WPIAL reveals basketball playoff brackets asking: ‘What have you done lately?’

By: Chris Harlan
Monday, February 13, 2023 | 4:34 PM

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If the season ended three days ago, the Penn Hills boys probably would’ve earned a No. 1 seed in the WPIAL basketball playoffs.

So, too, might’ve Mohawk.

Instead, losses in their section finales Friday night opened the door for Peters Township in Class 5A and Steel Valley in 3A to snag the top spots in the WPIAL brackets for those classifications. The WPIAL playoff pairings were announced Monday on TribLive HSSN.

Check out complete brackets here

They were a reminder that the WPIAL basketball committee likes to asks, “What have you done lately?”

A loss in February was usually more costly than a loss in December. That included when the committee needed to break section ties, choosing to reward the winner of the late-season rematch most of the time.

“We’ve tried to remain consistent in what we do,” said WPIAL committee chairman Bill Cardone, athletic director at Hampton. “That was one of the first questions from a committee member today before we started bracketing: ‘Hey, how are we going to handle this and how are we going to handle that?’

“We answered the questions by saying that we’re going to remain consistent with ‘what have you done for me lately,’ strength of schedule and things like that.”

The other No. 1 seeds in the boys brackets went to New Castle in Class 6A, Lincoln Park in 4A, Aliquippa in 2A and Imani Christian in A. Earning the top girls seeds were Upper St. Clair in 6A, South Fayette in 5A, Blackhawk in 4A, Shady Side Academy in 3A, Shenango in 2A and Union in A.

South Fayette and Blackhawk are both defending WPIAL champions.

The playoffs start Thursday with preliminary round games in some classifications and one first-round game in boys Class 5A and conclude March 2-4 with championship games at Petersen Events Center.

Higher-seeded teams will receive home games in the first round, if their gym meets WPIAL criteria to host. Teams with a first-round bye will receive a home game in the quarterfinals.

The WPIAL will bring back play-in games to determine some state playoff qualifiers, rather than the traditional follow-the-winner format.

The 13-person WPIAL basketball committee met for around 3½ hours Monday morning to seed the brackets.

“Everything kind of fell into place,” Cardone said. “I’m sure, as always, there are going to be some people happy and some people not too happy.”

Choosing a No. 1 seed in Class 5A boys was a decision that required discussion. The debate was between Penn Hills (17-3) and Peters Township (19-3). Both were section champions with one section loss apiece.

Peters Township lost 105-100 in triple-overtime to Thomas Jefferson on Jan. 3. Penn Hills lost Friday to rival Woodland Hills, 55-40.

“I don’t think there would’ve been any discussion if Penn Hills hadn’t lost to Woodland Hills,” Cardone said. “I think they would have been a clear-cut No. 1. But Peters has been playing really well lately. They have some really good wins. They’re a quality team, Penn Hills is a quality team, and you could probably throw North Hills in there, too, and possibly even Gateway.”

But it was Peters Township, with an 11-game winning streak, that had the strongest finish.

Penn Hills coach Chris Giles said he’s OK with a No. 2 seed but disagrees with the idea that late-season wins or losses should be valued more than midseason ones.

“Quite frankly, I don’t think that should matter,” Giles said. “You can look at our three losses. We lost early in the season to a very good Central Catholic team. We lost to Archbishop Wood, which is arguably a contender in 6A for the (state) championship. What does it tell teams that go out and play those kind of games? Is it worth it?”

Penn Hills and North Hills started the season as preseason favorites in WPIAL Class 5A. They’re now both on the same side of the bracket, meaning they could meet in the semifinals.

Giles said any perceived snub in seeding was a nonissue for his team.

“Honestly, it doesn’t matter to us,” he said. “You’ve just got to go out there and beat the team that’s in front of you. … We’re not going to sit over here and pout about our seeding.”

In Class 3A boys, Mohawk was in the discussion for the No. 1 seed until the Warriors lost Friday to section foe Neshannock, 67-57. The teams split their regular-season series (Mohawk won, 67-49, on Jan. 17) and finished tied as co-champions in Section 1.

The committee seeded Neshannock (15-5) second and Mohawk (19-2) fourth.

“When someone loses a game early in the season and then comes back and beats them the second time, we put a little more weight on how you’re playing toward the end,” Cardone said.

There are 12 pairs of section co-champions this season and the WPIAL followed that philosophy 11 times. The co-champion that won the section rematch was seeded higher in all but one instance.

The one exception was in Class 3A girls, where Laurel (19-2) was seeded second and Neshannock (16-6) was third.

