By: Don Rebel


Saturday, March 8, 2025 | 1:07 AM

Four years ago, it was one of the stories of the year, maybe even the decade.

The Upper St. Clair boys basketball team had just defeated Pine-Richland to win the 2021 WPIAL Class 6A championship in an “open” tournament in which all district teams were invited to participate because of the stop-and-go nature of the regular season.

Leading up to the PIAA first round in which only district champions participated, one of the Panthers players tested positive for covid-19, thus all of the players and coaches were forced to quarantine except six players, three of whom were starters, and a 20-year old volunteer assistant coach who were not exposed.

Thus the legend of the St. Clair Six was born as the host Panthers found a way to defeat District 10 champion Erie, 62-57.

At home again last winter, Upper St. Clair was in a dogfight with the No. 7 seed from District 3, Central Dauphin, before the Panthers edged the Rams, 57-53.

Now for the third time in five years, WPIAL champion Upper St. Clair (23-2) will begin the PIAA playoffs on its home court as it welcomes the No. 8 seed from District 3, William Penn (19-9) at 1 p.m. Saturday.

The Panthers have won five straight since falling at Imani Christian, with all five wins by double-digit points.

In fact, the three WPIAL playoff victories for USC were by 22, 20 and 22 points over Woodland Hills, Central Catholic and New Castle.

William Penn was the No. 9 seed to begin the District 3 playoffs and defeated Red Lion in overtime in the first round, 75-67.

The Bearcats then lost to eventual D-3 champion Central York by 23 points in the quarterfinals and went 0-2 in the consolation round to get the No. 8 seed.

Here are the other three PIAA first-round games involving WPIAL 6A boys basketball teams:

• Mt. Lebanon (17-9), the No. 4 team from the WPIAL, will visit the No. 3 seed from District 3, Governor Mifflin (19-8), at 4 p.m.

• District 10 champion McDowell (21-4) will host WPIAL No. 3 Central Catholic (15-10) in Erie at 1 p.m.

• WPIAL runner-up New Castle (21-4) looks to bounce back as it hosts District 3 No. 7 Cumberland Valley (21-5) at 1 p.m.

Defending gold

A record-tying three WPIAL boys basketball teams won PIAA championships a year ago.

Lincoln Park and Imani Christian repeated as state champions in 4A and A respectively, and after a couple of close calls, Aliquippa won PIAA gold for the first time in eight years when it defeated Holy Cross to win the 2A title.

While both the Leopards and Saints did not qualify for the PIAA postseason this season, the Quips are back looking for more state gold, however this time in Class 3A.

Even though it lost in the WPIAL 3A finals, Aliquippa (20-5) will be home in the first round Saturday as it hosts the No. 3 team out of District 6, Westmont-Hilltop (18-6), at 1 p.m.

The Quips had won 13 of their last 14 games before falling to South Allegheny in the district title game, 37-35, despite a game-high 18 points from junior guard Joshua Pratt.

The Hilltoppers lost to eventual District 6 champion Forest Hills in the district semifinals, 75-47, before rebounding to win the D-6 3A consolation game over Penn Cambria, 72-63.

Here are the other five PIAA first-round games Saturday involving WPIAL 3A boys basketball teams:

• First-time WPIAL champion South Allegheny (23-3) will host District 9 champion Cranberry (18-7) at 1 p.m.

• District 6 runner-up Bishop Guilfoyle (22-4) will host WPIAL No. 4 Bishop Canevin (15-10) at 5 p.m.

• District 5 champion North Star (20-5) will be home to WPIAL No. 5 Shady Side Academy (12-13) at 2 p.m.

• District 10 champion Mercer (13-11) host WPIAL No. 6 Ellwood City (15-11) at 1 p.m.

• The final qualifier from the WPIAL, No. 7 Keystone Oaks (18-8), visits District 6 winner Forest Hills (23-2) at 3 p.m.

• District 5 runner-up Chestnut Ridge (17-7) travels to WPIAL No. 3 Mohawk (19-6) at 12 p.m.

