What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Jan. 19, 2023: North Catholic girls to face test

By: Don Rebel
Thursday, January 19, 2023 | 12:24 AM

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The second half of section action in WPIAL girls basketball begins Thursday, highlighted by a battle for first place in Section 1-4A.

Section leader and defending 3A champion North Catholic (11-3) will visits Highlands (9-4).

The Trojans have a perfect 6-0 section record at the midway point, one game ahead of the 5-1 Golden Rams.

North Catholic has won five straight and eight of its last nine games as it sharpens its game for the second half and postseason.

Highlands has won six straight games following a 3-4 start to the season.

The Trojans won the first meeting, defeating the visiting Golden Rams, 61-33, on Dec. 15.

Girls playoff positioning

With the second half upon us, attention is now paid not only to the fight for first place in each section but the battles for one of the top four spots in each section and the shuffle for playoff positioning.

Here are some of the key games to watch around the district Thursday.

• Woodland Hills (4-2, 7-9) visits Franklin Regional 4-2, 5-8) in a battle for second place behind Indiana in Section 1-5A

• Winchester Thurston (3-2, 6-6) travels to Clairton (3-2, 5-5) in a clash of two teams tied for third place in Section 3-2A, trailing Greensburg Central Catholic (6-0) and Serra Catholic (5-1).

• California (4-2, 7-7) hosts Chartiers-Houston (5-1, 9-6) in a fight for second place behind Washington (6-0) in Section 4-2A.

A nonsection girls basketball game worth noting matches the two top teams in Class 5A.

• No. 1 McKeesport (12-2) visits No. 2 South Fayette (13-2).

The host Lions are in first place in Section 4-5A and have won six straight games.

The Tigers are now in second place in Section 3-5A after their 10-game winning streak ended Tuesday with a loss to Oakland Catholic, 59-51.

Targeting top teams

The two top teams in Sections 1 and 2 square off on the shooting range in a couple of WPIAL rifle matches set for Thursday.

Section 1 leader McGuffey (3-0, 5-1) will host the second-place team in Section 2, Bethel Park (2-1, 4-2).

Also on Thursday, Section 2 leader Trinity (4-0, 8-0) will take on the second-place team in Section 1, Waynesburg Central (2-1, 3-3) at the Waynesburg Sportsmen Association.