What to watch for in WPIAL sports on March 15, 2025: Class 2A boys bracket still packed with WPIAL teams – TribLIVE.com

By: Don Rebel
Friday, March 14, 2025 | 11:50 PM
OLSH’s Austin Avsec goes to the basket as Union’s Jordyn Kelley defends during a PIAA Class 2A second-round game Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
The Road to Hershey concludes the quarterfinal pit stops Saturday with boys Class 6A, 3A and 2A along with girls Class 5A, 4A and A taking center stage.
This 2025 PIAA boys Class 2A postseason certainly has a 2017 vibe to it.
Eight years ago, the WPIAL had four teams reach the elite eight in the state playoffs.
It was the first state tournament with six classifications and through two rounds in 2A, WPIAL champion Sewickley Academy, runner-up Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 7-3 Bishop Canevin and 7-4 Greensburg Central Catholic reached the quarterfinals.
In the third round, Sewickley Academy rolled past GCC, 61-46, and Bishop Canevin knocked out OLSH, 66-60.
The Panthers beat the Crusaders in the semifinals and went on to win state gold, beating Constitution in overtime, 68-63.
This year’s crop of District 7 teams has gone one better.
The eight district teams that qualified are a combined 12-3 with five teams into the elite eight.
Three of the four quarterfinals involved WPIAL teams.
WPIAL champion Jeannette (25-3) goes up against section rival and WPIAL playoff top seed Greensburg Central Catholic (25-2) for a third time with this game at the neutral site of Norwin High School at noon.
The Centurions are looking to sweep the Jayhawks after beating them twice in the regular season, 53-47 at Jeannette in January and 58-48 at GCC in early February.
The Jayhawks have defeated Mercyhurst Prep by seven points and Northern Cambria by 16 points since raising district gold.
The Centurions knocked off District 5 champ McConnellsburg by 11 points and Neshannock by 14 points in the first two rounds.
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (21-7) will battle Sewickley Academy (22-5) at Peters Township at noon.
The Chargers lost to Jeannette in the WPIAL quarterfinals and fell to GCC in the 2A consolation round, but this is the first meeting against the Panthers.
OLSH upended District 9 champion Redbank Valley by 11 points in the first round and eliminated district runner-up Union in the second round by six points.
Sewickley Academy has won four straight since falling to Jeannette in the District 7 semifinals.
In the state playoffs, the Panthers crushed Windber by 28 points and cruised past Lakeview by 21 points.
Let’s not forget about Northgate, which became easy to do when they ended up on the eastern side of the bracket.
The Flames have state playoff wins over District 6 winner Portage by two points and District 9 runner-up Clarion by 28 points.
On Saturday, Northgate (17-11) will take on District 4 champion Northwest Area (25-3) at West Branch at 1 p.m.
The lone second-round game not involving the WPIAL has Old Forge (21-5) against Linville Hill Christian Academy (21-5) at Whitehall at 1 p.m.
Rumble at the Rock, Part 2
WPIAL 6A boys basketball champion Upper St. Clair has relied on the combo of size down low and quick, hot-shot guard play up top.
It had led the Panthers to 25 wins in 27 games.
That combo has been on display in the two PIAA victories for USC.
In the first round, 6-foot-10 senior forward and Miami (Ohio) commit Tyler Robbins was dominant on both sides of the floor in leading the Panthers to an easy home win over York William Penn, 67-30.
In Round 2, junior guard Jake Foster was lights out with 22 points as USC eliminated Governor Mifflin, 50-38.
Now, the District 7 champs battle the District 10 winners when Upper St. Clair takes on McDowell (23-4) at Slippery Rock University at 1 p.m.
The Trojans are 4-1 against WPIAL teams this season, beating Peters Township, Seton LaSalle, Pine-Richland and Central Catholic, while falling to Knoch.
The three other boys 6A quarterfinals Saturday are:
• Coatesville (24-6) vs. Roman Catholic (23-5) at Norristown at 1 p.m.
• Hazleton (14-12) Father Judge (21-7) at Easton at 2:30 p.m.
• Imhotep Charter (25-5) vs. Parkland (19-9) at the Geigle Complex in Reading at 6 p.m.
Ranger danger
Aliquippa is off to a good start as it tries to win a second straight state championship, albeit in a different classification.
Behind junior Josh Pratt, who has scored a combined 53 points, the Quips have taken down Westmont-Hilltop and Mercer in the first two rounds of the PIAA boys Class 3A playoffs.
Now Aliquippa (22-5) takes aim at District 6 champion Forest Hills (25-2) in a game at Armstrong at noon.
The Rangers have been taking down WPIAL opponents left and right on their Road to Hershey, rolling past Keystone Oaks in the opener by 25 points and ousting Mohawk in the second round by 14 points.
Forest Hills won its first 12 games this season, lost to 5A power Johnstown, won eight more in a row before losing to Bishop Guilfoyle and have since won five straight, including a revenge win over the Marauders in the District 6 finals.
WPIAL winner South Allegheny (25-3) is set for a battle of the champions when it takes on the top team out of District 3 in Camp Hill Trinity (21-3) at Altoona at 3 p.m.
The Shmrocks are coming off a 38-point rout of Shady Side Academy in the second round.