Among the co-champion boys teams, the committee chose Laurel Highlands (No. 2) over Uniontown (3), Quaker Valley (7) over South Allegheny (8), Shady Side Academy (3) over Deer Lakes (5), Yough (7) over Washington (8) and Geibel Catholic (4) over Monessen (6).

In the girls brackets, North Allegheny (2) was chosen over Norwin (3), Armstrong (5) over Mars (7), Shenango (1) over Freedom (2), Serra Catholic (3) over Greensburg Central Catholic (4) and Union (1) over Bishop Canevin (2).

Those higher seeds all won the late-season rematch.

“I think being consistent helps,” Cardone said. “Not only the committee, it also helps the people in the tournament know the expectations.”

Boys

Class 6A

Quarterfinals

Feb. 24 schedule

Norwin (13-8) at New Castle (19-2), 7 p.m.

Butler (14-7) at Mt. Lebanon (14-7), 7 p.m.

Seneca Valley (9-12) at Upper St. Clair (14-8), 7 p.m.

Baldwin (12-9) vs. Central Catholic (13-9) at Gateway, 7 p.m.

Class 5A

First round

Thursday’s schedule

McKeesport (9-10) at Moon (12-9), 7 p.m.

Friday’s schedule

Penn-Trafford (7-15) at Peters Township (18-3), 7 p.m.

Shaler (16-6) at South Fayette (12-9), 7 p.m.

Woodland Hills (14-8) at Gateway (15-5), 8 p.m.

Trinity (9-12) at Penn Hills (16-3), 7 p.m.

Bethel Park (12-8) vs. Mars (14-7) at North Hills, 6 p.m.

Kiski Area (11-11) at North Hills (17-5), 8 p.m.

Fox Chapel (13-8) at Thomas Jefferson (15-7), 7 p.m.

Class 4A

Preliminary round

Thursday’s schedule

West Mifflin (9-11) at Knoch (7-14), 7 p.m.

First round

Feb. 20 schedule

West Mifflin/Knoch winner at Lincoln Park (21-1), 7 p.m.

Beaver (16-4) at South Allegheny (18-4), 7 p.m.

Blackhawk (11-11) at Hampton (20-2), 7 p.m.

Elizabeth Forward (8-13) at Highlands (19-3), 7 p.m.

Freeport (13-8) at Laurel Highlands (19-2), 7 p.m.

Belle Vernon (10-11) at Quaker Valley (14-6), 7 p.m.

Avonworth (8-13) at Uniontown (18-3), 7 p.m.

Montour (9-13) at North Catholic (16-6), 7 p.m.

Class 3A

First round

Feb. 20 schedule

McGuffey (12-10) at Steel Valley (12-9), 7 p.m.

Seton LaSalle (11-9) at Washington (15-5), 7 p.m.

Derry (11-9) at Mohawk (19-2), 7 p.m.

Ellwood City (15-7) at Deer Lakes (13-8), 7 p.m.

Keystone Oaks (9-12) at Neshannock (15-5), 7 p.m.

Burrell (13-9) at Yough (15-7), 7 p.m.

Brownsville (12-8) vs. Shady Side Academy (15-6) at Fox Chapel, 8 p.m.

Beaver Falls (10-9) vs. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (16-5) at Fox Chapel, 6 p.m.

Class 2A

Preliminary round

Thursday’s schedule

Bentworth (12-10) at Laurel (6-15), 7 p.m.

Carmichaels (12-10) at South Side (7-14), 7 p.m.

First round

Feb. 21 schedule

Bentworth/Laurel winner at Aliquippa (16-6), 7 p.m.

Chartiers-Houston (16-6) at Shenango (14-8), 7 p.m.

Propel Braddock Hills (10-12) vs. Greensburg Central Catholic (15-5) at Gateway, 6 p.m.

Burgettstown (12-9) vs. Eden Christian (15-5) at Mt. Lebanon, 6 p.m.

Carmichaels/South Side winner at Bishop Canevin (18-4), 7 p.m.

Nazareth Prep (9-8) at Serra Catholic (13-9), 7 p.m.

Clairton (10-12) vs. Fort Cherry (20-2) at South Fayette, 6 p.m.

Jeannette (13-7) at Northgate (16-6), 7 p.m.

Class A

First round

Friday’s schedule

Summit Academy (10-6) at Rochester (10-12), 7 p.m.

Avella (6-16) vs. Geibel (15-6) at Charleroi, 6 p.m.

Mapletown (7-13) vs. Neighborhood Academy (17-4) at Charleroi, 8 p.m.

