NA volleyball, Mars boys lacrosse in PIAA semifinal action Tuesday

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, June 4, 2018 | 9:36 PM

One is a boys volleyball power in District 7, having won 19 WPIAL championships, including 13 titles in the last 16 years. The other has won several District 3 and PIAA championships this decade alone.

North Allegheny faces Central York at 7 p.m. Tuesday in a PIAA Class AAA semifinals match at Richland High School in Johnstown. The match can be heard on the TribLive High School Sports Network .

These two top programs are no strangers to each other, having met in three PIAA championship matches in the last seven years.

It has been a clean sweep for Central York as the Bobcats won 3-1 in 2011, 3-0 in 2014 and 3-1 in the title match a year ago.

The winner of the latest Bobcats vs. Tigers cat fight will advance to the state finals Saturday against the winner of the other semifinals match between Emmaus and Landisville Hempfield. That match takes place Wednesday.

The two Class AA semifinals matches are both Tuesday and pit District 10 champion Cambridge Springs against Manheim Central and Northeastern York against Palmyra.

Mars boys lacrosse shoots for history

This is the 20th anniversary of the PIAA hosting boys and girls lacrosse playoffs. The year 1999 was the first year when LaSalle College and Radnor won boys state titles, while Conestoga and Radnor claimed girls state crowns.

In the previous 19 postseason tournaments, no WPIAL teams have qualified for a championship match yet alone won it all.

Mars hopes to change that Tuesday.

The three-time WPIAL Class AA champion Fightin' Planets have reached the semifinals, and the only thing standing between them and history is Strath Haven. The Planets and Panthers meet at Cumberland Valley at 4 p.m.

The other Class AA semifinals match is Bishop Shanahan against York Catholic.

In the Class AAA boys lacrosse semifinals Tuesday, LaSalle College battles Conestoga, while Garnet Valley takes on Manheim Township.

Don't forget the girls

Here is the four PIAA girls lacrosse semifinals also slated for Tuesday:

Class AAA — Garnet Valley vs. Unionville and Springfield-Delco vs. Manheim Township

Class AA — Malvern Villa Maria vs. Radnor and Susquehannock vs. Kennard-Dale

Don Rebel is a TribLive High School Sports Network broadcaster and staff writer. Reach him at drebel@tribweb.com.

Tags: Mars, North Allegheny