2016-2017 WPIAL Boys Basketball PREVIEW

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, December 9, 2016 | 3:16 PM

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The year of major change around the WPIAL has made it through one season and now it’s the winter sports, specifically boys basketball, that gets a taste of the new expanded six classifications. New rivalries, fewer playoff teams in each class and more champions crowned in the end. Here is a preview of players to watch and teams to beat with our MSA Sports Preseason Top Ten teams in each class.

WPIAL CLASS 6-A:

Players to Watch:

Tyler Frederick – Butler

Austin Butler – Latrobe

Jake Biss – Latrobe

Nick Smith – North Hills

Sherron Schifino – Penn Hills

Andrew Petcash – Pine-Richland

Phil Jurkovec – Pine-Richland

Teams to Watch – Top Ten:

1.   PINE-RICHLAND RAMS

2.   LATROBE WILDCATS

3.   NORTH HILLS INDIANS

4.   PENN HILLS INDIANS

5.   PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS

6.   BUTLER GOLDEN TORNADO

7.   PLUM MUSTANGS

8.   NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS

9.   PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS

10.   BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS

 

WPIAL CLASS 5-A:

Players to Watch:

Ross Wilkerson – Chartiers Valley

John Paul Kromka – Gateway

Antonio Ionadi – Hampton

Mitch DeZort – Highlands

Robby Carmody – Mars

Jarrod Simmons – Moon

Joey Koroly – Trinity

Team to Watch – Top Ten:

1.   HIGHLANDS GOLDEN RAMS

2.   CHARTIERS VALLEY COLTS

3.   HAMPTON TALBOTS

4.   MARS FIGHTING PLANETS

5.   GATEWAY GATORS

6.   WEST MIFFLIN TITANS

7.   MONTOUR SPARTANS

8.   THOMAS JEFFERSON JAGUARS

9.   TRINITY HILLERS

10.   WEST ALLEGHENY INDIANS

 

WPIAL CLASS 4-A:

Players to Watch:

Darius Wise – Beaver

Donovan Jeter – Beaver Falls

Josh Creach – Beaver Falls

Jake Benhart – Indiana

Marcus Hooker – New Castle

Amos Luptak – Quaker Valley

Matt Thomas – South Fayette

Darton McIntire – Waynesburg

Teams to Watch – Top Ten:

1.   BEAVER FALLS TIGERS

2.   NEW CASTLE RED HURRICANE

3.   QUAKER VALLEY QUAKERS

4.   BEAVER BOBCATS

5.   INDIANA LITTLE INDIANS

6.   THOMAS JEFFERSON JAGUARS

7.   SOUTH FAYETTE LIONS

8.   AMBRIDGE BRIDGERS

9.   WAYNESBURG RAIDERS

10. MOUNT PLEASANT VIKINGS

 

WPIAL CLASS 3-A:

Players to Watch:

Garrett Day – Avonworth

Kenny Fukon – Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic

Sam Miceli – Charleroi

Nelly Cummings – Lincoln Park

Etai Groff – Shady Side Academy

Brandon Stone – Southmoreland

Ja’Mier Fletcher – Steel Valley

Matt Popek – Washington

Teams to Watch – Top Ten:

1.   LINCOLN PARK LEOPARDS

2.   ALIQUIPPA QUIPS

3.   CARDINAL WUERL NORTH CATHOLIC TROJANS

4.   STEEL VALLEY IRONMEN

5.   WASHINGTON LITTLE PREXIES

6.   AVONWORTH ANTELOPES

7.   SHADY SIDE ACADEMY INDIANS

8.   CHARLEROI COUGARS

9.   SOUTHMORELAND SCOTTIES

10.   SETON-LaSALLE REBELS

 

WPIAL CLASS 2-A:

Players to Watch:

Mitchell King – Bishop Canevin

Walter Bonds – Bishop Canevin

Kass Taylor – California

A.J. Myers – Chartiers-Houston

Ryhan Culberson – Fort Cherry

Mason Mraz – Laurel

Chris Groetsch – Sewickley Academy

Justin Pryor – Sewickley Academy

Teams to Watch – Top Ten:

1.   SEWICKLEY ACADEMY PANTHERS

2.   BISHOP CANEVIN CRUSADERS

3.   JEANNETTE JAYHAWKS

4.   GREENSBURG CENTRAL CATHOLIC CENTURIONS

5.   OUR LADY OF THE SACRED HEART CHARGERS

6.   LAUREL SPARTANS

7.   FORT CHERRY RANGERS

8.   CHARTIERS-HOUSTON BUCCANEERS

9.   CALIFORNIA TROJANS

10.   NESHANNOCK LANCERS 

 

WPIAL CLASS 1-A:

Players to Watch:

Maurice Reeves – Clairton

Justice Rice – Monessen

Jaden Altomore – Monessen

Zach McDonough – Vincentian Academy

Teams to Watch – Top Ten:

1.   MONESSEN GREYHOUNDS

2.   VINCENTIAN ACADEMY ROYALS

3.   EDEN CHRISTIAN ACADEMY WARRIORS   

4.   CLAIRTON BEARS

5.   UNION SCOTTIES

6.   WINCHESTER THURSTON BEARS

7.   CORNELL RAIDERS

8.   TRINITY CHRISTIAN FALCONS

9.   ST. JOSEPH SPARTANS

10.   WEST GREENE PIONEERS