allegheny…Franklin Regional advanced with one of the lowest scoring totals in a WPIAL playoff game in history. The Panthers only scored 28 points but were able to hold off Moon, 28-26, at North Hills. It was their eighth straight win and redeemed themselves from a loss against Moon earlier in the season. In the win, senior Hunter Stonecheck was the high scorer with nine points. There are no records of Franklin Regional making the WPIAL semifinals before 2003.

For a look at the updated bracket, click here.

Boys Class 5A WPIAL Quarterfinal Preview

The boys’ basketball Class 5A quarterfinal will have a mixture of familiarity with two of the match-ups featuring section rivals and one other one pitting two teams that have already played each other once before this season.

All four games will take place on Friday Night at 8 p.m.

Below are capsules on each game.

No. 1 Mars Planets (18-4) vs. No. 8 Hampton Talbots (11-12) At Butler

Mas was the top-ranked team in Class 5A throughout the whole season and will be viewed as the favorite in this game and moving forward if they were to advance. The Planets have won their last three regular season games entering the playoffs. They are averaging 75.2 points per game and are allowing 57.2 points per game. Mars swept Hampton this year on its way to the Section 2-5A title. On Jan. 16, they defeated the Talbots 85-60 at home and 57-44 on Feb. 9 on the road. The Planets are led by senior Robby Carmody, who is a first-team all-section pick and Notre Dame recruit. Junior Andrew Recchia joined Carmody on the first team. Sophomore Mike Carmody was named to the second team. Mars defeated Laurel Highlands 64-47 in the quarterfinals last year…Hampton grinded out a 52-50 win against Gateway in the first round to reach this point. Senior Adam Bittner led the team with 20 points. Sophomore Colby Mignogna and junior Josh Winek each chipped in with 11 points. Sophomore Isaac DeGregorio has led his team throughout the season, earning first-team all-section accolades. The Talbots defeated McKeesport 78-70 in the quarterfinals last year and defeated Mars in the semifinals.

No. 2 Highlands Golden Rams (17-4) vs. No. 7 West Allegheny Indians (11-11) At Fox Chapel

Highlands received a bye into the quarterfinals after being named co-section champions in Section 3. The Golden Rams won their last five regular season games, but the last game was 11 days ago. They are averaging 63.7 points per game and are allowing 50.8 points per game. This will be the first meeting of the season for these teams. Highlands put two players first-team all-section with senior Shawn Erceg and sophomore Jonny Crise. They had three more on the second team with seniors Romello Freeman and Christian Tanilli and junior Luke Cochran. They are led by the co-section coach of the year, Tyler Stoczynski. Highlands was last in the quarterfinals in 2015-16 when they defeated Hampton, 62-50…West Allegheny advanced the quarterfinals with a 63-54 win against Laurel Highlands. It was the Indians’ third straight win. Senior Isaiah Crowe led the team with 20 points. He was also the lone Indian to make the first-team all-section. Sophomore Jackson Faulk, a second-team pick, finished with 16 points. Also making the second team was senior Jared Konop and sophomore Kam Kruze. They are also led by the section coach of the year, Andrew Tsangaris. The Indians are coming off a 1-21 season and last made the quarterfinals in 2015-16 when they lost to New Castle, 76-47.

No. 3 Franklin Regional Panthers (18-4) vs. No. 6 Moon Tigers (18-5)

These teams are fairly similar in their body of work but Franklin Regional received the bye after being named co-section champs with Highlands. They won seven straight games entering the playoffs. Before that they lost back-to-back games, with the first one coming to the hands of Moon on Han. 19, 52-48. The Panthers are averaging 61.7 points per game and are allowing 47.9 points per game. They had two players named to the all-section first-team with seniors Nate Leopold and Hunter Stonecheck. Senior Aidan Sadoski made the second team and senior Mike Bartolacci and junior NIck Leopold were honorable mentions. They are led by co-section coach of the year, Steve Scorpion. Franklin Regional was ousted by Moon in the quarterfinals last year, 75-61….Moon, the defending WPIAL champion, advanced the quarterfinals with a 59-44 win against Albert Gallatin in the first round. Junior Austin Ryan led the Tigers with 16 points and Connor Ryan had 15 points. The Ryan brothers both made the all-section first-team. Junior Jioni Smith finished on the second team.

