2016-2017 WPIAL Girls Basketball PREVIEW

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, December 9, 2016 | 4:03 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 girls 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:

Lauren Gilbert – Baldwin

Justina Mascaro – Bethel Park

Cheyenne Trest – Canon-McMillan

Gabby Badway – Fox Chapel

Michelle Burns – Hempfield

Kate Sramac – Mount Lebanon

McKenzie Bushee – Mount Lebanon

Desiree Oliver – Penn Hills

Amanda Kalin – Pine-Richland

Hailey Zeise – North Allegheny

Erin Danik – Seneca Valley

Team to Watch – Top Ten:

1.   NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS

2.   MOUNT LEBANON BLUE DEVILS

3.   PENN HILLS INDIANS

4.   PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS

5.   NORWIN KNIGHTS

6.   BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS

7.   PINE-RICHLAND RAMS

8.   CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS

9.   SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS

10.   FOX CHAPEL FOXES  

 

WPIAL CLASS 5-A:

Players to Watch:

Mackenzie Wagner – Chartiers Valley

Jenna Lafko – Hampton

Ali Collins – Hampton

Lauren Wasylson – Mars

Tai Johnson – Mars

Johnasia Cash – McKeesport

Ashley Briscoe – Ringgold

Sam Kosmacki – South Fayette

Marina Petruzzi – Thomas Jefferson

Sierra Kotchman – Trinity

Teams to Watch – Top Ten:

1.   SOUTH FAYETTE LIONS

2.   HAMPTON TALBOTS

3.   MARS FIGHTING PLANETS

4.   TRINITY HILLERS

5.   CHARTIERS VALLEY COLTS

6.   McKEESPORT TIGERS

7.   RINGGOLD RAMS

8.   GATEWAY GATORS

9.   THOMAS JEFFERSON JAGUARS

10.   GREENSBURG-SALEM GOLDEN LIONS

 

WPIAL CLASS 4-A:

Players to Watch:

Bella Posset – Beaver

Madison Amalia – Blackhawk

Mady Aulbach – Blackhawk

Sam Breen – Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic

Ashlyn Jonczak – Highlands

Olivia Porter – Southmoreland

Teams to Watch – Top Ten:

1.   BLACKHAWK COUGARS

2.   CARDINAL WUERL NORTH CATHOLIC TROJANS

3.   BEAVER BOBCATS

4.   HIGHLANDS GOLDEN RAMS

5.   BURRELL BUCCANEERS

6.   SOUTH PARK EAGLES

7.   AMBRIDGE BRIDGERS

8.   SOUTHMORELAND SCOTTIES

9.   DEER LAKES LANCERS

10.   DERRY TROJANS 

 

WPIAL CLASS 3-A:

Players to Watch:

Hayden Robinson – Avonworth

Shamyja Price – Bishop Canevin

Ashleigh Wilson – Carlynton

Diamond Thomas – Carlynton

Maria Claybaugh – Charleroi

Amani Johnson – East Allegheny

Carmie Matarazzo – Neshannock

Teams to Watch – Top Ten:

1.   BISHOP CANEVIN CRUSADERS

2.   CARLYNTON COUGARS

3.   NESHANNOCK LANCERS

4.   RIVERSIDE PANTHERS

5.   SETON-LaSALLE REBELS

6.   BROWNSVILLE FALCONS

7.   CHARLEROI COUGARS

8.   EAST ALLEGHENY WILDCATS

9.   AVONWORTH ANTELOPES

10.   APOLLO-RIDGE VIKINGS

 

WPIAL CLASS 2-A:

Players to Watch:

Kinlee Whited – Beth-Center

Jenna Miller – California

Bailey Vig – California

Jala Walker – Chartiers-Houston

Alexa Williamson – Chartiers-Houston

Brooke Poling – Frazier

Brittany Stawovy – Greensburg Central Catholic

Mikayla Lovelace – Leechburg

Loren Minor – Serra Catholic

Janaya Hazlip – Sto-Rox

Teams to Watch – Top Ten:

1.   CHARTIERS-HOUSTON BUCCANEERS

2.   CALIFORNIA TROJANS

3.   GREENSBURG CENTRAL CATHOLIC CENTURIONS

4.   VINCENTIAN ACADEMY ROYALS

5.   SERRA CATHOLIC EAGLES

6.   LEECHBURG BLUE DEVILS

7.   OUR LADY OF THE SACRED HEART CHARGERS

8.   FRAZIER COMMODORES

9.   STO-ROX VIKINGS

10.   BETH-CENTER BULLDOGS

    

WPIAL CLASS 1-A:

Players to Watch:

Daeja Quick – Cornell

Lizzy Celko – St. Joseph

McKenna Lampe – West Greene

Gia Thorpe – Winchester Thurston

Ayanna Townsend – Winchester Thurston

Teams to Watch – Top Ten:

1.   WINCHESTER THURSTON BEARS

2.   QUIGLEY CATHOLIC SPARTANS

3.   WEST GREENE PIONEERS

4.   ST. JOSEPH SPARTANS

5.   CORNELL RAIDERS

6.   JEFFERSON-MORGAN ROCKETS

7.   ROCHESTER RAMS

8.   IMANI CHRISTIAN SAINTS

9.   AVELLA EAGLES

10.   SEWICKLEY ACADEMY PANTHERS