What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Sept. 8, 2022: Defending golf champs meet again

By: Don Rebel
Thursday, September 8, 2022 | 12:15 AM

Call it the Clash of the Golf Champions II.

With the forecast cooperating, 2021 WPIAL boys team golf champions will meet for the second time this fall on Thursday as North Catholic faces Fox Chapel at the Pittsburgh Field Club at 4 p.m.

A year ago, Fox Chapel won the district Class 3A team title for the second time in two years while North Catholic captured golf gold for the first time in winning the 2A championship.

Realignment moved the Trojans up to 3A, where they were placed in Section 8 along with the reigning 3A champion Foxes.

The teams met in August to kick off section play, with North Catholic winning, 184-197.

Northern clash

Thursday will be another busy night of WPIAL boys soccer action, highlighted by a battle for first place in Section 1-4A.

Seneca Valley has become the dominant boys soccer program in the district’s highest classification. The Raiders have won back-to-back titles and three of the last four Class 4A championships.

SV shows no signs of slowing down as it is off to 3-0 start in the section, 5-0 overall and have outscored its opponents in those five matches, 20-1.

The Raiders travel to Pine-Richland on Thursday. The Rams are also off to a good start at 2-0-1 in the section, 4-0-1 overall.

The lone blemish was Tuesday when they tied Fox Chapel, 1-1. That goal scored by the Foxes was the first allowed by the Rams this season.

Pine-Richland did not qualify for the playoffs last season and lost both matches to Seneca Valley a year ago by a combined score of 12-0.

In the latest HSSN boys soccer rankings, Seneca Valley is No. 1 in 4A while Pine-Richland checks in at No. 4.

Serves and spikes

While most WPIAL girls volleyball teams are just starting off on their section schedule, one district teams looks to improve to 4-0 in its section Thursday.

Bentworth is off to a 3-0 start in Section 3-2A, a half-game up on Southmoreland (2-0) and Brownsville (2-0).

On Thursday, the Bearcats host the Scotties with first place at stake.

It’s early days, but some other matches Thursday with at least a share of the section lead up for grabs include:

• Hampton at Plum in Section 1-3A

• Belle Vernon at Thomas Jefferson in Section 3-3A

• Armstrong at Indiana in Section 5-3A

• Keystone Oaks at South Allegheny in Section 2-2A

• Deer Lakes at Freeport in Section 5-2A

• Frazier at Jefferson-Morgan in Section 2-A

• Carlynton at Eden Christian Academy in Section 3-A

• Leechburg at Serra Catholic in Section 4-A

Tags: Armstrong, Belle Vernon, Bentworth, Carlynton, Deer Lakes, Eden Christian, Fox Chapel, Frazier, Freeport, Hampton, Indiana, Jefferson-Morgan, Keystone Oaks, Leechburg, North Catholic, Pine-Richland, Plum, Seneca Valley, Serra Catholic, South Allegheny, Southmoreland, Thomas Jefferson