WPIAL to reveal softball, boys lacrosse playoff brackets in Thursday’s 3 things to watch in high school sports

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, May 9, 2018 | 8:54 PM

These are busy days at 615 Iron City Drive in Pittsburgh, the home of the WPIAL as the spring postseason is about to kick into full gear.

On Thursday, the district will release the brackets for the 2018 softball playoffs.

This will be the second year of the six classification postseason in softball as Hempfield, West Allegheny, Belle Vernon, Ellwood City, Frazier and West Greene have all qualified to defend their title from a year ago.

Ellwood City and West Greene will be actually be looking for a third straight district title while Hempfield hopes to go one better as it shoots for a fourth consecutive WPIAL softball championship.

There are two teams enjoying perfect seasons thus far — defending Class 4A state champion Mt. Pleasant (15-0) and Section 1-3A winner Freeport (12-0).

While the games begin next week, the TribLive High School Sports Network will preview the district postseason during the WPIAL Softball Playoff Pairings Show at 7 p.m. Friday.

Boys lacrosse brackets

Softball isn't the only playoff brackets the WPIAL will unveil Thursday.

The 2018 district boys lacrosse brackets also will be released with 16 teams qualifying in Class AAA and 12 teams taking part in the Class AA postseason.

Mars hopes to become the first WPIAL boys lacrosse team to win three straight championships after winning the then-Division II title in 2016 and the Class AA crown in 2017.

Peters Township is the defending Class AAA champ after ending both North Allegheny's one-year reign on top and also ending Mt. Lebanon's ‘odd' title run in 2017. The Blue Devils won district gold in 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015 before falling to Peters Township, 12-11, in overtime in last year's finals.

Rivals play for plaque

Two rivals have won all but one of their Section 3-AAA matches in boys volleyball. Now they battle for bragging rights, a higher seed in the postseason and for a district plaque signifying a section championship as Norwin visits Penn-Trafford.

Both the Knights and the Warriors are 12-1 in section play and have long since clinched a postseason berth.

The winner will very likely get a top four seed when the WPIAL boys volleyball pairings are released Monday. The loser may not be far behind, perhaps also getting a top four spot.

The top four is significant because with 12 teams in the WPIAL Class AAA playoff field, the top four seeds will receive first-round byes.

Norwin won the first meeting over Penn-Trafford last month by a score of 3-1.

Don Rebel is a TribLIVE High School Sports Network broadcaster and staff writer. Reach him at drebel@tribweb.com.

Tags: Belle Vernon, Ellwood City, Frazier, Hempfield Area, Mars, North Allegheny, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Peters Township, West Allegheny