WPIAL Girls Basketball 2014-2015 Season Preview

By: Bruce Markey
Wednesday, December 3, 2014 | 6:55 PM

The 2014-2015 WPIAL girls basketball season tips off on Friday, December 5th with a lot of the teams that enjoyed success last winter favored to enjoy more victories this winter. Penn-Trafford, Blackhawk, Seton-LaSalle and Vincentian Academy are the defending WPIAL champions with the Royals looking to four-peat this season. Three of the four district champs in 2014…the Cougars, the Rebels and the Royals went on to win a PIAA state crown as well. Here are the Pre-Season Top 10 in each classification along with the players to watch in each class.

Check out the weekly girls rankings every Monday, along with girls hoops talk during The WPIAL Roundball Report every Wednesday night at 6:00pm, along with girls basketball broadcasts throughout the regular season and exclusive coverage of every girls WPIAL playoff game in February sponsored by Carlow University all here on the MSA Sports Network.

WPIAL CLASS AAAA Girls Basketball Preseason Top Ten:

1.     PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS

2.     HEMPFIELD SPARTANS

3.     NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS

4.     UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS

5.     PENN HILLS INDIANS

6.     MOUNT LEBANON BLUE DEVILS

7.     SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS

8.     PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS

9.     SHALER TITANS

10.   NORWIN KNIGHTS

WPIAL CLASS AAAA Girls Basketball Players to Watch:

Maria Palarino – Penn-Trafford
Casey Aunkst – Penn-Trafford
Katy Abreu – Penn-Trafford
Leah Knizer – Hempfield
Alayna Gribble – Norwin
Jade Ely – Penn Hills
Desiree Oliver – Penn Hills
Julia Baxter – Butler
Andi Lydon – Shaler
Amanda Kalin – Pine-Richland
Abby Gonzales – North Allegheny
Margie McCaffrey – Mount Lebanon
Diandra Conwell – Upper St. Clair
Rachel Mazzie – Upper St. Clair
Madison Kerr – Peters Township

WPIAL CLASS AAA Girls Basketball Preseason Top Ten:

1.     BLACKHAWK COUGARS

2.     SOUTH PARK EAGLES

3.     TRINITY HILLERS

4.     McGUFFEY HIGHLANDERS

5.     BEAVER BOBCATS

6.     HAMPTON TALBOTS

7.     MARS FIGHTING PLANETS

8.     INDIANA LITTLE INDIANS

9.     MOUNT PLEASANT VIKINGS

10.   ELIZABETH FORWARD WARRIORS

WPIAL CLASS AAA Girls Basketball Players to Watch:

Ali Goetz – Mars
Sara Getsy – Mars
Chassidy Omogrosso – Blackhawk
Courtney Vannoy – Blackhawk
Lexi Posset – Beaver
Alexa Szelong – Mount Pleasant
Claire Oberdorf – Greensburg-Salem
Khai Harris – Uniontown
Kaitlyn Slagus – Belle Vernon
Abigail Sporio – Elizabeth Forward
Marlena Schmidt – Ringgold
Allison McGrath – South Park
Sierra Kotchman – Trinity 
Sammie Weiss – McGuffey
Rachel Czulewicz – McGuffey

WPIAL CLASS AA Girls Basketball Preseason Top Ten:

1.     SETON-LaSALLE REBELS

2.     BURRELL BUCCANEERS

3.     GREENSBURG CENTRAL CATHOLIC CENTURIONS

4.     NESHANNOCK LANCERS

5.     CARLYNTON COUGARS

6.     OUR LADY OF THE SACRED HEART CHARGERS

7.     BISHOP CANEVIN CRUSADERS

8.     MOHAWK WARRIORS

9.     LAUREL SPARTANS

10.   FREEPORT YELLOWJACKETS

WPIAL CLASS AA Girls Basketball Players to Watch:

Sydney Bordonaro – Burrell
Natalie Myers – Burrell
Zoe Soilis – Freeport
Tayler Grybowski – Neshannock
Madison McHale – Neshannock
Katie Stang – Riverside
Ellen Shaffer – Laurel
Samantha Carr – Mohawk
Carolyn Appleby – Greensburg Central Catholic
Nikki Adisey – Greensburg Central Catholic
Natalie Palmer – Shady Side Academy
Cassidy Walsh – Seton-LaSalle
Morgan Henderson – Seton-LaSalle
Anna Bartman – Beth-Center
Cassidy Guiser – Frazier
Conor Richardson – Carlynton
Jordan Melko – Carlynton
Heidi Langhorst – Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

WPIAL CLASS A Girls Basketball Preseason Top Ten:

1.     VINCENTIAN ACADEMY ROYALS

2.     CARDINAL WUERL NORTH CATHOLIC TROJANS

3.     SERRA CATHOLIC EAGLES

4.     CALIFORNIA TROJANS

5.     FORT CHERRY RANGERS

6.     QUIGLEY CATHOLIC SPARTANS

7.     ALIQUIPPA QUIPS

8.     RIVERVIEW RAIDERS

9.     ST. JOSEPH SPARTANS

10.   SEWICKLEY ACADEMY PANTHERS 

WPIAL CLASS A Girls Basketball Players to Watch:

Kaitlyn Smith – Quigley Catholic
Ciara Clark – Aliquippa
Maddy Casale – Sewickley Academy
Brenna Wise – Vincentian Academy
Torrieonna Cash – Vincentian Academy
Lexi Griggs – Vincentian Academy
Abby Goetz – Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic
Sam Breen – Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic
Tina Bellhy – Fort Cherry
Sadie Buchser – Riverview
Kylie Huffman – California
Karly Judy – Geibel Catholic