Class 6A Boys Basketball Quarterfinal Preview
The last set of teams for Class 6A boys basketball will finally get on the court for a meaningful game today, ending their nearly two week layoff from the regular season.
All games will be played in the afternoon on a neutral court
No. 1 Pine-Richland Rams (20-2) vs. No. 9 Peters Township Indians (16-7) At North Hills, 3 PM
It’s been awhile since Pine-Richland has suffered a defeat. The undefeated Section 1 champions started the season 1-2, but have won their last 19 games. They are led by a couple of first-team all-section picks in senior guards Dan Petcash and Greg Shulkosky. The Rams are also coached by Section Coach of the Year, Jeff Ackerman. Petcash is leading the team with 22.2 points per game and Shulkosky is pouring in 15.4 per game. Pine-Richland defeated Fox Chapel in the quarterfinals last year, also played at North Hills, 48-39…Peters Township made a statement with their first round blowout against No. 8 Penn-Trafford, 74-56. The Indians outscored the Warriors 46-31 in the second half to pull away. They had five players score in double figures, led by junior Sam Petrarca with 16 points. Senior Dax Ploskina finished with 15, junior Colin Cote had 14 and seniors Thomas Melonja and Sean Werner each added 12 points. The Indians last made the quarterfinals in 2012 when they lost 55-47 to Central Catholic…This is the first meeting of the season between these two teams.
No. 2 Latrobe Wildcats (18-2) vs. No. 7 Canon-McMillan Big Macs (15-8) At Norwin, 3 PM
Just like Pine-Richland, Latrobe is entering the playoffs with a double-digit win streak, winning its last 10 games. They are also undefeated section champions. The Wildcats put two players on first-team all-section team with senior guards Reed Fenton and Bryce Butler. Brad Wetzel was named the Section Coach of the Year. Butler led the team with 22.4 points per game and Fenton had 19.1. Latrobe lost in the quarterfinals last year to Mt. Lebanon, 89-52…Canon-McMillan were nearly eliminated last round, but came back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter against No. 10 North Allegheny and won in overtime, 61-59. Senior Drew Engel led the comeback with 21 points. Senior Ethan Beachy finished with 14 points and senior Elliott Waller and junior Tommy Samosky finished with 10 points apiece. The Big Macs lost in the quarterfinals last year to Woodland Hills, 57-41…This is the second meeting of the season between Latrobe and Canon-McMillan, with the Wildcats pulling out a 72-70 win on the road in the Canon-McMillan Tip-Off Tournament.
No. 3 Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils (19-3) vs. No. 6 Fox Chapel Foxes (16-7) At Canon-McMillan, 3 PM
Mt. Lebanon picked up a second straight section title after only suffering one loss in section play this year. The Blue Devils have won 12 of 13 games entering the playoffs. They are led by first-team all-section picks, junior guards Jake Hoffman and Blaine Gartley. Hoffman is leading the team with 17.1 points per game. As the top-seed last year, Mt. Lebanon defeated Latrobe, 89-52, in the quarterfinals last year…Fox Chapel started out slow in its first round game against Seneca Valley, but was able to coast from there for a 58-45 win. The Foxes held a 20-17 lead at half before opening the game up in the second half. Junior Arnold Vento led the way with 20 points. Freshman Eli Yofan finished with 16 points and junior Sam Brown had 10. Fox Chapel lost to Pine-Richland in the quarterfinals last year, 48-39…This is the first meeting of the season between these two teams.
No. 4 Upper St. Clair Panters (19-3) vs. No. 5 Butler Golden Tornado (18-4) At Canon-McMillan, 1:30 PM
Upper St. Clair was the last unbeaten team in Class 6A, but a couple of section losses dropped them into second place, but they did enough to receive a first round bye. The Panthers started the season 13-0. They are led by senior Tanner Gensler and sophomore Luke Gensler. Danny Holzer was named the Section Coach of the Year. Tanner is leading the team with 21.3 points per game. Upepr St. Clair last made the quarterfinals in 2015 when they lost to Chartiers Valley, 65-60…Butler struggled more than most people expected in the first round against No. 12 Connellsville, coming away with a 57-48 win. A 15-6 second quarter was the difference in the game. Junior Ethan Morton led the way with 18 points and sophomore Mattix Clement finished with 15. Butler last was in the quarterfinals in 2017 when they defeated Latrobe, 70-64…This is the first meeting of the season between these two teams.
For a complete look at the Class 6A bracket, click here.