No. 4 McKeesport Tigers (15-8) vs. No. 5 Trinity Hillers (19-4) At Baldwin

These two teams battled it out in Section 1 all season long, but it was McKeesport who won the section. The two teams split during the season series. Trinity won the first matchup on Dec. 19, 65-62. McKeesport won the rematch on Jan. 23, 83-72. The Tigers defeated Armstrong 61-42 in the first round. Sophomore Deamontae Diggs led the team with 18 points. Seniors Jordan Grayson and Tobias Green both chipped in with 11 points. Grayson and seniors Layton Jordan and Terron Taylor all made the first-team all-section. McKeesport lost to Hampton, 78-70, in the quarterfinals last year…Trinity rallied to defeat Greensburg Salem in the first round, 61-52. It was the seventh straight win for the Hillers. Senior Joey Koroly led the team with 16 points. Koroly and senior Zach Ecker both made all-section first-team. Senior Dylan Kern finished with 13 points in the first round win. Kern and senior Jeff Ecker were named to the second team. Trinity last made the quarterfinals in 2011-12 when they lost to Beaver, 53-47.

For a complete look at the updated bracket, click here.

Girls Class 5A WPIAL Quarterfinal Preview

The quarterfinal contestants for the girls’ basketball Class 5A playoff bracket were revealed last Friday, and today it was announced where each of those games will be played.

The final eight teams are extremely familiar with each other. Three of the four quarterfinal games pit section rivals against each other.

The games will take place on Saturday. Below are capsules on each quarterfinal game.

No. 1 Trinity Hillers (20-3) vs. No. 8 Oakland Catholic Eagles (15-8) At West Allegheny, 3 p.m.

This is the lone quarterfinal game that does not matchup section opponents against each other. Trinity and Oakland Catholic will be meeting for the first time this year after both recorded convincing wins in the first round. Trinity defeated Plum, 54, 41. That game was also at West Allegheny, where the Hillers will be returning for this game. Senior Alayna Cappelli and sophomore Riley DeRubbo led the teams with 16 points apiece against Plum. Both members, along with senior Jayme Britton, were announced as first-team all-section this week. Trinity defeated Gateway in the quarterfinals last year, 58-54…Oakland Catholic is coming off of a 63-42 win against South Fayette in the first round. The Eagles had four players in double figures led by junior Jayde Boyd with 16 points. Junior Alexis Sestric added 14 points, and junior Sierra DeAngelo and sophomore Cierra Christian added 13 and 12 points, respectively. Boyd and Sestric were named first-team all-section this week and DeAngelo and Christian were named to the second-team. Oakland Catholic defeated Mars 54-41 in the quarterfinals last year.

No. 2 Thomas Jefferson Jaguars (20-3) vs. No. 7 Gateway Gators (20-3) At Baldwin, 3 p.m.

This rubber match showcases the top two teams in Section 2. Thomas Jefferson squeaked out the section title over Gateway by a game, although the Gators handed the Jaguars their lone loss in the section on Jan. 23, 48-47. Since that loss, Thomas Jefferson has won seven straight games. The Jaguars won the first matchup of the season between the two teams, 37-33 on Dec. 21. Thomas Jefferson took care of Montour in the first round, 84-45. Sophomore Alyssa DeAngelo led the charge with 20 points. She was named to the all-section second-team this week. Senior Marina Petruzzi and junior Jenna Clark each had 16 points. Both of them were named to the first-team all-section this week. This is Thomas Jefferson’s first appearance in the quarterfinals in over 15 years…Gateway stayed hot in the first round with a 39-28 win against Ringgold at Baldwin as well. It was the Gators 12th straight win. Sophomore Lexi Jackson led the team with 18 points. Jackson was named second-team all-section this week. Senior Jordan Edwards, who was named to the first-team, chipped in with 12 points. Gateway lost to Trinity, 58-54, in the quarterfinals last year.

No. 3 West Allegheny Indians (17-6) vs. Chartiers Valley Colts (17-6) At Baldwin, 12 p.m.

