By: Don Rebel


Thursday, February 13, 2025 | 11:31 PM

On the first day of the opening round of the 2025 WPIAL basketball playoffs, one of the top players in the district may be on the sidelines for one of the favorites in girls Class 5A.

Senior Natalie Wetzel is listed as questionable with a lower-body injury, to use playoff jargon, as No. 2 Peters Township (19-3) prepares to host No. 15 Fox Chapel (13-9) at 7 p.m. Friday.

The Indians standout forward injured an ankle in the team’s regular season finale Monday, a loss to Mt. Lebanon.

The loss to the Blue Devils ended a six-game win streak for Peters.

Wetzel, a Miami of Ohio commit, averaged 20.6 points per game this winter for a team that enjoyed two six-game and one seven-game winning streak during the regular season.

After a three-game winning streak in mid-January, Fox Chapel finished with four losses in its last six games.

The Foxes finished tied for third place with Plum in Section 1-5A, while the Indians won the Section 4-5A crown by three games over Thomas Jefferson.

Here are the other seven opening-round games Friday in girls Class 5A:

• Top-seeded South Fayette (21-1) hopes to take a first step toward a fourth WPIAL 5A championship when it hosts No. 16 Greensburg-Salem (13-9) at 7 p.m.

• The No. 8 vs. No. 9 game should be a good one as Chartiers Valley (15-7) welcomes Baldwin (14-8) at 8 p.m. Both finished strong with the Colts winning five of their last six while the Highlanders have won six in a row.

• No. 13 Mars (13-9) will visit No. 4 Shaler (20-2) at 7 p.m. The Fightin’ Planets finished in fourth place in Section 3-5A and the Titans were co-champions with Franklin Regional in Section 1-5A. Shaler has won nine in a row and is 11-1 in calendar year 2025.

• Section 1-5A co-champion No. 5 Franklin Regional (15-6) welcomes the fourth-place finisher in Section 4-5A, No. 12 Bethel Park (11-11), at 7 p.m. The Panthers had won 10 consecutive games before falling to Shaler last week, while the Black Hawks are coming off a big win over 3A No. 4 Keystone Oaks by 19 points.

• West meets east in this No. 10 vs. No. 7 first-round contest when Moon (13-7) visits Indiana (17-5). The Tigers had won five straight, then lost three in a row before winning their final three games of the regular season. The Little Indians started the season winning 11 of 13 before going 6-3 in their final nine games.

• Penn-Trafford (22-0) is the only Class 5A team, and one of three district teams, to go unbeaten in the regular season. The No. 3 seed will be home to No. 14 Plum (10-12) at 7 p.m. On Jan 27, the Warriors cruised past the Mustangs, 65-26.

• Two teams not bringing a lot of momentum into the postseason collide when No. 11 Latrobe (11-10) visits No. 6 Thomas Jefferson (18-4) at 7 p.m. The Wildcats lost their final three games and the Jaguars dropped two of their last three in the regular season.

Girls Class 3A openers

Top-ranked, undefeated defending champion Shady Side Academy (22-0) can kick back and relax after earning a first-round bye.

However, the rest of the 3A girls playoff field hit the hardwood for seven opening-round Friday frays.

• SSA awaits the winner of the No. 9 Deer Lakes at No. 8 Riverside game at 7 p.m. featuring two teams with 14-8 overall records. Both the Lancers and Panthers split their final four regular season games.

*Despite ending it with a loss to Bethel Park, No. 4 Keystone Oaks (18-2) hopes to continue its big season when it hosts No. 13 Ligonier Valley (7-14) at 6 p.m. The Golden Eagles had a 15-game winning streak snapped with that loss to BP. The Rams split their final six games, going 3-3.

• Besides Keystone Oaks, the other co-champion in Section 3-5A is No. 5 Seton LaSalle (16-6), which is preparing to play No. 12 Ellwood City (13-8) at Chartiers Valley at 6 p.m. The Rebels and Wolverines both won five of their last six regular season games.

• No. 2 Greensburg Central Catholic (17-5) welcomes No. 15 Brownsville (13-9) at 7 p.m. Outside of Shady Side Academy, the Centurions have had their way with the rest of the teams they’ve faced in the class thanks to Erica Gribble and her 22.3 ppg scoring average. The Falcons are in the postseason again after finishing in fourth place in Section 3-3A.

• The No. 4 scorer in the WPIAL this season was junior Mimi Thiero, who leads No. 7 Quaker Valley (14-8) against visiting No. 10 McGuffey (13-8) at 7 p.m. The Quakers head into the postseason on a six-game winning streak while the Highlanders are 2-2 in their last four games.

• No. 3 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (19-3) ran away with the Section 1 title and prepares to face No. 14 South Allegheny (5-16) in a first-round game at Moon at 7 p.m. The Chargers’ 10-game winning streak was snapped in a loss at Moon on Monday. The Gladiators beat Steel Valley twice in the final nine days to earn a playoff spot in Section 2-3A.

• Taylor Pullen will try to lead No. 11 Beaver Falls (12-7) to an upset win when it visits No. 6 Avonworth (15-7) at 7 p.m. Pullen has averaged 21.7 points per game for the Tigers as they face an Antelopes team that has played for gold in each of the last two years, winning it all in 2023.

Former champs collide

It is a quiet night on the boys side of the postseason ledger with only Class 4A teams in action.

One of four 4A first-round games Friday pits recent champions against each other when No. 7 Deer Lakes (16-5) welcomes No. 10 Quaker Valley (15-7) at 7:30 p.m.

The Lancers are two-time WPIAL champions in Class 3A but moved up to 4A in the new realignment this offseason.

Deer Lakes was in a three-way battle for the Section 1-4A title down the stretch with North Catholic and Knoch.

The Lancers lost to both the Trojans and Knights in the final week and ended up in third place.

The Quakers claimed 2022 4A district gold three years ago.

QV finished a distant fourth behind Beaver, Avonworth and Central Valley in Section 2-4A, despite going 9-1 in nonsection games and having two five-game winning streaks during the season.

The winner will move on to the quarterfinals next Wednesday to visit No. 2 North Catholic (17-5).

Here are the other three opening-round games in boys 4A:

• No. 9 Highlands (6-13) visits No. 8 Elizabeth Forward (17-5) at 7 p.m. with the winner traveling to No. 1 Belle Vernon (18-4) in the second round.

• No. 12 West Mifflin (8-14) will travel to No. 5 Knoch (16-6) at 7 p.m. with the victor moving on to play at No. 4 Avonworth (17-5) in the quarterfinals.

• No. 6 Central Valley (18-4) will host No. 11 Derry (12-9) at 7 p.m. with the winner advancing to the quarters to battle No. 3 Beaver (18-4) in the second round next Wednesday.