What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Dec. 12, 2025: After strong starts, Class 6A boys teams set to square off

By: Don Rebel
Thursday, December 11, 2025 | 9:30 PM

The curtain rises on section play for most teams in WPIAL boys basketball Friday.

It has been a strong start for several sections, but none better than Section 1-6A.

The eight teams in that section have combined to go 20-7 in nonsection games before head-to-head battles begin Friday.

Top-ranked New Castle and North Allegheny have combined to go 7-0 thus far.

The only team that is not over .500 at the start of section play is Pine-Richland at 1-2.

Here is the lineup for the four contests on the first night of what should be 56 very competitive section games.

• New Castle (4-0) visits North Hills (2-1) at 7:30 p.m.

• North Allegheny (3-0) hosts Butler (2-1) at 7:30 p.m. in a game you can hear on Trib HSSN

• Woodland Hills (3-1) is home to Pine-Richland (1-2) at 7:30 p.m.

• Seneca Valley (2-1) travels to Fox Chapel (3-1) at 7 p.m. in a game you can watch on Trib HSSN

Tribal clash

Ten years ago, one of the more unexpected WPIAL boys basketball championship runs took place when No. 5 seed Indiana defeated traditional power Beaver Falls in the 2015 Class 3A finals to capture the program’s first and only district hoops crown.

Speaking of unexpected, 25 years ago, Penn Hills barely qualified for the 2000 WPIAL Class 4A playoffs, but behind an incredible playoff performance by Drew Schifino, the Indians beat Kiski Area, stunned top-seeded Peters Township, upended Uniontown and defeated Butler to win the program’s third of six district titles.

It’s the Indians against the Little Indians in a Section 2-5A lid-lifter when Penn Hills visits Indiana at 7:30 p.m.

It has been a rough start for Penn Hills, which is still searching for its first win after three nonsection games.

The Indians lost close games in Central Catholic’s Jack Twyman tournament to ranked teams Moon and Mohawk, before losing by 10 earlier this week at Woodland Hills.

Indiana lost its first two games in the Latrobe tipoff tournament in November to Jeannette and the host Wildcats before winning three straight against Highlands in overtime, Greensburg Central Catholic and Hempfield.

Both teams made the postseason a year ago but lost their first playoff game — Indiana to Franklin Regional in the preliminary round and Penn Hills to Peters Township in the first round.

Top 2 in Section 2A-4 collide

One of the tightest races for a section championship in boys basketball last season came in Section 4-2A.

Neshannock finished in first place with a 13-1 section record, one game ahead of runner-up Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at 12-2.

The Lancers and Chargers lost in the 2A semifinals and quarterfinals respectively and combined to go a combined 43-13 last season.

This year, they open up section play against each other when OLSH heads north to visit Neshannock.

The Chargers are off to a 2-0 start following convincing victories over Riverview and Albert Gallatin.

The Lancers split their first two games this season, beating Ambridge in their opener and then losing to District 10 Mercyhurst Prep by four points last week.

Advantage continues?

Two of the top district girls basketball teams are set to open section play Friday with one squad hoping to continue its hex on the other.

Last season, Peters Township and Thomas Jefferson met four times, twice in the regular season, once in the WPIAL playoffs and the final time in the PIAA postseason.

The Indians won all four times, defeating the Jaguars in section play by scores of 52-39 and 58-49, winning in the district semifinals 46-43 and then surviving in the state second round, 57-53.

The first meeting of the new season opens play in Section 4-5A as Thomas Jefferson visits Peters Township at 6 p.m.

This year, the Jaguars won their first four games, beating Quaker Valley, Knoch, Chartiers Valley and Elizabeth Forward, before falling to Norwin on Tuesday.

The reigning WPIAL Class 5A champion Indians lost their season opener to Canon-McMillan but then won three in a row over 6A foes Upper St. Clair, Pine-Richland and North Allegheny.

In the second game of the girls/boys doubleheader, Thomas Jefferson (4-0) battles Peters Township (3-1) to open up Section 3-5A boys basketball play.