This matchup is a lot like the one above where the two teams have identical overall and section records. West Allegheny nudged Chartiers Valley for the section title, and the two teams splits the season series. The Indians won the first matchup on Jan. 4, 52-48 before losing the return match on Jan. 25. 49-39. Each team won on their home court. West Allegheny defeated Woodland Hills, 58-41, in the first round. Junior Hannah Lindemuth erupted for 28 points and fellow junior Grace Faulk added 15 points. Both Lindemuth and Faulk, along with junior Patience Ashaolu, made the first-team all-section team this week. This is West Allegheny’s first quarterfinal appearance since 2008, when they lost to Indiana, 43-37…The defending WPIAL champion moved onto the quarterfinals with a 50-40 win against Armstrong in the first round. Sophomore Megan McConnell led the Colts with 23 points. Earlier this week, her and junior Mackenzie Wagner were named first-team all-section players. Chartiers Valley defeated South Fayette 48-31 in the quarterfinals last year.

No. 4 Mars Planets (18-5) vs. No. 5 Hampton Talbots (19-4) At North Hills, 1:30 p.m.

The two section rivals became Section 4 Co-Champions with identical 11-1 records in the section this tear. Both gave each other their lone losses of the section season. Hampton won the first matchup at Mars on Jan. 15, 54-52. Mars returned the favor at Hampton on Feb. 8, 59-52. Mars won its first round game against Uniontown handedly, 54-33. Senior Lauren Wasylson led the Planets with 18 points. Senior Tai Johnson was right behind her with 17 and sophomore Bella Pelaia had 11. All three were announced this week as first-team all-section selections. Mars lost to Oakland Catholic 54-41 in the quarterfinals last year…Hampton advanced to the quarterfinals with a 51-26 win against Connellsville. Senior Laryn Edwards led the Talbots with 24 points. Fellow senior Ali Collins finished with 16 points in the win. Both Edwards and Collins were selected to the first-team all-section team. Hampton defeated McKeesport, 61-43, in the quarterfinals last year.

For a complete look at the updated bracket, click here.

Boys Class 5A All-Section Teams Announced

Boys Class 5A First-Team Photo Gallery

Boys Section 3-6A All-Section Teams

FIRST TEAM
NAME	SCHOOL	GRADE	POSITION	JERSEY	HEIGHT
Carson Cohen	Fox Chapel	Senior	Guard	10	6-2
Dom McGriff	Fox Chapel	Senior	Guard	22	6-3
Reed Fenton	Latrobe	Junior	Guard	15	6-4
Cam Wiley	Penn Hills	Senior	Guard	4	6-3
Daivon Stephens	Penn Hills	Senior	Guard/Forward	1	6-5
Amante Britt	Woodland Hills	Senior	Guard	25	5-11
Keandre Bowles	Woodland Hills	Junior	Guard	1	6-1
COACH OF THE YEAR
O'Dell Miller	Woodland Hills
SECOND TEAM
NAME	SCHOOL	GRADE	POSITION	JERSEY	HEIGHT
Ben Kelly	Fox Chapel	Junior	Guard	12	6-2
Reed Hipps	Hempfield	Junior	Guard	1	5-11
Bryce Butler	Latrobe	Junior	Guard/Forward	11	6-5
Josh Ratesic	Norwin	Senior	Guard	20	6-3
Cory Fulton	Penn Hills	Senior	Guard	2	5-10
Sean Kelly	Penn-Trafford	Senior	Guard	2	6-1
Lamar Whiting	Plum	Junior	Guard	11	6-1
HONORABLE MENTION
NAME	SCHOOL	GRADE	POSITION	JERSEY	HEIGHT
Braden Brose	Hempfield	Senior	Forward	23	6-3
Keyshawn Adams	Penn Hills	Senior	Forward	5	6-5
Myles Yarbrough	Penn Hills	Senior	Guard	23	5-10
Kevin Stinelli	Penn-Trafford	Junior	Guard	1	6-1
Olson Nicholson	Woodland Hills	Junior	Forward	5	6-3

