Pairings set for 2026 WPIAL boys, girls basketball playoffs

By: Bill Hartlep
Monday, February 9, 2026 | 3:24 PM

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Upper St. Clair, Chartiers Valley, Jeannette and Neighborhood Academy are favored to defend their WPIAL boys basketball titles after earning top seeds in their respective classifications when WPIAL officials released the 2026 postseason brackets Monday afternoon.

The Panthers (Class 6A), Colts (5A), Jayhawks (2A) and Bulldogs (A) joined Quaker Valley (4A) and Mohawk (3A) as No. 1 seeds in the boys tournament.

On the girls’ side, Canon-McMillan (6A), South Fayette (5A), Blackhawk (4A), Shady Side Academy (3A), Neshannock (2A) and Aquinas Academy (A) were picked as top seeds.

The playoffs will begin Thursday and Friday with opening round games.

The WPIAL championships will be held Feb. 26-28, at Pitt’s Petersen Events Center.

WPIAL playoffs

Boys

Class 6A

Monday’s schedule

First round

Norwin (11-11) at Fox Chapel (12-9), 7 p.m.

Pine-Richland (11-11) at Mt. Lebanon (13-8), 7:30 p.m.

Imani Christian (6-16) at North Hills (15-7), 7 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Thursday, Feb. 19

Norwin/Fox Chapel winner vs. Upper St. Clair (20-1), TBA

Seneca Valley (13-8) vs. Hempfield (15-7), TBA

Pine-Richland/Mt. Lebanon winner vs. New Castle (20-1), TBA

Imani Christian/North Hills winner vs. Central Catholic (19-2) at Fox Chapel, TBA

Class 5A

Preliminary round

Thursday’s schedule

Montour (8-13) at McKeesport (10-11), 7 p.m.

Laurel Highlands (13-8) at Ringgold (12-9) , 7 p.m.

Mars (9-13) at Latrobe (9-12), 7 p.m.

First round

Tuesday, Feb. 17

Montour/McKeesport winner at Chartiers Valley (19-2) , 7 p.m.

Shaler (13-9) at Franklin Regional (13-8), 7 p.m.

Penn-Trafford (11-11) at Moon (18-3), 7 p.m.

Indiana (13-7) at Gateway (14-7), 7 p.m.

Laurel Highlands/Ringgold winner at Lincoln Park (16-5), 7 p.m.

Hampton (12-7) at Peters Township (16-5), 7 p.m.

Mars/Latrobe winner at Thomas Jefferson (20-2), 7 p.m.

South Fayette (10-11) at Penn Hills (15-6), 7 p.m.

Class 4A

First round

Friday’s schedule

Burrell (10-12) at Belle Vernon (13-9), 7 p.m.

Deer Lakes (10-11) at Derry (15-6), 7 p.m.

Greensburg Salem (10-11) at Hopewell (14-8), 7 p.m.

Avonworth (10-11) at Elizabeth Forward (13-8), 7 p.m.

East Allegheny (10-9) at Knoch (18-4), 7 p.m.

Highlands (11-11) at Central Valley (14-7), 7 p.m.

Byes: Quaker Valley (17-3), North Catholic (17-4)

Class 3A

First round

Tuesday, Feb. 17

Waynesburg (6-15) at Mohawk (19-1), 7 p.m.

Ellwood City (12-10) at South Allegheny (13-8), 7 p.m.

Shady Side Academy (8-14) at Bishop Canevin (13-8), 7 p.m.

Washington (11-10) at Southmoreland (14-7), 7 p.m.

Sto-Rox (7-14) vs. Aliquippa (14-6) at South Fayette, 7 p.m.

Charleroi (13-9) vs. Seton LaSalle (16-5) at Peters Township, 6 p.m.

Riverside (15-7) at South Park (18-3), 7 p.m.

Ligonier Valley (11-10) at Keystone Oaks (16-4), 7:30 p.m.

Class 2A

Preliminary round

Thursday’s schedule

Beth-Center (12-10) at Brentwood (12-9), 7 p.m.

Greensburg Central Catholic (6-16) at Union (9-13), 7 p.m.

West Greene (7-13) at Bentworth (14-6), 7 p.m.

First round

Monday, Feb. 16

Beth-Center/Brentwood winner at Jeannette (19-1), 7 p.m.

Eden Christian (16-5) at Laurel (14-8), 7 p.m.

Fort Cherry (12-8) at Neshannock (17-3), 7 p.m.

