Trib HSSN What to Watch for: Monday, March 15, 2021

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, March 14, 2021 | 9:19 PM

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WPIAL championship weekend concludes Monday on the Trib High School Sports Network.

Eight teams have been crowned district champions through two days of title contests at North Allegheny and Peters Township high schools.

Four more teams will earn district gold and a berth in the champions-only edition of the PIAA basketball playoffs Monday.

Here are last batch of fresh championship tidbits for the four title games Monday.

Boys Class 4A: Lincoln Park vs. North Catholic at North Allegheny, 8 p.m.

* In his 12th year as coach at Lincoln Park, Mike Bariski is trying to win for the fifth time.

* In his third season at North Catholic, Dave DeGregorio has the Trojans in the district title game for a third straight year.

* These programs are becoming old dance partners as they meet for the third straight year and fourth time in five years in the WPIAL finals. North Catholic won in 2017, 56-51, Lincoln Park won in 2019, 62-50, and the Trojans broke the tie with a 65-56 victory last year.

* North Catholic has won seven straight, and Lincoln Park has won six in a row.

* Lincoln Park has set the record of most consecutive boys basketball championship game appearances with six. Perhaps fittingly, the Leopards broke the mark of the great Midland teams from 1973-77. Midland was 5-0 in those trips, and Lincoln Park is 2-3.

* Both programs have a rich recent tradition: North Catholic has won five boys titles — all since 2009 — and Lincoln Park has won four district crowns, all since 2012.

Boys Class 3A: Ellwood City vs. South Allegheny at North Allegheny, 5 p.m.

* In his fifth season at Ellwood City, Steve Antuono is leading the surprising Wolverines to their first basketball title game in 35 years.

* In his ninth year as coach at South Allegheny, Tony DiCenzo has the Gladiators playing in their first boys basketball title game.

* Ellwood City has won eight in a row, and South Allegheny has won six straight.

* The 11th-seeded Wolverines were the only double-digit seed to reach the finals in the 3A playoffs. Ellwood City never has won a WPIAL boys basketball title but lost in back-to-back finals in 1985 to Beaver Falls and in ‘86 to Blackhawk.

* South Allegheny never has won a WPIAL boys basketball championship.

Girls Class 5A: Chartiers Valley vs. Trinity at Peters Township, at 8 p.m.

* In his third season as Chartiers Valley girls coach, Tim McConnell is trying to win a third straight crown, this after 25 years and six championships as the Colts boys coach.

* In her second season as Trinity coach, Kathy McConnell-Miller is taking the Hillers to a second straight WPIAL title game.

* In the regular season between these two Class 5A powers, Trinity ended Chartiers Valley’s state record 64-game winning streak with a 49-42 win at Trinity.

* Trinity has won 17 in a row since its only loss of the season to Norwin, and Chartiers Valley has won eight straight.

* This marks the second straight Class 5A title game between these two schools and these two siblings. Chartiers Valley beat Trinity in the 2020 finals 58-40.

* Trinity is trying to win its first girls district championship after losing in the 2020 and 2016 finals. Chartiers Valley shoots for a three-peat and the school’s fourth girls Class 5A in the last five years.

Girls Class A: West Greene vs. Rochester at Peters Township, at 5 p.m.

* C.J. Iannini is in his fourth season as coach at Rochester and leads his Rams to the title game for the third straight year.

* Jordan Watson, in 10 seasons at West Greene, has the Pioneers in the finals for the fourth year in a row.

* Besides the last two championship games, these two teams last met in the 2018 quarterfinals, and West Greene beat Rochester, 73-43.

* Rochester has won 12 in a row, and the West Greene win streak is more modest at three straight.

* West Greene will try to avoid losing four consecutive title games and earn the programs first girls basketball crown. Rochester shoots for a three-peat after a 62-56 win in 2019 and a 59-43 triumph a year ago.

All four championship games can be seen Monday on Trib HSSN.