What to watch for in WPIAL sports for March 21, 2025: PIAA finals berths up for grabs – TribLIVE.com

By: Don Rebel
Friday, March 21, 2025 | 5:18 PM
South Allegheny’s Josh Jackowski fights for a rebound with Aliquippa’s Michael Gaskins during the WPIAL Class 3A boys basketball championship Saturday, March. 1, 2025 at Petersen Events Center.
The Road to Hershey has one final stop as the state basketball semifinals conclude with the boys 6A, 3A and 2A, along with girls 5A, 4A and A Final Four taking center stage.
Two of Saturday’s PIAA semifinal games are rematches of WPIAL championship games.
Gladiators vs. Quips
Three years ago, they locked horns on the same state semifinals stage with a trip to Hershey at stake.
Three weeks ago, they met in the WPIAL Class 3A championship game.
The budding rivalry continues Saturday when WPIAL champion South Allegheny (26-3) squares off with 2024 PIAA 2A champ Aliquippa (23-5) at Canon-McMillan at high noon.
In the 2025 WPIAL 3A championship game, South Allegheny trailed Aliquippa by three points at the half and five points headed into the fourth quarter before rallying to win its first district boys basketball championship, 37-35.
The Gladiators’ defense limited the Quips to only four fourth quarter points.
The SA dynamic backcourt duo of senior Cam Epps and junior Drew Cook combined for 21 points, six rebounds and four steals.
The two have continued to dominate in the PIAA postseason, combining for 42 points in a first round win over Cranberry, 30 points in a Round 2 triumph over Bishop Guilfoyle and 40 points in a quarterfinal victory over Camp Hill Trinity.
Junior guard Josh Pratt has done the heavy lifting for Aliquippa, beginning with the district title game loss to South Allegheny in which he scored 18 of his team’s 35 points.
In state playoff victories over Westmont-Hilltop, Mercer and Forest Hills, Pratt has scored a combined 80 points.
The only other time the South Allegheny boys basketball program reached the PIAA Final Four was in 2022 against Aliquippa.
The game was close throughout with the Quips edging the Gladiators, 57-55.
D.J. Walker led Aliquippa with 20 points while Bryce Epps scored 15 points to lead South Allegheny.
The victory over Forest Hills in the quarterfinals was a historic one for the Quips, as it lifted their all-time record in PIAA boys basketball games to 100-28.
Aliquippa is playing in its fourth straight state semifinals and is looking to remain perfect after wins over South Allegheny in 2022, Otto-Eldred in 2023 and Fort Cherry a year ago.
The other PIAA 3A boys basketball semifinals contest pits District 12 champion West Catholic (12-14) against District 2 runner-up Holy Cross (25-4) at Parkland at 2:30 p.m.
Rematch No. 2
They played for district gold three weeks ago, now a trip to Chocolate Town to play for state gold is at stake in a PIAA girls 5A semifinal clash between Peters Township (26-3) and South Fayette (27-2) at Canon-McMillan at 2 p.m.
The first battle was much anticipated as the Indians and Lions had been the top two ranked teams in 5A girls hoops all season.
In that title game at The Pete, South Fayette junior Haylie Lamonde hit a dagger shot from beyond the half court stripe at the halftime buzzer to put the three-time defending champion Lions up by seven points.
But Peters Township kept it close in the third quarter before the Indians outscored the Lions, 13-3, in the fourth quarter to win district crown No. 2, 40-36.
Peters Township senior Natalie Wetzel led the way with 13 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.
The Miami commit has kept her hot hand going in the PIAA playoffs, scoring a combined 57 points in wins over Conrad-Weiser, Thomas Jefferson and Cathedral Prep.
Lamonde had 19 points in the District 7 championship game loss for the Lions. She scored 15 points in the PIAA quarterfinal win over District 6 winner Hollidaysburg.
In the last two South Fayette state playoff victories, junior Juliette Leroux has led the Lions with a combined 41 points.
Peters Township is trying to reach the PIAA championship game for the first time since it won it all with a perfect record in 2019.
South Fayette looks to return to Hershey and the state finals for the second time in three years after falling to Archbishop Wood in the PIAA 5A title game in 2023.
The other girls 5A state semifinals game has District 2 winner Crestwood (24-4) going up against District 12 champ Archbishop Wood (21-7) at Parkland at 1 p.m.
District 12 party crashers
As the old Sesame Street song goes…”one of these things is not like the other.”
Soon we’ll find out if “one of these things just doesn’t belong.”
The Final Four in the PIAA Class 6A boys basketball bracket has three teams from the powerful Philadelphia Catholic League out of District 12, and District 7 winner USC.
WPIAL champion Upper St. Clair (26-2) goes up against the No. 3 team out of District 12 in Roman Catholic (24-5) at Norristown at 1 p.m.
This is only the Panthers’ second trip ever to the PIAA semifinals.
The first was in the champions only 2021 PIAA shortened tournament in which they only needed one win to reach the Final Four. USC lost to eventual state champion Reading, 68-46.
Meanwhile, this will be the sixth trip to the state Final Four for Roman Catholic in the last 10 years.
