What to watch for in WPIAL sports on March 21, 2025: Chartiers Valley, 5 other teams look to punch tickets to Hershey

By: Don Rebel
Thursday, March 20, 2025 | 11:43 PM

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Welcome to the first day of spring as we focus on the last remnants of the winter high school sports season.

The Road to Hershey has reached the final four with the Friday spotlight shining on boys Class 5A, 4A and A along with girls Class 6A, 3A and 2A.

Twenty-eight years ago, the Chartiers Valley boys basketball program played in its first PIAA semifinal.

On Friday, the Colts make trip No. 4 to the state final four.

WPIAL champion Chartiers Valley (26-3) will battle District 3 winner Hershey (23-3) at Clearfield at 6 p.m.

The Colts are 2-1 in PIAA semifinals, having lost to Lewistown in 1997, 66-64, but defeating two WPIAL teams in their other final four games, beating South Park in 1998, 50-49, and topping Hampton in their most recent appearance in the state semis in 2010, 76-67.

In state playoff victories over Cocalico, Montour and Johnstown, Chartiers Valley has been led by senior guard Jayden Davis, who has scored a combined 52 points on the Road to Hershey.

It has been a shorter ride for the D-3 champion Trojans, who knocked off Penn-Trafford in the opening round, 52-43, and ousted West York in the quarterfinals, 57-46.

Hershey has a bye in the second round after the PIAA ruled that both Meadville and Uniontown had to forfeit their first-round game because of a brawl that ended the game with over 3 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

This will be the first PIAA boys basketball semifinal for Hershey.

In the other boys 5A semifinal, Upper Moreland (22-6) takes on Neumann-Goretti (17-11) at Pottstown at 7 p.m.

Four in 4A?

The WPIAL has been on a roll in boys Class 4A, sending district teams to the PIAA championship three straight years.

Can North Catholic make it four straight in 4A?

The Trojans are hoping to reach the 4A state title game as Quaker Valley did in 2022 and Lincoln Park did in 2023 and 2024.

WPIAL runner-up North Catholic (22-6) will challenge District 3 champion Berks Catholic (23-4) at James Buchanan HS at 6:30 p.m.

The Trojans have relied on the 1-2 scoring punch of junior guards Jude Rottmann and Jason Fredericks all season and especially in the state playoffs.

Fredericks scored 25 in the first-round win over Hickory, the two combined for 49 points in a Round 2 victory over Beaver, and Rottmann scored 28 in a quarterfinal triumph over Cathedral Prep in overtime.

This is the 56th game all-time for North Catholic in the PIAA playoffs but only the third semifinal contest.

The Trojans beat Washington in 2009 and lost to Lincoln Park in 2017.

The Saints have knocked off Simon Gratz, Scranton Prep and Sharon to reach the semifinals for the first time in program history.

The other 4A semifinal pits Devon Prep (21-4) against Valley View (23-5) at Parkland at 7:30 p.m.

D-7 killers

District 9 Class A champion Otto-Eldred has taken a consistent path to the PIAA semifinals: Play a WPIAL team and beat a WPIAL team.

Now it’s a battle of champions as Neighborhood Academy (27-1) battles Otto-Eldred (28-1) at the Hagerty Family Events Center in Erie at 7 p.m.

The D-9 champions Terrors have terrorized district teams on the Road to Hershey, beating Nazareth Prep, Serra Catholic and Aquinas Academy by 25, 10 and seven points.

The Bulldogs were 1-2 all-time in PIAA playoff games coming into this season but are now 4-2 following three impressive state victories.

Neighborhood Academy has three double-digit wins, beating Shanksville-Shade by 63 points, D-9 runner-up Elk County Catholic by 19 and LaAcademia Charter by 20 points.

Yale commit Courtney Wallace Jr. has led the Bulldogs in scoring in all three wins with a combined 67 points.

In the other boys Class A semifinal, Lancaster Country Day (18-9) will face Sankofa Freedom Academy (18-11) at Plymouth-Whitemarsh at 5:30 p.m.

Three faces of gold

Since expansion to six classifications in 2017, the winner of the PIAA Class 6A girls basketball championship has come from one of three districts.

Three have been four from District 1, two from District 7 and the last two winners from District 12.

So it should be no surprise that those three districts are the only ones vying for 6A girls gold heading into the state final four.

WPIAL champion Upper St. Clair (22-6) is set to take on District 1 runner-up Garnet Valley (27-2) at James Buchanan near Chambersburg at 5 p.m.

The Panthers have three double-digit wins on their resume heading into the semifinals with wins over Manheim Township by 28 points, Canon-McMillan by 14 and Haverford by 16 points.

Senior guard and Kent State commit Rylee Kalocay has led USC with a combined 55 points in the three state playoff victories.

After falling in the D-1 finals, the Jaguars ousted Mechanicsburg by 30 points, Altoona by 16 and needed two overtimes to take down Cardinal O’Hara by six.

The other 6A girls semifinal pits District 1 champion Perkiomen Valley (26-3) against District 12 winner Archbishop Carroll (20-9) at Plymouth-Whitemarsh at 7:30 p.m.

Veteran coaches collide

Two veteran coaches who have been pacing the coaching boxes in WPIAL girls basketball for a long time square off with a berth in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball state championship game at stake.

Don Eckerle leads Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (25-4) against Jonna Burke and WPIAL runner-up Shady Side Academy (27-1) at Fox Chapel at 6 p.m.

Eckerle is in his 18th season as head coach at OLSH and earlier this season, won his 400th career game.

Burke is four wins shy of 575 for her career, which spans 30 years at Butler, Bethel Park and now in her fourth season at SSA.

Senior Claudia Ierullo has led the Chargers in the state playoffs with a combined 56 points in wins over Seneca, WPIAL champion Greensburg Central Catholic and Central Cambria.

Junior Karis Thomas has guided the Bulldogs to PIAA postseason wins over Cranberry, previously undefeated Northwestern and Camp Hill Trinity by scoring a combined 54 points.

In the other 3A girls semifinal, Imhotep Charter (23-6) goes up against Loyalsock Township (28-2) at Parkland at 6 p.m.

A public service

There are no WPIAL teams remaining in girls 2A, but here are Friday’s two semifinal matchups.

• District 6 runner-up Penns Manor (25-5) vs. District 6 champion Bishop McCort (25-4) at Central Cambria at 7 p.m.

• District 2 champion Mountain View (24-4) vs. District 5 champion Berlin-Brothersvalley (25-2) at Mechanicsburg at 6:30 p.m.

Tags: Chartiers Valley, Neighborhood Academy, North Catholic, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Shady Side Academy, Upper St. Clair