Shenango (15-6) at Clairton (16-3), 7 p.m.

Greensburg Central Catholic/Union winner at Sewickley Academy (21-0), 7:30 p.m.

Winchester Thurston (15-6) at Chartiers-Houston (18-4), 7 p.m.

West Greene/Bentworth winner at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (18-4), 7 p.m.

Springdale (12-9) at Jefferson-Morgan (20-1), 7 p.m.

Class A

Quarterfinals

Wednesday, Feb. 18

Summit Academy (11-8) vs. Neighborhood Academy (18-3) at Fox Chapel, 6 p.m.

Aquinas Academy (9-11) at Monessen (11-8), 7 p.m.

St. Joseph (8-12) vs. Nazareth Prep (8-11) at Fox Chapel, 7:30 p.m.

Serra Catholic (11-9) at Avella (17-5), 7 p.m.

Girls

Class 6A

First round

Monday, Feb. 16

Mt. Lebanon (6-14) at North Hills (7-13), 6 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Thursday, Feb. 19

Mt. Lebanon/North Hills winner at Canon-McMillan (17-4), 6 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 20

Seneca Valley (13-6) at Pine-Richland (15-7), 7 p.m.

Hempfield (13-9) at Norwin (16-4), 7 p.m.

North Allegheny (10-11) at Upper St. Clair (11-10), 7 p.m.

Class 5A

First round

Friday’s schedule

Kiski Area (11-10) at South Fayette (21-1), 7:30 p.m.

Trinity (15-6) at West Allegheny (17-4) , 7 p.m.

Chartiers Valley (8-14) at Baldwin (17-4), 7 p.m.

Peters Township (12-9) at Plum (17-4), 7 p.m.

Penn Hills (11-10) at Thomas Jefferson (20-2), 7 p.m.

Latrobe (11-7) at Fox Chapel (14-8), 7:30 p.m.

Mars (9-12) at Indiana (19-3), 7 p.m.

Franklin Regional (12-10) at Penn-Trafford (16-5), 7 p.m.

Class 4A

First round

Monday, Feb. 16

Burrell (15-7) at Hampton (14-7), 7 p.m.

Lincoln Park (10-12) at Belle Vernon (19-3), 7 p.m.

Hopewell (6-14) at Elizabeth Forward (16-5), 7 p.m.

Freeport (12-9) at South Park (14-8), 7 p.m.

Laurel Highlands (8-14) at North Catholic (17-5), 7 p.m.

Mt. Pleasant (10-11) at Beaver (14-7), 7 p.m.

Byes: Blackhawk (20-0), Oakland Catholic (18-2)

Class 3A

First round

Friday’s schedule

Riverside (14-7) at Avonworth (11-11), 7 p.m.

Keystone Oaks (12-8) at Quaker Valley (15-6), 7 p.m.

Sto-Rox (8-11) at Seton LaSalle (14-7), 6 p.m.

South Allegheny (7-15) at Beaver Falls (20-1), 7 p.m.

Deer Lakes (11-9) at Waynesburg (19-2), 7 p.m.

Mohawk (8-13) at Greensburg Central Catholic (16-6), 6 p.m.

McGuffey (12-10) at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (16-6), 7 p.m.

Bye: Shady Side Academy (19-2)

Class 2A

First round

Tuesday, Feb. 17

Brentwood (6-15) at Neshannock (18-3), 7 p.m.

Laurel (12-10) at California (11-9), 7 p.m.

Riverview (10-8) at Fort Cherry (16-5), 7 p.m.

Apollo-Ridge (12-10) at Rochester (12-8), 7 p.m.

Bentworth (9-12) at Winchester Thurston (17-3), 6 p.m.

Jeannette (15-6) at Burgettstown (16-6), 7 p.m.

South Side (9-12) at Chartiers-Houston (18-3), 7 p.m.

Beth-Center (10-10) at Aliquippa (14-7), 7 p.m.

Class A

First round

Monday, Feb. 16

Eden Christian (10-9) at Bishop Canevin (9-11), 7 p.m.

Monessen (7-13) at Sewickley Academy (13-9), 6 p.m.

Clairton (8-10) at West Greene (15-6), 7 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Thursday, Feb. 19

Eden Christian/Bishop Canevin winner at Aquinas Academy (19-2), TBA

St. Joseph (13-8) at Geibel Catholic (20-1), TBA

Monessen/Sewickley Academy winner vs. Serra Catholic (15-5), TBA

Clairton/West Greene winner vs. Union (18-4), TBA

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.