What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Dec. 23, 2021: Big-time battle between Lincoln Park, Quaker Valley

By: Don Rebel
Thursday, December 23, 2021 | 4:21 PM

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Even though it’s only two days until the holiday weekend, there are two more big section basketball games to be played before the first gifts are unwrapped.

On the boys side, the lone Thursday section game is a showdown in Section 2-4A as No. 1 Lincoln Park visits No. 2 Quaker Valley.

For five straight years, Quaker Valley has reached the WPIAL final four but has not been able to win that elusive gold medal in 25 years.

In three years from 2017-2019, the Quakers reached the finals, only to lose to New Castle.

Lincoln Park has had the Midas touch when it comes to WPIAL titles, winning back-to-back 3A titles in 2018 and 2019 before moving up to 4A last season and beating North Catholic, 66-57, for a third title in four years.

Two of the top players in the district will square off with senior Adou Thiero for the Quakers and sophomore Brandon Cummings for the Leopards.

Thus far this season, defending champion Lincoln Park is 1-0 in the section and 3-0 overall while Quaker Valley is 1-0 in section and 4-0 overall.

You can hear the game on Trib HSSN at 7:30 p.m.

Girls 5A battle of unbeaten

The final girls section game before the break is a battle for first place in Section 4-5A as Greensburg Salem hosts McKeesport.

The Tigers are 1-0 in the section and 5-0 overall after beating Brashear on Tuesday.

This is the section opener for the Golden Lions, who picked up three of their six wins in the KSA Classic in Florida.

Greensburg Salem needs only two more wins to match its total of eight from a year ago.

McKeesport won both meeting last season with GS, winning by 30 points at home and by 16 points in Greensburg.

WPIAL vs D-10

Even though the schools are separated by 130 miles, the Central Catholic and Cathedral Prep boys basketball programs have a rich history, usually staged in the PIAA playoffs.

The Vikings and Ramblers have met on the hardwood in the boys state basketball playoffs six times, with the first meeting in the 1984 postseason and the most recent state playoff clash 10 years ago in March of 2012.

Cathedral Prep holds a 4-2 advantage in the PIAA postseason over Central Catholic. The Vikings picked up state wins in 1988 and 10 years later in 1998, while the Ramblers were victorious in 1984, 2006, 2009 and in overtime in 2012.

The average margin of victory in those six games was six points.

The two meet with the stakes not as high Thursday in Erie.

Central Catholic is off to a perfect 4-0 start this season while Cathedral Prep dropped two out of three games last weekend at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas. The Ramblers are 2-3 for the season.

Tags: Lincoln Park, Quaker Valley