Boys Section 1-5A All-Section Teams

FIRST TEAM
NAME	SCHOOL	GRADE	POSITION	JERSEY	HEIGHT
Nate English	Albert Gallatin	Freshman	Guard	2	5-10
Colby Uphold	Albert Gallatin	Senior	Forward	21	6-3
Layton Jordan	McKeesport	Senior	Forward	4	6-4
Terron Taylor	McKeesport	Senior	Forward	2	6-5
Jordan Grayson	McKeesport	Senior	Guard	5	6-4
Joey Koroly	Trinity	Senior	Guard	3	5-11
Zach Ecker	Trinity	Senior	Forward	44	6-7
COACH OF THE YEAR
Shea Fleenor	Albert Gallatin
SECOND TEAM
NAME	SCHOOL	GRADE	POSITION	JERSEY	HEIGHT
Nate Bricker	Albert Gallatin	Senior	Forward	5	6-3
James Peggues	Albert Gallatin	Junior	Guard	15	5-11
Matt Rankin	Albert Gallatin	Senior	Forward	23	6-3
Garret Fairman	Thomas Jefferson	Senior	Forward	1	6-2
Jeff Ecker	Trinity	Senior	Forward	25	6-7
Dylan Kern	Trinity	Senior	Forward	23	6-3

Boys Section 2-5A All-Section Teams

FIRST TEAM
NAME	SCHOOL	GRADE	POSITION	JERSEY	HEIGHT
Joe Pipilo	Chartiers Valley	Junior	Guard	25	6-2
Isaac DeGregorio	Hampton	Sophomore	Guard	11	5-9
Robby Carmody	Mars	Senior	Guard	24	6-4
Andrew Recchia	Mars	Junior	Guard	13	5-10
Connor Ryan	Moon	Junior	Forward	12	5-11
Austin Ryan	Moon	Junior	Guard	10	5-10
Isaiah Crowe	West Allegheny	Senior	Guard	22	6-6
COACH OF THE YEAR
Andrew Tsangaris	West Allegheny
SECOND TEAM
NAME	SCHOOL	GRADE	POSITION	JERSEY	HEIGHT
Mike Carmody	Mars	Sophomore	Forward	3	6-6
Ethan Embleton	Montour	Sophomore	Forward	31	6-5
Jioni Smith	Moon	Junior	Guard	3	6-1
Julian Sanks	Knoch	Junior	Guard	45	6-1
Jackson Faulk	West Allegheny	Sophomore	Guard	20	6-0
Jared Konop	West Allegheny	Senior	Forward	33	6-6
Kam Kruze	West Allegheny	Sophomore	Forward	23	6-3
HONORABLE MENTION
NAME	SCHOOL	GRADE	POSITION	JERSEY	HEIGHT
Jared Crawford	Montour	Senior	Guard	4	5-7

Girls Class 5A All-Section Teams Announced

Class 5A First-Team All-Section Photo Gallery

Girls Section 3-6A All-Section Teams

FIRST TEAM
NAME	SCHOOL	GRADE	POSITION	JERSEY
Abbey Larkin	Baldwin	Senior	Guard	24
Maria Cerro	Bethel Park	Junior	Guard	4
Olivia Westphal	Bethel Park	Freshman	Guard	22
Izzy Allen	Canon-McMillan	Senior	Guard/Forward	25
Tamara Mathis	Canon-McMillan	Junior	Guard	1
Makenna Marisa	Peters Township	Junior	Guard	20
Isabella Mills	Peters Township	Junior	Guard	21
COACH OF THE YEAR
Bert Kendall	Peters Township
SECOND TEAM
NAME	SCHOOL	GRADE	POSITION	JERSEY
Kam Lach	Bethel Park	Senior	Guard	2
Maddie Dziezgowski	Bethel Park	Sophomore	Forward	13
Alyssa Hyland	Mt. Lebanon	Senior	Guard	14
Jamey Napoleon	Mt. Lebanon	Junior	Forward	23
Haley Sabol	Mt. Lebanon	Sophomore	Guard/Forward	33
Lillian Young	Peters Township	Senior	Forward	10
Kate Groninger	Upper St. Clair	Senior	Forward	44
HONORABLE MENTION
NAME	SCHOOL	GRADE	POSITION	JERSEY
Jess Wilhelm	Mt. Lebanon	Senior	Guard	20
Olivia Ziegler	Peters Township	Senior	Guard	22
Liv McClelland	Upper St. Clair	Senior	Guard	13
Lindsay Meyer	Upper St. Clair	Junior	Guard	15

