News

by: Don Rebel

EVERY GAME MATTERS IN 6A BOYS BASKETBALL

Welcome to the stretch run of the 2025 WPIAL boys basketball season, where section titles are won, seeding positioning is fought for and playoff hopes are either realized or dashed.

Just about every game is big the rest of the way in Section 1-6A boys hoops with three teams fighting for the section crown and the other five teams doing battle for a playoff spot.

Tuesday is no different.

Fox Chapel (13-4) and Seneca Valley (11-7) enter the stretch run tied for first apace with 8-2 section record, one game ahead of New Castle (13-3) with a section mark of 7-3.

The big battle to open the week finds the Red Hurricanes visiting the Raiders.

Seneca Valley picked up its signature win when these teams met in New Castle on Jan. 3, handing the ‘Canes their first loss of the season, 57-54.

Junior Andrew Omasits led the Raiders with 19 points while freshman Kai Cox delivered a game-high 20 points for the Red Hurricanes.

Like the team it is tied for first place, Fox Chapel is also home Tuesday, as the Foxes welcome North Allegheny (2-8, 7-10).

Behind 17 points from senior Caden Kaiser, the Foxes beat the host Tigers earlier this month, 53-39.

Both games can be seen on Trib HSSN.

The other two games also have playoff implications as North Hills (5-5, 6-12) visits Pine-Richland (3-7, 5-12) and Woodland Hills (3-7, 7-10) is hosting Butler (4-6, 11-6).

PURPLE REVENGE?

The current Trib HSSN boys basketball team of the week has had a near-perfect season thus far, winning 16 of its 17 games played.

Now it will have a chance to avenge that one blemish when Baldwin (16-1) hosts South Fayette (13-5) for first place in the section.

The Highlanders and Lions are deadlocked in the section, two games in front of third-place Peters Township.

Coming into Tuesday’s showdown, South Fayette is 8-1 in the section while Baldwin is 7-1.

The Highlanders only loss of the season was in its first game of 2025, falling to the host Lions, 37-32.

Senior Nate Wesling led all scorers with 21 points, but his Baldwin teammates combined to score only 11 points.

South Fayette dictated tempo and pace thanks to an early lead.

The Lions were paced by senior guard Stefano Vezio, who scored 12 points, while junior forward Tyson Wright added 10 points in the SF win.