The long road to Hershey

The Road to Hershey is a long two-week trek that begins with 32 teams and lasts five rounds.

There is one WPIAL team that if it wins four games to reach the PIAA championship game, it would have collected a lot of frequent flyer points.

Northgate is the only District 7 team that finds itself on the “eastern” side of the bracket in any of the 12 state tournaments.

The Flames better hope they stockpiled plenty of wood.

As the No. 7 team out of D-7, Northgate (15-11) first must deal with District 6 champion Portage (21-5) on Saturday at 3 p.m.

If they upset the Mustangs, they would play the winner of the Clarion (District 9) vs. Muncy (District 4) in the second round Wednesday.

Everything after that would be against teams from the central part of the state or further east.

The postseason has already been a historic one for the Flames, who lost to Neshannock in the WPIAL quarterfinals in four overtimes, 72-64.

Northgate then split its two consolation games, losing big to Greensburg Central Catholic by 28 points before edging Chartiers-Houston for the seventh seed, 48-47.

Portage defeated Claysburg-Kimmel, Bishop McCort and Northern Cambria to win the D-6 championship.

Here are the other seven PIAA first-round games Saturday involving WPIAL 2A boys basketball teams:

• WPIAL champion Jeannette (23-3) will host District 10 No. 3 Mercyhurst Prep (19-7) at 1 p.m.

• District 5 winner McConnellsburg (23-1) is home to Greensburg Central Catholic (23-2) at 1 p.m.

• WPIAL No. 4 Neshannock (21-4) battles District 10 runner-up Rocky Grove (21-4) at Oil City at 1 p.m.

• WPIAL runner-up Union (19-7) welcomes District 6 No. 3 Bishop McCort (13-12) at 2:30 p.m.

• District 9 champion Redbank Valley (20-5) will entertain WPIAL No. 6 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (19-7) at 1 p.m.

• District 5 runner-up Windber (23-2) visits WPIAL No. 3 Sewickley Academy (20-5) at 1 p.m.

• WPIAL No. 8 Chartiers-Houston (20-6) travels to District 10 winner Lakeview (20-5) at 1 p.m.

A different path

For the first time since the champions-only state playoffs in 2021, the South Fayette girls will not be sitting in the 7-1 bracket spot in the PIAA Class 5A girls basketball playoffs.

The Lions’ three-year run of gold in the district ended with a loss in the District 7 finals to Peters Township, 40-36.

Now South Fayette (24-2) begins the state playoffs in 7-2 bracket slot when it hosts the District 3 No. 7 team in Lower Dauphin (16-10) at 2 p.m.

The only other time the Lions had to bounce back from a loss this winter was on their holiday trip to Tampa, Fla.

Following a loss to St. Mary’s of New York, South Fayette edged Folsom from California, 54-53.

The Falcons lost to eventual District 3 champion York Suburban in the D-3 quarterfinals, and then split their two consolation games, losing to Susquehannock before edging Conrad Weiser for the No. 7 seed.

As WPIAL champions, South Fayette was a perfect 3-0 in the opening round of the state playoffs.

In 2022 and 2024, the Lions lost in the second round, while in 2023, they reached the PIAA finals where they fell to Archbishop Wood, 61-54.

Here are the other seven PIAA first-round games involving WPIAL 5A girls basketball teams:

• WPIAL champion Peters Township (23-3) will be home to District 3 No. 8 Conrad Weiser (17-9) at 1 p.m.

• District 3 No. 6 Susquehannock (16-9) travels to WPIAL No. 3 Thomas Jefferson (21-5) at 1 p.m.

• Once-beaten and WPIAL No. 5 Penn-Trafford (25-1) visits District 3 runner-up Middletown (22-3) at 1 p.m.

• WPIAL No. 6 Baldwin (16-10) battles District 10 champion Cathedral Prep (16-7) at the Hagerty Family Sports Center in Erie at 1 p.m.

