State wrestling gold, basketball playoff spots up for grabs Saturday

By: Don Rebel
Saturday, February 8, 2020 | 12:22 AM

The boys basketball playoff field was supposed to be finalized by Saturday. Instead, Mother Nature’s first strike this winter forced the postponement of several boys basketball games from Friday to Saturday, three of which have playoff implications.

In Class 5A, McKeesport visits Gateway at 1:30 p.m. The Gators have clinched and if they lose at home, Woodland Hills will also clinch a playoff berth out of Section 1.

Also in Class 5A, South Fayette will host Trinity at 4:30 p.m. If the visiting Hillers win, they qualify for the postseason. If they lose, West Allegheny is in.

In Class 2A, Chartiers-Houston is at Carmichaels at 1 p.m. If the visiting Buccaneers are victorious, they punch their ticket to the WPIAL playoffs.

Resuming playoff chase

The WPIAL girls basketball field is set with one more team still alive heading into the district’s final section game.

Neshannock, a section champion a year ago, can earn a playoff berth out of Section 1-3A on Saturday afternoon if it can come back and win a game that was suspended with two minutes left in the third quarter.

Avonworth coach Frank Halloran collapsed during play and was taken by ambulance to a Pittsburgh hospital.

The game was suspended with the Antelopes leading the Lancers, 26-18.

The good news is Halloran is fine after passing a battery of tests at the hospital.

State gold

Six teams qualified for the PIAA team wrestling playoffs from the WPIAL. Five were in Hershey this weekend and only one remains in the hunt for state gold.

WPIAL AAA champion Waynesburg Central beat Cathedral Prep in the quarterfinals and Bethlehem Catholic in the semifinals to reach the PIAA championship match.

The Raiders will face District 11 champion Nazareth at 1 p.m.

Canon-McMillan and Seneca Valley are still alive in the AAA consolation bracket while Burrell is still in the AA consolation bracket. All three of those teams hit the mat at 9 a.m.

The Class AAA and AA state playoffs conclude Saturday at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Tags: Avonworth, Burrell, Canon-McMillan, Chartiers-Houston, Gateway, McKeesport, Neshannock, Seneca Valley, South Fayette, Trinity, Waynesburg, West Allegheny