Jefferson-Morgan (13-9) vs. Aquinas Academy (18-4) at Peters Township, TBA

Western Beaver (10-12) at Monessen (20-2), 7 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Feb. 22 schedule

Summit Academy/Rochester winner vs. Imani Christian (15-6), TBA

Avella/Geibel winner vs. Mapletown/Neighborhood Academy winner, TBA

Jefferson-Morgan/Aquinas Academy winner at Union (20-2), 7 p.m.

Western Beaver/Monessen winner at Carlynton (15-6), 7 p.m.

Girls

Class 6A

First round

Feb. 20 schedule

Butler (10-11) at Peters Township (11-10), 8 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Feb. 23 schedule

Butler/Peters Township winner at Upper St. Clair (19-2), 7 p.m.

Chartiers Valley (11-9) at Mt. Lebanon (16-6), 7 p.m.

Pine-Richland (10-11) at North Allegheny (16-5), 7 p.m.

Baldwin (9-12) at Norwin (19-3), 7 p.m.

Class 5A

Preliminary round

Thursday’s schedule

Montour (7-14) at Plum (12-9), 7 p.m.

First round

Feb. 21 schedule

Montour/Plum winner at South Fayette (20-2), 8 p.m.

Shaler (16-6) at Penn-Trafford (15-6) , 8 p.m.

Latrobe (14-8) at Trinity (15-6), 7 p.m.

Woodland Hills (11-11) at Armstrong (18-3), 7 p.m.

Kiski Area (9-12) vs. Oakland Catholic (19-3) at Fox Chapel, 6 p.m.

Lincoln Park (18-4) vs. Mars (15-5) at Mt. Lebanon, 8 p.m.

Penn Hills (10-10) at McKeesport (18-4), 7 p.m.

Hampton (14-8) vs. Indiana (15-7) at Fox Chapel, 8 p.m.

Class 4A

First round

Feb. 21 schedule

Greensburg Salem (14-8) at Belle Vernon (14-8), 7 p.m.

Hopewell (10-12) at Knoch (14-7), 7 p.m.

West Mifflin (11-9) at Beaver (13-7), 7 p.m.

Laurel Highlands (11-11) at Highlands (14-7), 7 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Feb. 24 schedule

Greensburg Salem/Belle Vernon winner at Blackhawk (19-3), 7 p.m.

Hopewell/Knoch winner at Quaker Valley (15-7), 7 p.m.

West Mifflin/Beaver winner at North Catholic (19-3), 7 p.m.

Laurel Highlands/Highlands winner vs. Elizabeth Forward (17-4), TBA

Class 3A

Preliminary round

Thursday’s schedule

Beaver Falls (9-11) at Yough (10-11), 7 p.m.

First round

Saturday’s schedule

Beaver Falls/Yough vs. Shady Side Academy (19-2) at Fox Chapel, noon

Seton LaSalle (12-9) at Waynesburg (18-3), noon

McGuffey (15-7) at Avonworth (15-5), noon

Mt. Pleasant (14-8) vs. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (16-6) at Peters Township, noon

Burrell (10-12) at Laurel (19-2), noon

South Park (11-11) vs. Keystone Oaks (15-7) at Peters Township, 2 p.m.

Charleroi (11-9) at Neshannock (16-6), noon

Mohawk (14-8) at Apollo-Ridge (19-3), noon

Class 2A

First round

Friday’s schedule

Carmichaels (8-14) at Shenango (18-4), 7 p.m.

Clairton (9-9) at Brentwood (12-9), 7 p.m.

California (10-11) vs. Greensburg Central Catholic (18-4) at Gateway, 6 p.m.

Winchester Thurston (10-11) at Burgettstown (16-5), 7 p.m.

Carlynton (8-13) at Freedom (16-4), 7 p.m.

Fort Cherry (14-8) at Chartiers-Houston (15-7), 7 p.m.

Rochester (6-14) at Serra Catholic (16-2), 7 p.m.

Aliquippa (10-9) at Washington (18-4), 7 p.m.

Class A

First round

Feb. 20 schedule

Leechburg (7-11) at West Greene (12-9), 7 p.m.

Geibel (11-11) at St. Joseph (18-3), 7 p.m.

Avella (12-10) at Riverview (11-9), 7 p.m.

Jeannette (2-19) vs. Eden Christian (6-14) at Peters Township, 6 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Feb. 23 schedule

Leechburg/West Greene winner at Union (15-6), 7 p.m.

Geibel/St. Joseph winner at Monessen (15-5), 7 p.m.

Avella/Riverview winner at Bishop Canevin (9-7), 7 p.m.

Jeannette/Eden Christian winner vs. Aquinas Academy (14-8), TBA

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.