2015-2016 WPIAL Girls Basketball Preview

The 2015-2016 WPIAL girls basketball season tips off on Friday, December 4th with several teams on a golden run hoping to continue their hardwood success this upcoming season. Vincentian Academy has won four straight Class A district titles while Blackhawk in AAA and Seton-LaSalle in AA are looking for a third straight WPIAL title. Class AAAA gold has run through Section 1 the last two years with Penn-Trafford winning it all in 2014 and Norwin taking the crown last year. Plus Blackhawk and Vincentian Academy are defending state champions coming into this years campaign. Here are the Pre-Season Top 10 in each classification along with the players to watch in each class.

Check out the weekly girls rankings every Monday, along with girls hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm starting on December 16th, along with girls basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season and exclusive coverage of every girls WPIAL playoff game in February sponsored by Carlow University all here on the MSA Sports Network.

Final 2014-2015 record in parenthesis.

WPIAL CLASS AAAA Girls Basketball Preseason Top Ten:

1.     PENN HILLS INDIANS  (17-11)

2.     NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS  (24-4)

3.     BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS  (21-6)

4.     NORWIN KNIGHTS  (24-5)

5.     MOUNT LEBANON BLUE DEVILS  (13-10)

6.     PINE-RICHLAND RAMS  (21-6)

7.     BALDWIN HIGHLANDERS  (15-10)

8.     SHALER TITANS  (20-6)

9.     PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS  (22-3)

10.   McKEESPORT TIGERS  (13-8)

WPIAL CLASS AAAA Girls Basketball Players to Watch:

Alayna Gribble – Norwin
Desiree Oliver – Penn Hills
Jade Ely – Penn Hills
Johnasia Cash – McKeesport
Julia Baxter – Butler
Andi Lydon – Shaler
Amanda Kalin – Pine-Richland
Abby Gonzales – North Allegheny
Taylor Lake – North Allegheny
Hailey Zeise – North Allegheny
Justina Mascaro – Bethel Park
Shannon Conely – Bethel Park
McKenzie Bushee – Mount Lebanon
Lauren Gilbert – Baldwin
Madison Kerr – Peters Township

———————————————————————————-

WPIAL CLASS AAA Girls Basketball Preseason Top Ten:

1.     SOUTH FAYETTE LIONS  (19-8)

2.     TRINITY HILLERS  (17-9)

3.     SOUTH PARK EAGLES  (15-13)

4.     INDIANA LITTLE INDIANS  (20-2)

5.     AMBRIDGE BRIDGERS  (17-6)

6.     BLACKHAWK COUGARS  (28-3)

7.     HAMPTON TALBOTS  (17-6)

8.     MARS FIGHTING PLANETS  (18-5)

9.     BEAVER BOBCATS  (20-9)

10.   QUAKER VALLEY QUAKERS  (12-10)

WPIAL CLASS AAA Girls Basketball Players to Watch:

Jada Alim – Hampton
Ashlynn Jonczak – Highlands
Sarah Armahizer – Knoch
Sydney Rabold – Ambridge
Alexa Szelong – Mount Pleasant
Jessica Stever – Indiana
Khai Harris – Uniontown
Olivia Porter – Southmoreland
Bailey Cooper – Ringgold
Allison McGrath – South Park
Sierra Kotchman – Trinity
Mary Dunn – Trinity 
Amalia Esposito – Montour
Alana Davidson – Quaker Valley
Emily Anderson – South Fayette
Carlee Kilgus – South Fayette

WPIAL CLASS AA Girls Basketball Preseason Top Ten:

1.     BISHOP CANEVIN CRUSADERS  (19-11)

2.     SETON-LaSALLE REBELS  (23-8)

3.     BURRELL BUCCANEERS  (22-5)

4.     OUR LADY OF THE SACRED HEART CHARGERS  (22-5)

5.     MOHAWK WARRIORS  (16-6)

6.     GREENSBURG CENTRAL CATHOLIC CENTURIONS  (21-5)

7.     RIVERSIDE PANTHERS  (19-4)

8.     CHARTIERS-HOUSTON BUCCANEERS  (19-10)

9.     WASHINGTON LITTLE PREXIES  (14-10)

10.   FREEPORT YELLOWJACKETS  (7-14)

WPIAL CLASS AA Girls Basketball Players to Watch:

Natalie Myers – Burrell
Zoe Soilis – Freeport
Amani Johnson – East Allegheny
Katie Stang – Riverside
Aliya Gage – Mohawk
Gina Vallecorsa – Bishop Canevin
Erin Joyce – Bishop Canevin
Shaunay Edmonds – Seton-LaSalle
Stephanie Thomas – Brentwood
Alexa Williamson – Chartiers-Houston
Tajah Gordon – Washington
Courtney Alexander – Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

WPIAL CLASS A Girls Basketball Preseason Top Ten:

1.     VINCENTIAN ACADEMY ROYALS  (30-1)

2.     CARDINAL WUERL NORTH CATHOLIC TROJANS  (22-7)

3.     QUIGLEY CATHOLIC SPARTANS  (20-6)

4.     RIVERVIEW RAIDERS  (17-9)

5.     SERRA CATHOLIC EAGLES  (15-9)

6.     CALIFORNIA TROJANS  (25-3)

7.     FORT CHERRY RANGERS  (11-12)

8.     SEWICKLEY ACADEMY PANTHERS  (12-9)

9.     JEFFERSON-MORGAN ROCKETS  (20-4)

10.   CORNELL RAIDERS  (14-8)

WPIAL CLASS A Girls Basketball Players to Watch:

Gabbie Smith – Quigley Catholic
Alayah Mullins – Rochester
Maddy Casale – Sewickley Academy
Dominique Richards – Cornell
Lexi Griggs – Vincentian Academy
Sadie Buchser – Riverview
Sam Breen – Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic
Kylie Huffman – Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic
Mikayla Lovelace – Leechburg
Hannah Greene – Fort Cherry
Bailey Vig – California
Ally Bogden – Jefferson-Morgan
Dayna Rouse – Ellis School
Felicia Moon – Serra Catholic
Sophia Burkholder – Winchester Thurston
Olivia Simic – Jeannette