What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Oct. 22, 2024: Defending 4A champs headline final day of 1st round of soccer playoffs

By: Don Rebel
Monday, October 21, 2024 | 11:50 PM

Purchase Photo Options

The last of the WPIAL soccer first-round matches take place Tuesday.

The only boys soccer tournament that has not yet begun is Class 4A, where five matches are set while Plum, Peters Township and Fox Chapel enjoy opening-round byes.

A year ago, Norwin started the 4A playoffs as the No. 8 seed and proceeded to stun top-seeded Seneca Valley, No. 5 Fox Chapel and second-seeded North Allegheny to win an improbable championship.

Can the Knights repeat history by winning gold without being a favorite, starting the 2024 playoffs as a No. 5 seed?

Norwin (11-5-1), which finished in second place in Section 1-4A, will host No. 12 North Hills (10-8) at 6:30 p.m.

The Indians finished tied for fourth place in Section 3-4A and have lost three straight and four of their last five.

The Knights had won four straight before finishing the regular season 1-1-1 in their final three matches.

The other four 4A first round contests all begin at 6:30 p.m.

• No. 8 Canon-McMillan (10-4-2) will host No. 9 Gateway (8-7) with the winner facing top-seeded Plum in the quarterfinals

• No 13 Central Catholic (5-10-1) visits No. 4 North Allegheny (14-3-1) with the winner moving on to play either North Hills or Norwin

• No. 7 Seneca Valley (11-5) welcomes No. 10 Mt. Lebanon (11-7) with the winner advancing to play No. 2 Peters Township

• No. 11 Pine-Richland (6-10-1) travels to No. 6 Upper St. Clair (10-5-2) with the winner visiting No. 3 Fox Chapel on Saturday

Girls 2A soccer lid lifters

The 2023 WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer championship match saw Avonworth blank Shady Side Academy to win district gold, 1-0. It was the third straight WPIAL crown for the Lady ‘Lopes.

If the Antelopes and Bulldogs square off this postseason, it would be an unlikely rematch in the WPIAL semifinals.

That is because both teams are underdogs in their first-round matches, yet alone beyond their opener.

On Tuesday, No. 10 Avonworth (7-10-1) visits No. 7 Deer Lakes (13-3-2) at 6:30 p.m. while Shady Side Academy (6-9-2) travels to No. 3 Beaver (13-1) at 6 p.m.

Here are the other six Class 2A opening-round matches:

• Top seed Mt. Pleasant (14-1) hosts No. 16 McGuffey (8-6-1) at 6:30 p.m.

• No. 9 Burrell (11-5-1) visits No. 8 Keystone Oaks (10-8) at Dormont Stadium at 6:30 p.m.

• No. 13 Central Valley (6-7-2) travels to face No. 4 South Park (12-4-1) at 8 p.m.

• No. 5 Freeport (11-1-1) will entertain No. 12 Belle Vernon (9-9) at 8 p.m.

• No. 2 Quaker Valley (13-2-2) is home to No. 15 Southmoreland (10-7) at 8 p.m.

• No. 6 North Catholic (13-3) will play No. 11 Yough (12-6) at Freedom at 8 p.m.

Freedom fighters

The Freedom girls soccer program has hoisted gold the last two seasons in Class A.

To three-peat, the Bulldogs are going to have to win it from the No. 8 seed.

Freedom (8-6) opens up another title defense at home Tuesday when it welcomes No. 9 seed Carlynton (13-4).

The Bulldogs finished in second place in Section 1-A, a half-game behind Eden Christian.

Freedom has won four in a row.

The Cougars finished third in Section 3-A and have won seven of their last eight matches.

Here are the other seven Class A openers:

• Top seed Springdale (13-1) will face Greensburg Central Catholic (5-7) at Freeport at 6 p.m. The Centurions defeated California in the lone Class A girls soccer preliminary match, 10-0, to earn the No. 16 seed.

• No. 4 Eden Christian Academy (8-7-1) will take on No. 13 Aquinas Academy (10-5) at Beaver at 8 p.m.

• No. 5 Sewickley Academy (11-3-1) goes up against No. 12 Riverside (6-5-3) at Quaker Valley at 6 p.m.

