What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Oct. 26, 2022: Cross country gold up for grabs

By: Don Rebel
Wednesday, October 26, 2022 | 6:16 PM

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While the WPIAL playoff continue in soccer, volleyball and field hockey, there is gold to be won in them there hills on Thursday.

The 2022 WPIAL cross country individual and team championships will take place at Roadman Park on the campus of Cal (Pa).

There will be six championship races:

Girls 2A at 11 a.m.

Boys 2A at 11:45 a.m.

Girls 3A at 1 p.m.

Boys 3A at 1:45 p.m.

Girls A at 3 p.m.

Boys A at 3:45 p.m.

Strive for Five is the battle cry for the North Allegheny boys and girls cross country teams. The Tigers are trying to win their fifth straight WPIAL 3A boys and girls team titles.

The other defending team champions are Hampton boys in 2A, Riverview boys in A, Montour girls in 2A and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart girls in A.

The 2021 WPIAL individual champions last fall were C.J. Singleton of Butler in boys 3A, Ryan Pajak of Ringgold in boys 2A, Sean Aiken of Eden Christian Academy in boys A, Mia Cochran of Moon in girls 3A, Jolena Quarzo of Brownsville in girls 2A and Corinn Brewer of Greensburg Central Catholic in girls A.

Don’t blink

The quickest WPIAL team tournament of the school year is the district field hockey championships: two rounds over a span of three days.

The semifinals are set for Thursday with doubleheaders at three sites.

In Class 3A at Pine-Richland, the defending champion Rams will face Mt. Lebanon at 6 p.m. while North Allegheny faces Peters Township at 7:30 p.m.

In 2A at Penn-Trafford, the defending champion Warriors will host Oakland Catholic at 6 p.m., followed by the Fox Chapel against Latrobe final four match at 7:30 p.m.

In A at The Ellis School, the top-seed Tigers welcome Winchester Thurston at 6 p.m. with a rematch of the 2021 finals to follow when Shady Side Academy battles Aquinas Academy at 7:30 p.m.

The winners advance to the WPIAL finals at Washington & Jefferson on Saturday afternoon on HSSN.

Soccer second round

The eight teams that qualified for the WPIAL Class 4A girls soccer players have had to wait at least a week and half to make the postseason debuts.

Finally the curtain goes up with the quarterfinals taking place Thursday.

With 2021 champion Moon now playing in 3A, a new champion is ready to be crowned with the first four of seven postseason matches in 4A are set.

No. 8 Bethel Park at No. 1 North Allegheny

No. 5 Upper St. Clair at No. 4 Seneca Valley

No. 7 Pine-Richland at No. 2 Mt. Lebanon

No. 6 Butler at No. 3 Peters Township

All four matches begin at 6:30 p.m.

The Class 3A quarterfinals in girls soccer are also set for Thursday.

No. 9 Franklin Regional at No. 1 Mars

No. 5 Latrobe at No. 4 Thomas Jefferson

No. 10 Oakland Catholic at No. 2 Moon

No. 11 Montour at No. 3 Plum

All of these second-round matches are also at 6:30 p.m.

Finally in boys soccer, Class 2A owns the quarterfinals spotlight Thursday.

No. 8 McGuffey at No. 1 South Park

No. 12 West Mifflin at No. 4 Deer Lakes

No. 10 Avonworth at No. 2 Quaker Valley

No. 6 Beaver at No. 3 Shady Side Academy

There matches also all start at 6:30 p.m.

Serving quarters on the court

The opening round is in the books and now the elite eight in each classification is set to begin in the WPIAL girls volleyball playoffs.

On Thursday, Class 4A and Class A continue into the second round.

Two teams will be making their 2022 postseason debuts Thursday after enjoying a couple of 4A first-round byes.

Top-seed and defending champion North Allegheny debuts at home against No. 8 Bethel Park at 7 p.m. while No. 2 Pine-Richland also the postseason at home against No. 7 Shaler, also at 7 p.m..

The other two 4A second round matches:

No. 5 Canon-McMillan at No. 4 Penn-Trafford at 7:30 p.m.

No. 6 Peters Township at No. 3 Seneca Valley at 7:30 p.m.

The Class A quarters are:

No. 9 Carmichaels vs. No. 1 Serra Catholic at Penn-Trafford at 6 p.m.

No. 5 Bishop Canevin vs. No. 4 Union at Seneca Valley at 6 p.m.

No. 10 Western Beaver at No. 2 Frazier at 6 p.m.

No. 6 Mapletown vs. No. 3 Greensburg Central Catholic at Frazier at 7:30 p.m.