A-K Valley PIAA playoff capsules for March 12, 2022

By: Michael Love
Friday, March 11, 2022 | 6:45 PM

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Today’s games

Boys

Class 6A

Second round

Allderdice (20-7) vs. Fox Chapel (25-1)

2 p.m. Saturday, AHN Arena, Peters Township High School

Coaches: Zach Skrinjar, Fox Chapel; Devin Crummie, Allderdice

Winner plays: Winner of Northampton (20-7)/Warwick (21-6) on Tuesday in quarterfinals (Site and time TBD)

Layup lines: Fox Chapel won its 24th game in a row Wednesday with a 52-47 home victory over District 3’s Cumberland Valley. Foxes senior guard Eli Yofan, who has scored more than 20 points a game this season, suffered a third-quarter ankle injury and played sparingly the rest of the way. The Foxes were able to hold on for the win despite scoring 13 points under their season average (65.4). Yofan and fellow senior Jake DeMotte scored 10 points apiece to lead Fox Chapel, which won its first PIAA game since the opening round in 1998. … Fox Chapel and Allderdice meet for the first time since the first round of the 2015 PIAA AAAA playoffs. The Dragons won that meeting 57-46. … Allderdice has won six games in a row since a loss at North Hills late in the regular season. The Dragons beat McDowell and State College in PIAA regional games before the start of the main tournament. Allderdice punched its ticket to the next round with a 45-43 overtime home victory over Central Catholic on Wednesday. The City League champs got a pair of 3-pointers from senior guard Mike Quigley in the extra session to lift the Dragons to the victory. Allderdice had scored just four points in the first quarter and trailed by 12. Sophomore forward Major Rainey led the Dragons with 16 points, all in regulation.

Girls

Class 5A

Second round

7-2 Knoch (22-3) vs. 3-1 Delone Catholic (27-1)

4 p.m. Saturday, Altoona High School

Coaches: Chris Andreassi, Knoch; Gerry Eckenrode, Delone Catholic

Winner plays: Winner of 11-2 Allentown Central Catholic (21-6)/12-3 Lansdale Catholic (16-7) Tuesday in quarterfinals (Site and time TBD)

Layup lines: Knoch continues to add to a memorable season. The Knights played in and won their first-ever state tournament game as they raced past St. Marys, 65-35, Wednesday at Knoch. The Knights finished undefeated (10-0) at home this season. Senior Maddie Boyer, in the last home game of her standout career, scored her 1,000^th point Wednesday on a runner in the paint late in the first quarter. She finished with a game-high 22 points. The Knights bombed away from 3-point range against St. Marys, finishing with 15. Junior Hattie McGraw made six and finished with 18 points. Junior point guard Nina Shaw, who averages 14 points, missed Wednesday’s playoff contest while recovering from a knee injury suffered in the WPIAL title game against Blackhawk. Andreassi said Friday that she is good to go. … Delone Catholic seeks its fourth PIAA championship. It won three straight titles from 2003-05 and claimed the Class 3A crown in 2019. The Squirettes were stopped in the Class 4A semifinals last year. Gerry Eckenrode the program’s head coach for 23 seasons, won his 500^th game with Delone Catholic last year. The Squirettes rolled past WPIAL quarterfinalist Montour, 58-25, in the first round Wednesday. Mount St. Mary’s recruit Giana Hoddinott scored a game-best 23 points for Delone. The Squirettes defense forced 29 Montour turnovers.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Allderdice, Fox Chapel, Knoch