Girls Section 1-5A All-Section Teams

FIRST TEAM
NAME	SCHOOL	GRADE	POSITION	JERSEY	HEIGHT
Megan McConnell	Chartiers Valley	Sophomore	Guard	4	5-7
Mackenzie Wagner	Chartiers Valley	Junior	Guard	12	5-11
Courtney Tomas	Montour	Junior	Guard	15	5-10
Grace Faulk	West Allegheny	Junior	Guard/Forward	31	5-10
Hannah Lindemuth	West Allegheny	Junior	Guard	23	5-8
Patience Ashaolu	West Allegheny	Junior	Forward/Guard	5	5-8
Riley Arrigo	Lincoln Park	Sophomore	Guard	3	5-6
COACH OF THE YEAR
Reggie Wells	West Allegheny
SECOND TEAM
NAME	SCHOOL	GRADE	POSITION	JERSEY	HEIGHT
Gabby Tanny	Montour	Junior	Forward	24	5-10
Morgan Toal	Moon	Senior	Guard/Forward	33	5-7
Ashley Seamon	West Allegheny	Senior	Forward	21	5-9
Melina Lynn	West Allegheny	Senior	Guard	11	5-8
Claire Mercurio	West Allegheny	Junior	Guard	33	5-4
Delaney Minear	Lincoln Park	Senior	Guard	13	5-7
Paige Brown	Lincoln Park	Senior	Guard	14	5-9

Girls Section 2-5A All-Section Team

FIRST TEAM
NAME	SCHOOL	GRADE	POSITION	JERSEY	HEIGHT
Jordan Edwards	Gateway	Senior	Guard	11	5-8
Jhayla Bray	McKeesport	Sophomore	Forward	45	5-6
Alexis Sestric	Oakland Catholic	Junior	Guard	10	5-7
Jayde Boyd	Oakland Catholic	Junior	Guard	2	5-10
Jenna Clark	Thomas Jefferson	Junior	Guard	1	5-6
Marina Petruzzi	Thomas Jefferson	Senior	Guard	23	5-7
Joi Burleigh	Woodland Hills	Sophomore	Forward	11	6-0
COACH OF THE YEAR
George Vlassich	Thomas Jefferson
SECOND TEAM
NAME	SCHOOL	GRADE	POSITION	JERSEY	HEIGHT
Mary Kromka	Gateway	Junior	Guard/Forward	34	5-10
Jenna Guido	Gateway	Junior	Guard	13	5-8
Lexi Jackson	Gateway	Sophomore	Forward	14	6-3
Sierra DeAngelo	Oakland Catholic	Junior	Forward	41	6-0
Cierra Christian	Oakland Catholic	Sophomore	Guard/Forward	11	5-10
Alyssa DeAngelo	Thomas Jefferson	Sophomore	Guard	34	5-9
Becca Mascaro	Thomas Jefferson	Senior	Forward	2	5-9
HONORABLE MENTION
NAME	SCHOOL	GRADE	POSITION	JERSEY	HEIGHT
Emma Elash	McKeesport	Junior	Guard	14	5-8
Mia Cuccaro	Oakland Catholic	Senior	Forward	22	6-0
Abbie Pechin	Oakland Catholic	Senior	Guard	23	5-7
Nya Morris	Woodland Hills	Sophomore	Guard	1	5-6
Ciara Turner	Woodland Hills	Junior	Guard	25	5-8
Peyton Pinkney	Woodland Hills	Freshman	Forward	33	5-10

Girls Section 3- 5A All-Section Teams

FIRST TEAM
NAME	SCHOOL	GRADE	POSITION	JERSEY	HEIGHT
Bryn Bezjak	Albert Gallatin	Freshman	Guard/Forward	23	5-5
Abby King	Albert Gallatin	Sophomore	Forward	25	5-9
Zoe Youdell	Connellsville	Junior	Guard/Forward	11	5-9
Megan Kallock	Greensburg Salem	Junior	Guard	14	5-7
Riley DeRubbo	Trinity	Sophomore	Guard	34	5-9
Alayna Cappelli	Trinity	Senior	Guard	15	5-6
Jayme Britton	Trinity	Senior	Forward	3	5-9
COACH OF THE YEAR
Bob Miles	Trintiy
SECOND TEAM
NAME	SCHOOL	GRADE	POSITION	JERSEY	HEIGHT
Anaejah Harris	Albert Gallatin	Junior	Forward	0	5-10
Baileigh Bishop	Connellsville	Sophomore	Guard/Forward	25	5-9
Nikke Mellinger	Greensburg Salem	Junior	Guard	1	5-8
Allie Scarffo	Trinity	Senior	Forward	22	5-9

Boys Class 5A WPIAL Playoff First Round Preview

The WPIAL playoff brackets that were revealed earlier this week gave us a look at the matchups that will start the Class 5A boys basketball playoffs.

