2026 WPIAL Class 5A boys basketball championship breakdown: Chartiers Valley vs. Thomas Jefferson

By: Bill Hartlep
Friday, February 27, 2026 | 5:11 PM

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No. 1 Chartiers Valley vs. No. 3 Thomas Jefferson

7 p.m. Saturday, Petersen Events Center

Audio broadcast: Trib HSSN

WPIAL titles: Chartiers Valley 7 (2025, ‘15, ‘10, ‘04, ‘01, 1998, ‘97); Thomas Jefferson 0

Chartiers Valley (22-2)

Coach: Corey Dotchin

Projected starting lineup

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

0, Luca Federico, 6-5, so., G/F

3, Logan Helfrick, 6-1, sr., G

4, Danny Slizik, 6-0, sr., G

5, Jake Lewis, 6-2, sr., F

12, Julian Semplice, 6-1, sr., G

How they got here: Chartiers Valley defeated No. 17 Montour, 61-48, in the first round; No. 9 Shaler, 69-66, in the quarterfinals; and No. 4 Moon, 39-37, in the semifinals.

Notable: Chartiers Valley is looking to defend its WPIAL Class 5A title after defeating Peters Township, 73-66, last season. The Colts defeated TJ, 72-50, in the first round last season. … The Colts have captured seven titles overall, tied for 11th in WPIAL history. … CV is led by senior Julian Semplice and sophomore Luca Federico, a Division I prospect. Both were first-team all-section selections. … Semplice scored 29 points in the quarterfinals, and Federico had 15 in the quarterfinals and 13 in the semifinals. … Chartiers Valley won the Section 4 title at 11-1 and averaged 67.1 ppg along the way. The Colts allowed 47.6 ppg. … Their only losses were to Fox Chapel and Moon. … They had a 13-game winning streak mid season. … Coach Corey Dotchin, the Section 4 coach of the year, has led CV to the finals in both his seasons as head coach. … The Colts are making their 14th appearance in the WPIAL finals.

Thomas Jefferson (23-2)

Coach: Dom DeCicco

Projected starting lineup

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

4, Josh Gardiner, 5-9, sr., G

5, Kane Eggerton, 6-1, jr., G/F

10, Justin Fry, 6-4, jr., G/F

11, Brady Kraus, 6-1, sr., F

23, Nick Trklja, 6-6, sr., G/F

How they got here: Thomas Jefferson beat No. 14 Latrobe, 86-79, in the first round; No. 6 Penn Hills, 74-69, in the quarterfinals; and No. 10 Hampton, 61-48, in the semifinals.

Notable: Thomas Jefferson is in the WPIAL finals for the first time since a loss to Aliquippa in 1988. … The Jaguars rolled to the Section 3 title with a 12-0 record. … They started the season 9-0 and have also finished strong with seven straight victories. … TJ’s only losses were to Penn-Trafford and McDowell. … The Jaguars average 68.3 ppg and allow 56 ppg. … Thomas Jefferson is led by senior Nick Trklja, who averages 22 ppg, and junior Justin Fry, who scores 19 ppg. Both were first-team all-section selections. … Trklja had 19 points and Fry added 15 in the semifinals. Kane Eggerton scored 11. … Coach Dom DeCicco was named the Section 3 coach of the year.

Next up: The winner will open the PIAA playoffs March 6 against the District 3 ninth-place finisher. The loser will play the District 3 eighth-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: Chartiers Valley, Thomas Jefferson