• No. 2 Seton LaSalle (12-2-2) draws No. 15 Ellis School (7-9) at South Park at 6 p.m.

• No. 7 Waynesburg (13-2) hosts No. 10 Riverview (10-3) at 6 p.m.

• No. 3 Bentworth (15-1) is set to play Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (6-6) at Waynesburg Central at 8 p.m.

• No. 6 Winchester Thurston (11-5) will battle No. 11 Chartiers-Houston (9-4) at Avonworth at 8 p.m.

Preceding that match is a Boys 2A opener when No. 2 Avonworth (14-2-2) hosts No. 15 McGuffey (9-8-1).

Girls volleyball opening round

The WPIAL girls volleyball first round will be played over two nights with Class 3A and 2A coming Wednesday and Class 4A and A openers set for Tuesday.

There are five opening-round matches set in 4A as North Allegheny, Canon-McMillan and North Catholic enjoy byes.

Those top three teams will be spectators and await their opponents in the quarterfinals.

• No. 8 Penn-Trafford (10-6) will be home to No. 9 Armstrong (11-4) at 7 p.m. with the winner visiting top seed North Allegheny on Thursday.

• No. 4 Upper St. Clair (11-5) will host No. 13 Fox Chapel (6-8) at 7 p.m.

• No. 5 Shaler (13-3) welcomes No. 12 Latrobe (11-4) at 7 p.m.

The winner of the 4-13 match faces the winner of the 5-12 contest in the quarterfinals Thursday.

• No. 10 Hempfield (10-5) visits No. 7 Pine-Richland (8-8) at 7 p.m. with the winner facing No. 2 Canon-McMillan in the quarterfinals

• No. 11 Kiski Area (9-7) travels to No. 6 Peters Township (12-4) at 7 p.m. with the winner advancing to take on No. 3 North Catholic on Thursday

In Class A, a private school has won 11 of the last 12 girls volleyball district titles.

The lone exception was two years ago when Frazier won it all for the first time since 2010.

Now the Commodores are the top seed this season as they open up at home Tuesday after losing in the semifinals a year ago.

Frazier (12-3) will host No. 16 Rochester (7-10) at 7 p.m.

Here are the other seven matches, which begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise indicated:

• No. 8 and defending champion Serra Catholic (11-5) will be home to No. 9 Beth-Center (12-4)

• No. 13 Union (8-11) visits No. 4 St. Joseph (15-3)

• No. 12 California (8-5) travels to No. 5 Carmichaels (12-6)

• No. 2 Eden Christian Academy (18-2) will face No. 15 Trinity Christian (8-10) at Pine-Richland at 6 p.m.

• No. 7 and 2023 runner-up Bishop Canevin (8-7) welcomes No. 10 Aquinas Academy (9-7) in a battle of the Crusaders

• No. 14 West Greene (7-6) hits the road to take on No. 3 Greensburg Central Catholic (13-3)

• No. 5 Beaver County Christian (14-1) hosts No. 11 Apollo-Ridge (10-5)

Golden putts at Penn State

Following 18 holes under beautiful conditions at Penn State, the 2024 PIAA individual golf championships will conclude Tuesday at the Blue and White golf courses at Penn State University.

Heading into the final round, some district golfers are in the hunt for a state championship.

In boys 3A, Peters Township senior Colton Lusk shot an opening round 5-under-par, 67. He is one stroke behind Cedar Crest junior Dylan Ramsey. Fox Chapel sophomore Carson Kittsley shot a 4-under 68. He is tied for fourth place.

In boys 2A, Quaker Valley senior Ethan Dai shot a 4-under 68 to share the championship lead with Schuylkill Haven sophomore Alex Evans. OLSH junior Jonah Schollaert is one stroke back after an opening round 69.

In girls 3A, Elizabeth Forward junior Mya Morgan has a two-stroke lead heading into the final round after carding a 4-under 68 on Monday. Peters Township junior Ellie Benson is tied for fourth place, four strokes back after shooting an even par 72.

In girls 2A, Shady Side Academy freshman Alyssa Zhang is tied for third place, two strokes off the lead after shooting a 3-over-par 75 on Monday.

The team championships are scheduled for Wednesday in Happy Valley.