2016-2017 WPIAL Boys Basketball PREVIEW
By:
Friday, December 9, 2016 | 3:16 PM
The year of major change around the WPIAL has made it through one season and now it’s the winter sports, specifically boys basketball, that gets a taste of the new expanded six classifications. New rivalries, fewer playoff teams in each class and more champions crowned in the end. Here is a preview of players to watch and teams to beat with our MSA Sports Preseason Top Ten teams in each class.
WPIAL CLASS 6-A:
Players to Watch:
Tyler Frederick – Butler
Austin Butler – Latrobe
Jake Biss – Latrobe
Nick Smith – North Hills
Sherron Schifino – Penn Hills
Andrew Petcash – Pine-Richland
Phil Jurkovec – Pine-Richland
Teams to Watch – Top Ten:
1. PINE-RICHLAND RAMS
2. LATROBE WILDCATS
3. NORTH HILLS INDIANS
4. PENN HILLS INDIANS
5. PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS
6. BUTLER GOLDEN TORNADO
7. PLUM MUSTANGS
8. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS
9. PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS
10. BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS
WPIAL CLASS 5-A:
Players to Watch:
Ross Wilkerson – Chartiers Valley
John Paul Kromka – Gateway
Antonio Ionadi – Hampton
Mitch DeZort – Highlands
Robby Carmody – Mars
Jarrod Simmons – Moon
Joey Koroly – Trinity
Team to Watch – Top Ten:
1. HIGHLANDS GOLDEN RAMS
2. CHARTIERS VALLEY COLTS
3. HAMPTON TALBOTS
4. MARS FIGHTING PLANETS
5. GATEWAY GATORS
6. WEST MIFFLIN TITANS
7. MONTOUR SPARTANS
8. THOMAS JEFFERSON JAGUARS
9. TRINITY HILLERS
10. WEST ALLEGHENY INDIANS
WPIAL CLASS 4-A:
Players to Watch:
Darius Wise – Beaver
Donovan Jeter – Beaver Falls
Josh Creach – Beaver Falls
Jake Benhart – Indiana
Marcus Hooker – New Castle
Amos Luptak – Quaker Valley
Matt Thomas – South Fayette
Darton McIntire – Waynesburg
Teams to Watch – Top Ten:
1. BEAVER FALLS TIGERS
2. NEW CASTLE RED HURRICANE
3. QUAKER VALLEY QUAKERS
4. BEAVER BOBCATS
5. INDIANA LITTLE INDIANS
6. THOMAS JEFFERSON JAGUARS
7. SOUTH FAYETTE LIONS
8. AMBRIDGE BRIDGERS
9. WAYNESBURG RAIDERS
10. MOUNT PLEASANT VIKINGS
WPIAL CLASS 3-A:
Players to Watch:
Garrett Day – Avonworth
Kenny Fukon – Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic
Sam Miceli – Charleroi
Nelly Cummings – Lincoln Park
Etai Groff – Shady Side Academy
Brandon Stone – Southmoreland
Ja’Mier Fletcher – Steel Valley
Matt Popek – Washington
Teams to Watch – Top Ten:
1. LINCOLN PARK LEOPARDS
2. ALIQUIPPA QUIPS
3. CARDINAL WUERL NORTH CATHOLIC TROJANS
4. STEEL VALLEY IRONMEN
5. WASHINGTON LITTLE PREXIES
6. AVONWORTH ANTELOPES
7. SHADY SIDE ACADEMY INDIANS
8. CHARLEROI COUGARS
9. SOUTHMORELAND SCOTTIES
10. SETON-LaSALLE REBELS
WPIAL CLASS 2-A:
Players to Watch:
Mitchell King – Bishop Canevin
Walter Bonds – Bishop Canevin
Kass Taylor – California
A.J. Myers – Chartiers-Houston
Ryhan Culberson – Fort Cherry
Mason Mraz – Laurel
Chris Groetsch – Sewickley Academy
Justin Pryor – Sewickley Academy
Teams to Watch – Top Ten:
1. SEWICKLEY ACADEMY PANTHERS
2. BISHOP CANEVIN CRUSADERS
3. JEANNETTE JAYHAWKS
4. GREENSBURG CENTRAL CATHOLIC CENTURIONS
5. OUR LADY OF THE SACRED HEART CHARGERS
6. LAUREL SPARTANS
7. FORT CHERRY RANGERS
8. CHARTIERS-HOUSTON BUCCANEERS
9. CALIFORNIA TROJANS
10. NESHANNOCK LANCERS
WPIAL CLASS 1-A:
Players to Watch:
Maurice Reeves – Clairton
Justice Rice – Monessen
Jaden Altomore – Monessen
Zach McDonough – Vincentian Academy
Teams to Watch – Top Ten:
1. MONESSEN GREYHOUNDS
2. VINCENTIAN ACADEMY ROYALS
3. EDEN CHRISTIAN ACADEMY WARRIORS
4. CLAIRTON BEARS
5. UNION SCOTTIES
6. WINCHESTER THURSTON BEARS
7. CORNELL RAIDERS
8. TRINITY CHRISTIAN FALCONS
9. ST. JOSEPH SPARTANS
10. WEST GREENE PIONEERS
More Basketball
• Derry boys basketball team looking for big season with key players coming back• Experienced Belle Vernon boys basketball team eyes deeper playoff run
• ’80s game-breaker Willie Jordan to join Quaker Valley Sports Hall of Fame
• Imani Christian says ‘unique quirk’ in enrollment process may have violated PIAA transfer rules
• WPIAL launches investigations into Baldwin, Imani Christian over ‘possible recruiting violations’