The Cahillites are a perfect 5-0 in those semifinal games and won it all in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2022.
USC has had three different high scorers in three wins on the Road to Hershey.
Senior Tyler Robbins scored 15 in a first round win over York William Penn, junior Jake Foster led with 22 points in a second round victory over Governor Mifflin, and senior Nico Gidas registered 22 points in a dramatic overtime win over McDowell in the state quarterfinals.
Roman Catholic has knocked off Lower Merion, Central York and Coatesville by a combined 71 points.
In the other boys 6A semifinals game, Father Judge (22-7) battles Imhotep Charter (26-5) at Norristown at 1 p.m. in a rematch of the District 12 finals.
WPIAL showdown
The two top seeds in the WPIAL Class 2A boys basketball playoffs never met in the district playoffs or even the consolation round after both came up short of reaching the title game at The Pete.
However, they will lock up in the PIAA semifinals for a spot in the 2A state championship game at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Greensburg Central Catholic (26-2) takes on Sewickley Academy (23-5) at Peters Township at noon.
Many thought these two would first duel for district gold in the 2A finals, however the top-seeded Centurions were upset in the quarterfinals by Union while the Panthers fell in the semifinals to eventual champion Jeannette.
For GCC, senior guard Liam Gallagher scored a combined 42 points in the first two rounds in wins over McConnellsburg and Neshannock.
In the quarterfinal win over rival Jeannette for a third time this season, junior Samir Crosby scored 13 and sophomore A.J. Tarpley added 12 points for the Centurions.
Meanwhile, Sewickley Academy has had three different leading scorers in three PIAA postseason wins.
Junior forward Lucas Grimsley scored 20 points in a first round triumph over Windber, freshman forward Mamadou Kane had 22 points in a second round win over Lakeview and senior forward Nolan Donnelly led with 14 points in a quarterfinal victory over Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
The other boys 2A semifinals game features District 4 champion Northwest (26-3) going up against District 3 winner Linville Hill Christian Academy (22-5) at Martz Hall in Pottsville at 2:30 p.m.
Another District 12 block party
Boys Class 6A isn’t the only PIAA basketball bracket with three teams from District 12 and one from the WPIAL.
That is the same match that has produced the Final Four teams in the Class 4A girls tournament.
In the west finals, two No. 3 teams in their respective districts meet when Lansdale Catholic (22-5) takes on North Catholic (25-4) at Chambersburg at 1 p.m.
The young Trojans have bounced back nicely in the state playoffs after being steamrolled in the district semifinals by Oakland Catholic.
Led by sophomore Brady Wehner, who has tallied 48 combined points, North Catholic has eliminated Penn Cambria, Harbor Creek and Blackhawk on the Road to Hershey.
Meanwhile Lansdale Catholic barely got out of the first round, edging Lancaster Catholic, 52-48.
However, in second round and quarterfinal wins over District 6 champ Forest Hills and District 7 winner Oakland Catholic, the Crusaders won by 38 and 34 points, respectively.
In the other girls 4A semifinals contest, Neumann-Goretti (24-4) battles Audenried Charter (23-7) at St. Joseph’s Prep at 1 p.m. in a rematch of the District 12 championship won by Audenreid Charter.
Another public service
There are no WPIAL teams remaining in girls A, but here are the two semifinals matchups on Saturday.
• District 6 runner-up Bishop Carroll (21-7) against District 6 champion Bishop Guilfoyle (28-2) at Altoona at noon.
• District 3 winner Linville Hill Christian (23-2) against District 4 champion Lourdes Regional (23-6) at Martz Hall in Pottsville at 1 p.m.
PA Cup up for grabs
With three new Penguins Cup champions crowned earlier in the week, it sets the stage for the final day of high school hockey this season.
The three Penguins Cup champions take on the winners of the Flyers Cup in the annual Pennsylvania Cup state championships.
This year’s event takes place at the Robert Morris University’s Island Sports Complex on Neville Island and can be seen on Trib HSSN.
The first state championship contest is in Class A as Avonworth takes on Garnet Valley at 12:45 p.m.
In the Class 2A finals, Cathedral Prep battles North Penn at 3:30 p.m.
Finally in the Class 3A PA Cup finals, Seneca Valley goes up against 2015 PA Cup winner Holy Ghost Prep at 6:15 p.m.
In the last four years, the Flyers Cup champions have won nine of the 12 state title games.
The only Penguins Cup winners that went on to win a PA Cup state title this decade have been Baldwin in 2021, Peters Township in 2022 and Pine-Richland in 2023.
Seneca Valley and Avonworth have never won a state championship while Cathedral Prep is looking for PA Cup title No. 4.
This year marks the first ever PA Challenge Cup Division 2 high school hockey championship.
Morgantown won the PIHL Division 2 title, but because it is from West Virginia, it is not eligible, so runner-up Burrell will represent the west and play Pope John Paul II from the east.
Game time for the Division 2 championship is 10 a.m.
Tags: Aliquippa, Avonworth, Burrell, Greensburg C.C., Peters Township, Seneca Valley, Sewickley Academy, South Allegheny, South Fayette, Upper St. Clair

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