Fox Chapel Herald notebook: Shady Side Academy boys headed to state tournament
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Saturday, February 28, 2026 | 11:01 AM
South Allegheny’s Drew Cook pressures Shady Side Academy’s Willis Price Wheeler in the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals Feb. 25. (Kyler Cecil | Mon Valley Independent)
The Shady Side Academy boys basketball team didn’t quite finish its Cinderella run through the WPIAL Class 3A boys playoffs. But the Bulldogs springing two upsets and reaching the semifinals means Shady Side Academy will be returning to the PIAA playoffs.
No. 13 Shady Side Academy pushed defending champion South Allegheny to the limit in the semifinals, falling 48-43.
The Bulldogs (10-15) beat No. 4 Bishop Canevin and No. 5 Southmoreland on their way to the finals. Shady Side Academy received a game-high 30 points from Cam Mallory against the Gladiators.
Seven teams from the WPIAL in Class 3A qualified to head to the state playoffs and will begin play in that tournament March 7.
Medal collectors
Asher Eckel and Tamer Dandashi led the Fox Chapel indoor track and field team with a pair of third-place finishes at the Tri-State Track Coaches Association meet Feb. 21 at Edinboro University.
Dandashi finished third in the 400-meter dash with a time of 51.08 seconds. Eckel came in third in the 3,000-meter run, finishing in a time of 9:03.17. Bridget Hemingray finished in seventh place in the 3,000 run on the girls side.
Worsens take 3rd
Pitt-Bradford freshman Mike Worsen and senior Ray Worsen each collected third-place finishes at the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference championships in Williamsport.
Mike collected three pins on his way to third place at 133 pounds. Ray lost a close match in the semifinals, 13-11, at 157 before rallying back to place third.
8th seed for Foxes
The Fox Chapel girls basketball team clinched a PIAA Class 5A playoff spot when it upended Latrobe in the first round of the district playoffs. Fox Chapel dropped a pair of games in the consolation bracket that could have improved its seed.
The Foxes were tripped up by Indiana, 49-20, and Trinity, 68-45. Fox Chapel will open the state playoffs against the District 3 champion at a site and time to be determined March 7.
Tags: Fox Chapel, Shady Side Academy
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