What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Jan. 6, 2022: Moon girls basketball faces test

By: Don Rebel
Wednesday, January 5, 2022 | 7:43 PM

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So far, there has been a full Moon in the sky over Class 5A in WPIAL girls basketball.

The Tigers are a perfect 9-0 and tied for the top spot in Section 1-5A with three-time defending champion Chartiers Valley.

Emma Theodorsson led Moon with 20 points on Monday in a three-point section victory over South Fayette (7-2).

Over half of the Tigers’ nine wins have come against Class 6A opponents.

Moon will be challenged again Thursday with a visit to Oakland Catholic.

The Eagles are 6-2 overall and dropped their section opener to Chartiers Valley on Monday despite 14 points from Halena Hall.

You can watch the game starting at 7:30 p.m. on Trib HSSN.

Two for one

There are a pair of WPIAL girls basketball games slated for Thursday that feature an early season battle for first place.

In Section 2-4A, Central Valley visits Blackhawk. Both teams are tied with defending champion Beaver for first place.

The hosts Cougars are a perfect 7-0 this season and are ranked No. 2 in the latest HSSN district 4A rankings.

Last year, Blackhawk swept Central Valley in the two regular season games.

In Section 1-3A, Laurel will host North Catholic.

The Trojans are 3-0 in section play while the visiting Spartans are right behind at 2-0.

These teams battled for first place with eventual WPIAL champion Mohawk all season. While the Warriors prevailed in the postseason, they finished third behind North Catholic and Laurel in the section standings.

The Trojans and Spartans met in the WPIAL semifinals with North Catholic winning, 57-36.

Test for the Cavs

The Kiski Area boys basketball team is off to a splendid start with nine wins in 10 games. However, the Cavaliers have yet to beat a team with a winning overall record this year.

The Cavs will be challenged at home Thursday in a nonsection showdown with Class 6A Butler.

The Golden Tornado are 7-2 this season and are coming off a big section win Tuesday when they handed North Allegheny its first loss of the season.

You can listen to the Butler at Kiski Area game on Trib HSSN starting at 7:30 p.m.