The Gladiators have been paced by their 1-2 punch at guard.
Junior Devin Cook scored 22 in a first-round win over Cranberry, while senior Cam Epps dropped 16 points in a second-round triumph over Bishop Guilfoyle.
The two other boys 3A quarterfinals Saturday are:
• West Catholic (11-14) vs. Taylor Riverside (25-2) at Bethlehem Liberty at 2:30 p.m.
• Lancaster Mennonite (22-3) vs. Holy Cross (24-4) at Bethlehem Liberty at 4:30 p.m.
One more win
It seems like all season long, WPIAL girls basketball fans wait for the eventual showdown between Class 5A powers Peters Township and South Fayette.
It finally came in the District 7 championship game with the Indians coming back to knock off the three-time defending champion Lions, 40-36.
Both teams have advanced through two rounds of the PIAA playoffs and now are one win away from another clash for a chance to play for a state title.
On Saturday, WPIAL champion Peters Township (25-3) will take on District 10 winner Cathedral Prep (18-7) at Slippery Rock University at 2:30 p.m.
Miami (Fla.) commit Natalie Wetzel has led the Indians in the first two rounds with a combined 43 points in wins over Conrad-Weiser and Thomas Jefferson.
The Ramblers have wins over Baldwin and Middletown by 12 points each.
Elsewhere, South Fayette (26-2) prepares to battle District 6 champion Hollidaysburg (25-3) at Armstrong at 1:30 p.m.
Two juniors have led the Lions on the Road to Hershey with Ryan Oldaker scoring 24 in a win over Lower Dauphin and Juliette Leroux registering 20 points in a victory over West York.
The Golden Tigers own two double-digit wins in the state playoffs, beating Indiana by 10 and York Suburban by 14 points.
The other two girls 5A quarterfinals Saturday are:
• Strath Haven (15-13) vs. Crestwood (23-4) at Eaton at 1 p.m.
• Bethlehem Catholic (19-10) vs. Archbishop Wood (20-7) at the Geigle Complex in Reading at 4:30 p.m.
Rivalry renewed
Blackhawk and North Catholic are in separate Class 4A sections and did not play in the regular season or district playoffs this season, but the two programs are familiar with each other.
In the 2023 WPIAL 4A girls basketball finals, North Catholic defeated Blackhawk, 51-35, thanks to a game-high 16 points from Alayna Rocco.
A year later, the two powers met again at The Pete with the same result. The Trojans edged the Cougars, 40-37, thanks to 26 points from Rocco.
North Catholic won WPIAL gold, but Blackhawk went on to win the 2024 PIAA 4A championship.
So the golden girls are set to collide again.
Blackhawk (25-3) faces North Catholic (24-4) on Saturday at Hampton at noon.
In the 2024 district finals, freshman Brady Wehner scored seven points for the Trojans and sophomore Aubree Hupp had 10 for the Cougars.
Now a year later, the two have played a big part in their team’s success in 2025.
In wins over Penn Cambria and Harbor Creek, Wehner has scored a combined 31 points for North Catholic.
Hupp has had a dominant postseason for Blackhawk, including scoring a combined 41 points in state playoff wins over Franklin and Clearfield.
Meanwhile, 2025 WPIAL champion Oakland Catholic (25-3) keeps humming along as it prepares to play the No. 3 team out of District 12 in Lansdale Catholic (21-5) at West Branch at 2:30 p.m.
The Eagles have dominated the Road to Hershey.
The OC crushed Slippery Rock in the first round by 51 with London Creech leading the way with 20 points.
In the second round, the Eagles pummeled Elizabeth Forward, 75-48, with Josie Fontana scoring a game-high 16 points.
Lansdale Catholic has wins over Lancaster Catholic and Forest Hills on its state playoff resume.
The other two girls 4A quarterfinals Saturday are:
• Neumann-Goretti (23-4) vs. Scranton Prep (25-1) at Bethlehem Liberty at 1 p.m.
• Northern Lebanon (23-3) vs. Audenried Charter (22-7) at Whitehall at 3 p.m.
Oh by the way II
With Aquinas Academy falling in the second round Wednesday, there are no more WPIAL teams remaining in the PIAA Class A bracket.In fact, it’s a District 6 block party in the west.
So as a public courtesy:
• Williamsburg (22-6) vs. Bishop Carroll (20-7) at Altoona at noon
• St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy (26-2) vs. Bishop Guilfoyle (27-2) at Altoona at 1:30 p.m.
• Linville Hill Christian (22-2) vs. Greenwood (21-6) at Hamburg at 1:30 p.m.
• Lourdes Regional (22-6) vs. Delco Christian (22-4) at Hamburg at noon
PIAA pool action, Day 4
Saturday is the second and final day of the 2025 PIAA Class 3A boys and girls swimming championships. The event is taking place at Bucknell University.
Catholic collision at Pullman
With the forecast good early in the day, four Catholic high schools with a rich tradition of baseball success will square off Saturday at Pullman Park in Butler at the Serra Catholic Invitational.
In the opener, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart will take on Greensburg Central Catholic at 10 a.m.
That will be followed at about 12:30 p.m. by Serra Catholic facing Bishop Carroll from District 6.

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