All first round games will be played on Tuesday, Feb. 20.

The top three seeds — Mars, Highlands, and Franklin Regional — each received byes into the quarterfinals. The Planets were the champions in Section 2-5A and the Golden Rams and Panthers were co-section champions in Section 3-5A.

Below are capsules on each first round matchup.

Hampton Talbots (10-12) vs. Gateway Gators (12-10) At Fox Chapel, 8 p.m.

It has been an up-and-down season for both Hampton and Gateway and the two will be meeting for the second time this season. Hampton won the first game on Jan. 3 at Gateway, 56-53. The Talbots have alternated wins and losses for the last 11 games of the regular season. They are averaging 57.5 points per game and are allowing 61.5 points per game. Through Feb. 4, Sophomore Isaac DeGregorio was leading the team with 16.8 points per game. Hampton lost in the Class 5A WPIAL championship last season and the PIAA first round…Gateway started the season 0-4 but won five out of its last seven games entering the playoffs for a third place finish in its section. The Gators are averaging 51.7 points per game and are allowing 46 points per game. The go-to guy for Gateway has been senior John Paul Kromka with 18.6 points per game through Feb. 4. Gateway lost in the WPIAL quarterfinals last season.

McKeesport Tigers (14-8) vs. Armstrong River Hawks (8-14) At Gateway, 8 p.m.

McKeesport is the lone section champion to not receive a bye as winners of Section 1-5A with an 11-1 record. The Tigers have lost their last two regular season games after rattling off 10 straight wins. They are averaging 68.3 points per game and are allowing 59.8 points per game. Through Feb. 4, seniors Terron Taylor and Layton Jordan have led McKeesport with 20.5 and 16.2 points per game, respectively. McKeesport defeated Armstrong in the WPIAL first round last year, 46-42. They advanced to the quarterfinals…In its two years of existence, the only playoff opponent the River Hawks have known is McKeesport. Armstrong snuck into the playoffs after tying for fourth place in the section, becoming the fifth team in its section to make the playoffs this season. They have won two of its final three regular season games. They are averaging 45 points per game and are allowing 50.7 points per game.

Trinity Hillers (18-4) vs. Greensburg Salem Golden Lions (12-10) At Peters Township, 6:30 p.m.

Trinity finished a game behind McKeesport in the section and won 13 of its final 14 games in the regular season. The Hillers are averaging 65.9 points per game and are allowing 51.4 points per game. Through Feb. 4, senior Joey Koroly has led the team with 16.9 points per game. Trinity lost in the WPIAL first round last season…Greensburg Salem tied with Armstrong for the final playoff spot in its section. The Golden Lions won their final two regular season games entering the regular season. They are averaging 59.7 points per game and are allowing 56.9 points per game. Senior Marvel McGowan was one of the top scorer’s in the WPIAL, averaging 23.6 points per game through Feb. 4. The Golden Lions made the playoffs after going winless in the section a year ago.

West Allegheny Indians (10-11) vs. Laurel Highlands Mustangs (14-8) At Peters Township, 8 p.m.

West Allegheny had one of the more remarkable turnarounds this season to make the playoffs after going 1-21 a season ago. The finished in third place in its section and won its final two regular season games. They are averaging 60.7 points per game and are allowing 63.5 points per game…Laurel Highlands also finished third in its section and won its final four games of the season. They are averaging 66.3 points per game and are allowing 58 points per game. Senior Bryce Laskey was the second leading scorer in the WPIAL, averaging over 30 points per game. The Mustangs advanced to the WPIAL quarterfinals last season.

Moon Tigers (17-5) vs. Albert Gallatin Colonials (12-10) At Baldwin, 8 p.m.

The defending Class 5A WPIAL champion Moon Tigers are back to defend their title. The Tigers finished second to Mars in their section and are entering the playoffs winning three of their last four games, including a win against top-seed Mars. They are averaging 62.1 points per game and are allowing 49.7 points per game. Junior Connor Ryan led the team in scoring with 16.8 points per game through Feb. 4…Albert Gallatin received the last playoff spot in its section and lost its final four games of the regular season. They are averaging 61 points per game and are allowing 59.7 points per game. Through Feb. 4, freshman Nate English was leading the Colonials with 15 points per game. Albert Gallatin missed the playoffs last year.

