Pine-Richland notebook: Sections overhauled for Rams basketball teams

By: Jerin Steele
Sunday, June 19, 2022 | 11:01 AM

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A new opponent with a rich history will be joining Pine-Richland boys basketball for the next two seasons.

New Castle, a 13-time WPIAL champion and last year’s Class 5A state runner-up, is moving up to Class 6A and will be in Section 1 with the Rams.

The Red Hurricane were forced to move up because they accepted transfers and accumulated too many points in the PIAA’s competitive balance formula after making it to the state finals last season.

The PIAA started using a competitive balance formula in 2018.

New Castle lost to Laurel Highlands, 60-58, in double overtime in the WPIAL 5A championship game but won district titles in 2017, ’18 and ’19.

Central Catholic also moves into Section 1 after playing in Section 2 the last two seasons.

The rest of the Rams’ section mates will be familiar faces in North Allegheny, Butler and Seneca Valley.

North Hills, which won Section 1 last year, is dropping down to Class 5A and so is defending Class 6A champion Fox Chapel.

There are 12 teams in Class 6A boys basketball.

Pine-Richland girls basketball’s section shrunk.

There are only six teams in Section 1-6A in the next cycle, down from eight last year.

Butler, North Allegheny, Seneca Valley, Norwin and Hempfield are the Rams’ five section opponents. Hempfield comes over from Section 2. The other four were in Section 1.

Penn-Trafford, North Hills and Shaler, which were in Section 1 last year, dropped down to Class 5A.

There are only 13 teams in Class 6A, down from 15 in the last cycle.

Chartiers Valley moved up from 5A to 6A and is in Section 2.

Softball youth camp

The Pine-Richland softball team is hosting a youth camp June 28-30 at the Pine-Richland softball field.

It will be from 9 a.m. to noon each day, with check-in from 8:30-8:45 a.m.

The camp is $100 per player and is for kids age 7-13. Each participant must sign a waiver prior to the first day of the camp.

Each participant will receive instruction from the Pine-Richland varsity coaching staff led by head coach Sam Hartzberg as well the players on the high school team and will receive a T-shirt.

Participants must fill out a registration form and make payment online at either the Pine-Richland Baseball/Softball Association website (www.prbsa.com) or the Brad-Mar-Pine Baseball and Softball Association website (www.bradmarpine.com).

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

Tags: Pine-Richland