2026 WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship breakdown: Quaker Valley vs. Knoch

By: Bill Hartlep
Wednesday, February 25, 2026 | 2:12 PM

WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship

No. 1 Quaker Valley vs. No. 3 Knoch

9 p.m. Thursday, Petersen Events Center

Audio broadcast: Trib HSSN

WPIAL titles: Quaker Valley 2 (2022, 1997); Knoch 0

Quaker Valley (20-3)

Coach: Mike Mastroianni

Projected starting lineup

No., Name, Ht., Cl., Pos.

0, Zach Washington, 6-2, sr., G

3, Sam Chapman, 6-3, jr., G

4, Kolton Johnson, 6-2, jr., F

5, Harrison Kerley, 5-8, so., G

13, Nicolas Cohen, 5-10, so., G

How they got here: Quaker Valley had a first-round bye, then beat No. 8 Belle Vernon, 72-41, in the quarterfinals; and No. 13 Deer Lakes, 44-42, in the semifinals.

Notable: Quaker Valley is seeking its third WPIAL title, following wins in 2022 and 1997. … The Quakers rolled to the Section 2 title at 10-0. … They got hot late in the season and have rattled off 13 straight victories, including a nail-biter over Deer Lakes in the semifinals. … Zach Washington averages around 18 ppg, and Cohen is around 16 ppg. Washington had 20 points, and Cohen added 10 in the semifinal victory. … Two of the Quakers’ losses came against out-of-state teams during the KSA holiday tournament in Orlando, Fla. They also lost a nonsection game to Shaler. … QV coach Mike Mastroianni surpassed the 600-win milestone earlier this season.

Knoch (21-4)

Coach: Joe Lafko

Projected starting lineup

No., Name, Ht., Cl., Pos.

2, Derek Lang, 6-7, sr., G/F

13, Roman DeFelice, 6-1, jr., G

21, Teegan Finucan, 6-1, sr., G

24, Liam Avon, 6-5, jr., F

30, Vincent DeFelice, 6-3, sr., G/F

How they got here: Knoch defeated No. 14 East Allegheny, 56-21, in the first round; No. 6 Central Valley, 57-24, in the quarterfinals; and No. 2 North Catholic, 70-46, in the semifinals.

Notable: Section 1 co-champion Knoch is chasing its first WPIAL title. The Knights made one prior appearance in the championship game, losing to Moon in 2004. … The Knights’ defense was among the best in the WPIAL this season, holding opponents to a Class 4A-best 40.3 ppg. That number was bettered via playoff wins where they limited East Allegheny to 21 points and Central Valley to 24. … Knoch’s losses have come to Lincoln Park, New Castle, Obama Academy and North Catholic. … The Knights had a 14-game winning streak earlier this season. … Teegan Finucan averages 16.6 ppg, and Vincent DeFelice 12.1 to lead the Knights. Forwards Derek Lang and Liam Avon provide an inside threat.

Next up: The winner will open the PIAA playoffs March 6 against the fifth-place finisher from District 10. The loser will play the District 10 third-place finisher.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Knoch, Quaker Valley