For a complete look at the bracket, click here.

Girls Class 5A WPIAL Playoff First Round Preview

The 16-team field in the girls basketball Class 5A bracket will feature every team playing in the first round and the top four seeds receiving a bye.

Below are capsules on each first round matchup that will take place on Friday.

No. 1 Trinity Hillers (19-3) vs. No. 16 Plum Mustangs (6-16) At West Allegheny, 8 p.m.

The Section 3-5A champions are the heavy favorite in this matchup. The Hillers advanced to the WPIAL semifinals and PIAA championship last year, but lost both games. Trinity enters the playoffs on a 12-game win streak, and are allowing only 40.4 points per game. They are averaging 58.5 points per game. Through Feb. 4, sophomore Riley DeRubbo was leading the Hillers with 17.5 points per game…Plum was knocked out of the first round of the playoffs last year in the first round by Trinity, 61-20. The Mustangs only had six wins on the season, but two of those came in the final four games of the season. They finished fourth in Section 4-5A. They are averaging 37.7 points per game and are allowing 50 points per game.

No. 8 Oakland Catholic Eagles (14-8) vs. No. 9 South Fayette Lions (12-8) At Upper St. Clair, 6:30 p.m.

Both teams finished third in their respective sections and did not meet in the regular season. Oakland Catholic won three of its final four regular season entering the playoffs. The Eagles are averaging 51.8 points per game and are allowing 39 points per game. Oakland Catholic was the Class 5A WPIAL runner-up last season and lost to South Fayette, 53-35, in the PIAA Quarterfinals last year…South Fayette is limping into the playoffs, losing its last four regular season games. Prior to that, they went on a six-game win streak. The Lions are averaging 57.8 points per game and are allowing 49.5 points per game. South Fayette advanced to the WPIAL Quarterfinal and PIAA Semifinals last season.

No. 4 Mars Planets (17-5) vs. No. 13 Uniontown Red Raiders (7-12) At Gateway, 6:30 p.m.

Mars was the Section 4-5A co-champions and are entering the playoffs winning eight of its last nine games. The Planets are averaging 56.8 points per game and are allowing 43.8 points per game. The Planets advanced to the WPIAL Quarterfinals and PIAA Second Round last season. Through Feb. 4, senior Lauren Wasylson led the team with 17.9 points per game. Junior Tai Johnson had 16.8 points per game…Uniontown tied for fourth place in its section, and was the fifth team in their section to enter the playoffs due to the tiebreaker rules. The Red Raiders lost their last three games of the regular season. They are averaging 42.3 points per game and are allowing 48.4 points per game. Uniontown did not qualify for the playoffs last season.

No. 5 Hampton Talbots (18-4) vs. No. 12 Connellsville Falcons (11-11) At Gateway, 8 p.m.

Hampton was the co-section champions with Mars in Section 4-5A and are entering the playoffs winning five out of its last six games. The Talbots are averaging 55.5 points per game and are allowing 42.8 points per game. Through Feb. 4, senior Laryn Edwards led the Talbots with 21.5 points per game. Senior Ali Collins was averaging 19.7 points per game. Hampton advanced to the WPIAL Semifinals and PIAA Second Round last year…Connellsville won four of its last five games to get to .500 and into the WPIAL playoffs. The Falcons are averaging 46.4 points per game and are allowing 47 points per game. Connellsville lost in the first round last year.

No. 2 Thomas Jefferson Jaguars (19-3) vs. No. 15 Montour Spartans (9-13) At Upper St. Clair, 8 p.m.

A year after barely making the playoffs, Thomas Jefferson put no doubt in its spot this season by winning the Section 2-5A championship. The Jaguars enter the playoffs on a six-game win streak, including a 63-39 win against the Spartans on Feb. 5. They are averaging 64.4 points per game and are allowing 47.2 points per game. Junior Jenna Clark led the team in scoring with 17.6 points per game through Feb. 4. Senior Marina Petruzzi was at 15.3 points per game. The Jaguars lost in the first round last season…Montour went 3-2 in its final five games of the regular season. The Spartans are averaging 48.5 points per game and are allowing 52.7 points per game. Junior Courtney Tomas led the team in scoring with 18.3 points per game through Feb. 4. Montour also lost in the first round last season.

