What to watch for in WPIAL sports on March 7, 2025: Moon boys look to make another state playoff run – TribLIVE.com

By: Don Rebel
Thursday, March 6, 2025 | 7:13 PM
Moon’s Carter Tumulty dunks against Montour on Jan. 14.
A year ago, the Moon boys basketball team had just captured the program’s fifth WPIAL championship with a victory over Franklin Regional in the district finals.
The Tigers hosted Obama Academy in the first round of the PIAA playoffs and won convincingly, 52-34.
They followed that up with wins over York Suburban, 59-38, and Bethel Park, 57-51, to earn a rematch with Franklin Regional in the state semifinals.
The Panthers earned revenge from their district title game loss and eliminated the Tigers, 60-43, ending Moon’s golden season at 26-4.
Following a loss to eventual WPIAL 5A champion Chartiers Valley in the district quarterfinals and getting the No. 7-seed out of District 7 with a 1-1 record in the consolation round, the Tigers will be hard pressed to repeat their state success from a year ago.
On Friday in the PIAA 5A first round, Moon (19-7) heads east to visit the No. 3 ranked team in the state in 5A, Johnstown, at 7 p.m.
The District 6 champion Trojans have won 24 of their 25 games this season with their only loss coming on Valentine’s Day to one of the top Class 3A teams in the state, Bishop Guilfoyle.
Johnstown defeated Hollidaysburg in the District 6 5A championship game, 68-52, before defeating District 10 champion Meadville in a PIAA sub-regional game, 52-41.
Here are the other six PIAA first round games involving WPIAL 5A boys basketball teams:
• The No. 9 team from District 3, Cocalico (14-12), visits WPIAL champion Chartiers Valley (23-3) at 6 p.m.
• The No. 3 team from the WPIAL, Montour (24-2), will host the No. 7 team from District 3, Milton Hershey (17-9), at 6 p.m.
• The No. 6 team from the WPIAL, Latrobe (20-6), heads east to face District 3 runner-up Exeter Township (14-11) at 7 p.m.
• Penn-Trafford (14-12) pulled off a first-round stunner in the WPIAL playoffs when it bounced No. 2 Baldwin. Can the Warriors do it again in the PIAA postseason when they travel to District 3 champion Hershey (21-3) at 6 p.m.
• District 10 winner Meadville (16-8) hosts the No. 5 team out of the WPIAL, Uniontown (22-4), at 7 p.m.
• WPIAL No. 4 Mars (14-12) also heads east to battle District 3 No. 3 West York (20-6) at 6 p.m.
• WPIAL runner-up Peters Township (18-8) is home to District 3 No. 8 Spring Grove (11-14) at 6 p.m.
A tall task
The Knoch boys basketball team has relied on youth and size this season in finishing in second place in Section 1-4A and winning two consolation games following a quarterfinal loss to Avonworth to earn the No. 5 seed out of the WPIAL in the PIAA Class 4A playoffs.
Now the Knights will face another team that has size and youth.
Knoch (19-7) makes the trek north to Erie on Friday for a 4A first-round state playoff game against District 10 champion Cathedral Prep (17-8) at the Hagerty Family Events Center in Erie at 7:30 p.m.
The Knights have won five of their last six, including District 7 consolation wins over Elizabeth Forward by 18 points and Deer Lakes by 14 points.
The Ramblers crushed Sharon in the District 10 4A championship game, 92-71.
Michael Thompson, a 6-foot-5 junior, and Ahmari Horton, a 6-1 sophomore, combined to score 58 points in the victory for ECP.
Here are the other four PIAA first-round games involving WPIAL 4A boys basketball teams:
• WPIAL champion Belle Vernon (21-4) hopes this won’t be coach Joey Salvino’s final game as it hosts the No. 5 team from District 10, Farrell (12-11), at 7 p.m.
• WPIAL No. 3 Avonworth (19-6) heads north to visit District 10 runner-up Sharon (18-8) at 7 p.m.
• Another D-10 vs. D-7 first-round contest has District 10 No. 3 Hickory (18-6) visiting WPIAL runner-up North Catholic (19-6) at 7 p.m.
• District 6 champion Martinsburg Central (18-4) will battle WPIAL No. 4 Beaver (19-6) at Hollidaysburg at 7 p.m.
Visiting champs out of the gate
Two of the four WPIAL boys basketball teams from Class A will begin the Road to Hershey on the road against neighboring district champions.
Both Aquinas Academy and Nazareth Prep lost in the WPIAL semifinals and now head north and east respectively with tall tasks ahead of them.
The Warriors beat the Saints in the District 7 consolation game to finish as the No. 3 seed while NP is No. 4.
Aquinas Academy (18-7) heads to Erie to play District 10 champion Erie First Christian (15-7) at the Hagerty Family Events Center at 6 p.m. on Friday.
Nazareth Prep (19-5) travels northeast to take on District 9 winner Otto-Eldred (25-1) at 7 p.m.
