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The WPIAL released the brackets for the 2024 boys and girls basketball playoffs, with six reigning champions starting their title defenses as favorites. The playoffs start with first-round games on various dates, and the tournaments conclude with 12 championship games from February 29 to March 2 at the Petersen Events Center.
The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) has announced the brackets for the 2024 Boys’ Basketball Championships, with 87 teams from six classifications qualifying for postseason play. The championship games will be held at the Petersen Events Center on the University of Pittsburgh campus from Feb. 29 to March 2. Teams qualified for the playoffs by finishing in the top four of their respective sections. The top qualifiers in each classification will advance to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Boys’ Basketball Championships, with the championship games scheduled for March 21-23 at the GIANT Center in Hershey.
The Week 10 WPIAL Friday Night High School Football Scoreboard in Western Pennsylvania saw several exciting matchups and final scores. Highlights include Penn Hills defeating Woodland Hills, North Allegheny defeating Seneca Valley, West Mifflin dominating South Park, and Imani Christian winning against Yough. The playoffs are approaching, and teams are vying for their spots in the postseason.
The WPIAL Friday Night High School Football games in Western Pennsylvania saw several close matchups and surprising upsets. Avonworth defeated Beaver 33-28, Jeannette beat Leechburg 37-31, Clairton dominated Springdale with a 65-17 victory, and Gateway narrowly defeated Penn-Trafford 31-27. Other notable scores include North Catholic defeating Hampton 28-16, Waynesburg Central beating Brentwood 48-14, and Canon-McMillan winning against Baldwin 30-14.
Central Catholic's Elijah Faulkner scored four touchdowns and Cole Sullivan made key plays on offense, defense, and special teams as Central Catholic defeated North Allegheny 50-22 in a high school football game. The victory showcased Central Catholic's dominance and avenged their loss to North Allegheny in last year's WPIAL final. The game drew a near-capacity crowd and featured a strong performance from Central Catholic's running game, while North Allegheny struggled with turnovers.
In WPIAL Week 3, several preseason contenders are coping with 0-3 starts, including West Mifflin, Gateway, and Serra Catholic. Despite the winless records, coaches and players remain optimistic, recognizing the tough opponents they have faced. West Mifflin's coach emphasizes the importance of keeping the season in perspective and believes his team is back to full strength. Additionally, the Class 3A Interstate Conference has emerged as the toughest conference so far, while the Class 2A Allegheny Conference has the worst combined record. Aliquippa has dominated its series against Montour, and Peters Township and South Fayette are set for a high-scoring rematch. Lastly, Steel Valley and Imani Christian will face off in an Allegheny Conference opener, with Imani hoping to narrow the gap after a 50-point loss last year.
Mars defeats Hampton 3-1 in the opening game of the WPIAL girls soccer Section 1-3A, with Addi Girdwood and Ainsley Ray each contributing a goal and an assist for Mars. In other high school sports action, Allderdice, Beaver, Bethel Park, Blackhawk, and Butler also secured victories in their respective matchups.
Mt. Lebanon's David Shields pitched a no-hitter against North Allegheny in the WPIAL Class 6A baseball championship game, leading his team to a 4-0 victory and their second straight WPIAL title. Shields struck out nine, walked one, and hit two batters, needing only 71 pitches for the complete game. Mt. Lebanon started the season with eight consecutive losses but found their championship form in the second half of the season, winning 11 of their last 13 games.
Belle Vernon won the WPIAL softball Class 4A championship against Montour in a wild finish, with a final score of 8-7. Belle Vernon took an 8-5 lead in the top of the eighth inning, but Montour scored two runs before the game ended with a chaotic play at home plate. Belle Vernon's Gracie Sokol tagged out Montour's Jana Hess to end the game. Both teams advanced to states and will play on Monday.
New Castle's Kaevon Gardner, the WPIAL 3A champion in the 100 meters, injured his hip in a preliminary heat Friday at the PIAA championships, forcing him to exit early. Gardner was seeded second in the event and had run a 10.7 to win the WPIAL title last week. However, he limped across the Shippensburg finish line in 11.39 seconds, was helped off the track, and left on crutches. Gardner finished 33rd in a 35-person field.
Mt. Lebanon defeated Seneca Valley 2-1 in a WPIAL Class 6A baseball quarterfinals nail-biter, with David Shields pitching a complete game and Tyler Smith and Brock Stacy scoring for the Blue Devils. In other baseball playoff games, Avonworth, Bethel Park, Burgettstown, Butler, California, East Allegheny, Hopewell, Indiana, Neshannock, New Brighton, North Allegheny, Pine-Richland, Riverside, Rochester, and Serra Catholic all advanced to the semifinals. In lacrosse, South Fayette and Pine-Richland advanced to the WPIAL finals in the boys' and girls' Class 3A semifinals, respectively.
The WPIAL baseball playoffs will begin with first-round games on Monday and Tuesday, with six WPIAL championship games at Wild Things Park in Washington on May 30-31. Pine-Richland, Shaler, Montour, Riverside, Serra Catholic, and Union will start as favorites after receiving No. 1 seeds. Pine-Richland won the No. 1 seed in Class 6A, while Shaler was seeded first in Class 5A.