No. 7 Gateway Gators (19-3) vs. No. 10 Ringgold Rams (16-6) At Baldwin, 6:30 p.m.

Gateway is one of the hottest teams entering the playoffs, winning its last 11 games of the regular season. On the season, they are averaging 47.4 points per game and are allowing 35 points per game. The Gators were the top defensive team in Class 5A this season. Gateway lost in the WPIAL Quarterfinals last season…Like Gateway, Ringgold finished second in its section. The Rams won seven of their last eight games entering the playoffs. They are averaging 49.4 points per game and are allowing 41.5 points per game. Ringgold lost in the first round last season.

No. 3 West Allegheny Indians (16-6) vs. No. 14 Woodland Hills Wolverines (10-12) At Fox Chapel, 6:30 p.m.

The Indians won the battle in Section 1-5A to take home the section title with a 9-1 record. They enter the playoffs winning five of their last seven games. West Allegheny is averaging 58.5 points per game and they are allowing 47 points per game. The Indians lost in the first round of the playoffs last year…Woodland Hills finished in fourth place in its section and have lost five of its last seven games of the regular season. The Wolverines are averaging 48.5 points per game and are allowing 46.5 points per game. Woodland Hills made the playoffs after going winless in the section a year ago.

No. 6 Chartiers Valley Colts (16-6) vs. Armstrong River Hawks (15-7) At Fox Chapel, 8 p.m.

The defending Class 5A WPIAL champion is back to defend its title. The Colts also made it to the PIAA Second Round last year. The Colts are getting hot at the right time, winning its final eight games of the regular season. They are averaging 55.7 points per game and allowed 46.9 points per game. Through Feb. 4, sophomore Megan McConnell was leading the Colts with 19.7 points per game. Junior Mackenzie Wagner was scoring 18.2 points per game…Armstrong finished in third place in its sections and enter the playoffs winning four out of its last six games. They are averaging 46.5 points per game and are allowing 39.2 points per game. Senior Kenzie Lasher was leading the River Hawks with 17.6 points per game. Armstrong missed the playoffs last year, making it the first playoff appearance in school history.

For a complete look at the bracket, click here.

Trinity Girls Win Another Section Title

For the second year in a row, the Trinity girls basketball team finished the section season on top and unblemished.

The Hillers accomplished that feat on Thursday with a 48-34 win at Ringgold, who finished second in Section 3-5A.

It was also a memorable game for Trinity senior Alayna Cappelli, who scored her 1,000th point in the win. Capelli finished the game with a team-high 14 points. Also scoring in double figures for Trinity was sophomore Riley DeRubbo with 13 points and senior Jayme Britton with 10 points.

It was a slow start for Trinity, who only held an 8-7 lead after the first quarter. The Hillers pulled away in the second quarter, limiting Ringgold to two points to take a 18-9 halftime lead en route to the win.

The win improves Trinity’s record to 18-3 overall and 12-0 in the section. The Hillers will go for their 12th straight win in the regular season finale on Saturday at South Fayette.

McKeesport tops Trinity, leapfrogs them for first place in section

The Trinity boys’ basketball team is the lone team in Section 1-5A to have double-digit in wins, yet they do not sit atop the section standings.

They did until Tuesday night when McKeesport welcomed them into its gym and served them am 83-72 loss. The Tigers and Hillers have now split the season series with Trinity winning the first matchup on Dec. 19, 65-62.

McKeesport scored at least 20 points in three of the four quarters to build a big lead against Trinity before holding them off in the end.

Senior Terron Taylor was the second leading scorer around the whole WPIAL last night with 34 points. Senior two-sport standout Layton Jordan poured in 22 points. Senior Dylan Kern led Trinity with 23 points. Senior Joey Koroly finished with 20 points.

With the win, McKeesport has sole possession of first place with an 8-6 overall record and 6-1 mark in the section. The Tigers will go for their fifth straight win on Friday when they travel to Thomas Jefferson at 7:30 p.m.

Trinity drops to second place with a 12-4 and 6-2 record. The loss snapped a seven game win streak. They will attempt to get back on track on Friday when they host Laurel Highlands at 7:30 p.m.