• WPIAL No. 4 Mars (15-11) makes the long trip to District 3 No. 3 West York (20-7) at 1 p.m.

• WPIAL No. 7 Indiana (19-7) makes the short trip east on 422 to 22 East to visit District 6 champion Hollidaysburg (23-3) at 3 p.m.

• District 3 winner York Suburban (23-2) welcomes WPIAL No. 8 Bethel Park (12-14) at 5 p.m.

The same path

The Blackhawk girls basketball program has won the second most PIAA championships from the WPIAL with five, three behind North Catholic.

In 1999, 2000, 2014 and 2015, the Cougars won state gold after winning a WPIAL championship.

Last year, they lost in the District 7 finals to North Catholic before beating Harbor Creek, St. Mary’s, Fairview, Wyomissing and Scranton Prep to win the PIAA crown.

Blackhawk (23-3) hopes to follow that same path again here in 2025 when it opens up the state playoffs Saturday at home against Franklin (16-9) at 1 p.m.

Cougars junior Aubree Hupp played a huge part last winter in the state title run and has been fantastic in the postseason this year as well, scoring 93 points in her team’s four WPIAL playoff games.

The Knights are the No. 3 team from District 10.

Franklin lost to top seed Fairview in the D-10 4A semifinals, then defeated Slippery Rock in the consolation game.

Here are the other five PIAA first-round games involving WPIAL 4A girls basketball teams:

• WPIAL champion Oakland Catholic (23-3) welcomes District 10 No. 4 Slippery Rock (18-7) at 1 p.m.

• District 10 runner-up Fairview (20-4) will be home to Elizabeth Forward (19-7) at 1 p.m.

• WPIAL No. 5 Laurel Highlands (19-6) heads north and east to visit District 9 winner Clearfield (18-5) at 1 p.m.

• District 6 runner-up Penn Cambria (12-11) visits WPIAL No. 3 North Catholic (22-4) at 1 p.m.

• District 10 champion Harbor Creek (21-4) hosts South Park (17-7) at 1 p.m.

We meet again

Two years ago, champions collided when WPIAL winner Union squared off with District 6 champ Williamsburg in the 2023 PIAA quarterfinals.

The Scotties trailed the Blue Pirates by 10 points at halftime, but outscored Williamsburg 29-13 to win and advance on the Road to Hershey, 43-37.

Zoe Lepri led the Scotties with 14 points while Jayla Woodruff had a game-high 15 points for the Blue Pirates.

Union went on to beat Berlin-Brothersvalley in the Class A semifinals and Lourdes Regional in the state championship game to capture the school’s first PIAA girls basketball crown.

Now the two small school powers meet again when Williamsburg (20-6) visits undefeated Union (24-0) on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.

The Scotties’ perfect season includes District 7 playoff wins over Bishop Canevin by 22 points, Aquinas Academy in overtime by two points and Clairton in the district finals by 11 points after trailing early in the fourth quarter.

The Blue Pirates were the No. 4-seed in this year’s District 6 playoffs. They fell to eventual champion Bishop Guilfoyle in the semifinals, and then lost again to St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy in the Class A consolation game.

Here are the other five PIAA first-round games involving WPIAL Class A girls basketball teams:

• District 9 runner-up Otto-Eldred is home to WPIAL No. 4 Geibel Catholic (22-3) at 2 p.m.

• District 10 winner Farrell (7-14) hosts WPIAL No. 5 St. Joseph (18-8) at 1 p.m.

• WPIAL runner-up Clairton (19-4), led by senior Iyanna Wade, who is 15 points from becoming the second all-time leading scorer in the WPIAL, welcomes District 6 No. 3 St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy (24-2) at 1 p.m.

• WPIAL No. 6 Bishop Canevin (13-11) visits District 9 champion DuBois Central Catholic (24-2) at 1 p.m.

• District 5 runner-up Fannett-Metal (10-12) battles WPIAL No. 3 Aquinas Academy (16-8) at Peters Township at 2:30 p.m.