The Eagles won D-1o gold by beating up on Youngsville in the finals, 75-38, while the Terrors won the D-9 championship by stunning previously undefeated Elk County Catholic in the title game, 52-51.
Here are the other two PIAA first round games involving WPIAL Class A boys basketball teams:
• First-time WPIAL champion Neighborhood Academy (24-1) will go up against District 5 No. 3 Shanksville-Shade (9-16) at Peters Township at 7:30 p.m.
• A pair of district runners-up collide when District 6 St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy (14-11) visits District 7 Serra Catholic (21-4) at 7 p.m.
WPIAL vs. City League
Going up against WPIAL competition is nothing new for City League girls basketball champion Allderdice.
In fact, 10 of the Dragons’ 25 games this season have been against teams from District 7.
No. 11 comes Friday in a PIAA 6A first-round playoff game as Allderdice (20-5) hosts Canon-McMillan (15-9) at 7 p.m.
Thus far this season, the Dragons are 6-4 against WPIAL teams.
Allderdice captured the District 8 title when it beat Carrick in the semifinals, 70-14, and Obama Academy in the City League championship game, 52-45.
The Dragons earned their spot in the PIAA postseason by defeating Erie in a state sub-regional game, 64-48.
Following a loss to Norwin in the WPIAL 6A semifinals, the Big Macs earned their spot on the Road to Hershey with a consolation game victory over Mt. Lebanon, 36-34.
Here are the other two PIAA first-round games involving WPIAL 6A girls basketball teams:
• WPIAL champion Upper St. Clair (19-6) will host District 3 No. 8 Manheim Township (19-9) at 6 p.m.
• District 6 champion Altoona (22-2) is home to WPIAL runner-up Norwin (15-8) at 7 p.m.
Another undefeated test
Twice in the regular season, the Avonworth girls basketball team had the challenge of trying to hand undefeated Shady Side Academy its first loss.
Both times, the Antelopes could not be the one to put the one in the Bulldogs loss column.
Now it’s the opening round of the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball playoffs and Avonworth (18-8) must go up against another undefeated team.
On Friday, the Antelopes visit District 10 champion Northwestern at 7 p.m.
The Wildcats have played 24 games and have won each time.
In the District 10 playoffs, Northwestern edged Mercyhurst Prep in the semifinals, 46-42, and then rolled past Seneca in the title game, 47-37.
Following a loss to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the 3A quarterfinals, the Antelopes bounced back with consolation victories over Quaker Valley by five points and Keystone Oaks by two points.
Here are the other five PIAA first round games involving WPIAL 3A girls basketball teams:
• Two-time WPIAL champion Greensburg Central Catholic (21-5) will face District 6 No. 3 Cambria Heights (19-8) at Southmoreland at 7 p.m.
• WPIAL No. 3 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (22-4) battles District 10 runner-up Seneca (17-6) at Sewickley Academy at 7 p.m.
• District 6 champion Central Cambria (17-8) will host WPIAL No. 6 Keystone Oaks (20-4) at 7 p.m.
• District 9 champion Karns City (22-3) goes up against WPIAL No. 4 Ellwood City (15-10) at Moniteau at 7 p.m.
• WPIAL runner-up Shady Side Academy (24-1) looks to bounce back after the loss to GCC in the D-7 finals when they take on District 9 runner-up Cranberry (17-6) at Fox Chapel at 6 p.m.
Intra-district collision
Once more commonplace, there is only one PIAA first-round matchup in any of the 12 boys and girls tournaments in which two teams from the WPIAL collide.
That will take place Friday in a Class 2A clash as Chartiers-Houston (20-6) goes up against WPIAL champion Aliquippa (21-4) at 7 p.m.
The Buccaneers and Quips did not play each other this year, but they do have a couple of common opponents.
Both teams played Section 3-2A champion Winchester Thurston in the playoffs with Chartiers-Houston losing to the Bears in the quarterfinals, 40-27, while Aliquippa ousted the Bears in the semifinals, 50-43.
The Quips swept three games against section rival Rochester by margins of 25, 23 and 31 points. The Buccaneers fell to the Rams in the 2A consolation round in double overtime, 48-46.
The WPIAL championship earned by Aliquippa in a victory over Neshannock was the program’s first district title in 35 years.
Here are the other five PIAA first-round games involving WPIAL 2A girls basketball teams:
• WPIAL No. 4 South Side (19-7) visits District 10 runner-up Lakeview (16-9) at 7 p.m.
• District 9 champion Redbank Valley (20-6) hosts WPIAL No. 5 Rochester (12-13) at 7 p.m.
• WPIAL runner-up Neshannock (23-3) will be home to District 5 second place Everett (16-8) at 7 p.m.
• District 10 champion and PIAA top-ranked Kennedy Catholic (18-5) welcomes WPIAL No. 6 Fort Cherry (20-5) at 7 p.m.
• WPIAL No. 3 Winchester Thurston (22-4) hits the road to visit District 9 runner-up Port Allegany (18-6) at 6 p.m.

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