What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Feb. 4, 2023: Rematches headline team wrestling semifinals

By: Don Rebel
Saturday, February 4, 2023 | 12:41 AM

They made history last year when they met in the WPIAL team wrestling 2A finals. Now they will collide again, a round earlier in the district semifinals.

No. 2-seeded and defending champion Quaker Valley will battle longtime master of the mat, No. 3-seeded Burrell, on Saturday afternoon.

The Quakers are the Section 3-2A champions and defeated Jefferson-Morgan and McGuffey in the first two rounds on Wednesday to advance to the final four.

The Bucs are the Section 6-2A winners and knocked off Knoch and Laurel to once again make it to the semifinals.

A year ago, Quaker Valley stunned Burrell in the championship match to end the Bucs’ 15-year title run, the second longest in any sport in WPIAL history.

The other semifinal in Class 2A has top-seed Burgettstown (13-0) facing No. 4 seed Frazier.

Both semifinals are set for a noon start and will be followed by the finals at Chartiers-Houston.

You can watch both the 2A and 3A finals on Trib HSSN.

Raiders looking for more gold

It pales in comparison to Burrell’s golden run, but Waynesburg is climbing the ladder of team wrestling title runs.

The Raiders have captured three straight WPIAL Class 3A championships and are two wins away from a fourth crown in a row.

In the semifinals on Saturday at Peters Township, top-seeded and Section 5 winner Waynesburg will face Section 4 champion Connellsville.

In the 3A title match last year, the Raiders defeated the Falcons, 35-18.

In the other semifinal, No. 2 seed Canon-McMillan faces the surprise darlings of this week’s team wrestling playoffs, Hempfield.

The Spartans finished in third place in Section 4 but stunned Trinity and No. 3 seed Butler to reach the final four.

The 3A semifinals start at 10 a.m. and will be followed by the championship match.

You can watch both the 2A and 3A finals on Trib HSSN.

A Slammin’ Saturday

Some of the top girls and boys basketball teams will participate in the Slammin’ at Sewickley Academy event.

Host Sewickley Academy (6-13) girls will face Eden Christian (5-12) to tip off the event at 1:30 p.m., followed by a girls hoops battle of ranked teams as Class 3A No. 1 Laurel (16-2) takes on Class 2A No. 4 Freedom (14-3).

The boys then take over for the final three games of the day.

Class 4A No. 4 Laurel Highlands (15-2) squares off with Class 4A No. 5 South Allegheny (15-2) at 4:30 p.m.

Blackhawk (9-9) takes on Class 2A No. 2 Eden Christian (14-3) at 6 p.m.

The finale has a pair of top-ranked teams locking horns as Class 2A No. 1 Aliquippa (13-5) goes up against Class 4A No. 1 Lincoln Park (17-1) at 7:30 p.m.