Alle-Kiski Valley H.S. lookahead: Week of May 21-26

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, May 20, 2018 | 10:21 PM

Monday

• Freeport is coming off a first-round bye in the WPIAL Class 3A softball playoffs and a layoff of nearly two weeks between games. The No. 2 Yellowjackets compiled a perfect regular season but will see if they can continue that success in a quarterfinal against No. 7 Waynesburg at Plum.

• Likewise, Leechburg is coming off a long period between the end of the regular season and the beginning of the postseason. The No. 3 Blue Devils will take on No. 6 Sewickley Academy in a Class A quarterfinal game at Hampton Community Park and attempt to advance to the semifinals for a second straight year.

• Kiski Area earned its first WPIAL softball playoff victory in a decade by dispatching Mars, 8-3, in the first round. Looking to keep that run going, the No. 7 Cavaliers face No. 2 Albert Gallatin, one of the top offensive teams in the WPIAL, in a Class 5A quarterfinal at Boyce Mayview Park in Upper St. Clair.

• Burrell began the WPIAL Class 3A softball playoffs with a 10-4 victory over McGuffey, and the No. 5 Bucs will try to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2011 as they prepare to take on No. 4 Avonworth in a quarterfinal at West Mifflin.

• No. 7 Riverview started the Class A softball playoffs with a 21-0 victory over Quigley Catholic. The Raiders' 2017 playoff run ended with a loss to Monessen. They will look to avenge that defeat in a quarterfinal against the No. 2 Greyhounds at Canon-McMillan.

• St. Joseph also is coming off a first-round rout in the WPIAL Class A softball playoffs, a 13-0 victory over Western Beaver. The No. 8 Spartans, seeking their first trip to the WPIAL semifinals, will take on the defending WPIAL and PIAA champion, No. 1 West Greene, in a quarterfinal at Canon-McMillan.

• No. 5 Valley's 7-5 victory over Beaver Falls in the WPIAL Class 3A baseball first round ended a drought of more than 45 years without a playoff victory. The Vikings face No. 4 Brownsville, the team that eliminated them in the first round last season, in a quarterfinal game at Washington & Jefferson.

• Burrell advanced to the WPIAL Class 3A baseball quarterfinals for the second straight season after a 12-4 victory over Mt. Pleasant in the first round. The No. 6 Bucs are seeking their first WPIAL semifinal appearance since 2010 and will take on No. 3 South Side at Peterswood Park.

Tuesday

• Plum advanced to the WPIAL quarterfinals for the sixth consecutive season by beating Mt. Lebanon, 3-1, in the Class 6A first round. The Mustangs' quarterfinal game against No. 4 Canon-McMillan could feature a matchup of top pitchers Ryan Kircher (Plum) and Zach Rohaley (Canon-McMillan).

• The semifinals in WPIAL baseball classes A, 2A, 3A and 4A are scheduled with a Class A doubleheader at Fox Chapel and tripleheaders at Burkett Park and Washington & Jefferson.

• No. 3 Deer Lakes exorcised some boys volleyball playoff demons by beating Beaver County Christian — the team that defeated the Lancers in last season's WPIAL final — in the Class AA quarterfinals last week. Now Deer Lakes will take on No. 2 Ambridge in the semifinals at North Allegheny, with a berth to the championship on the line.

Wednesday

• Softball teams that win Monday advance to the semifinals, which take place Wednesday at sites to be determined.

• The WPIAL Class 5A and 6A baseball semifinals are scheduled for North Allegheny and Upper St. Clair, respectively.

Thursday

• The WPIAL volleyball finals are on tap at Baldwin. Will Deer Lakes have a chance at its fifth title and first since 2011?

Friday

• The two-day PIAA track and field championships begin at Shippensburg, with dozens of Alle-Kiski Valley athletes qualified to compete. Deer Lakes' Kiera Cutright, Valley's Darius Johnson and Burrell's girls 400-meter relay will look to back up their WPIAL titles.

• Valley's doubles team of Alex Ward and Michael Odrey won their section championship, then finished third in the WPIAL. The tandem will see how they match up with the best in the state as the PIAA doubles tournament opens in Hershey.

Tags: Burrell, Deer Lakes, Freeport, Kiski School, Leechburg, Plum, Riverview, St. Joseph, Valley