What to watch for in WPIAL sports for Oct. 25, 2021: PIAA team golf champs to be crowned

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, October 24, 2021 | 9:00 PM

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Monday, weather permitting, is the last day on the links for scholastic golfers in 2021.

Last week was the PIAA individual championships; Monday is the state team finals, taking place at the Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York.

WPIAL champion Fox Chapel will be one of six local boys teams in the Class 3A field. Seniors Eli Yofan, Max Johnson, Zach Paper and Owen Delaney and sophomore Davey Fuhrer will represent the Foxes.

In boys 2A, District 7 champion North Catholic will be one of six teams teeing off for gold. Seniors Zach Cozza and Teagan McTighe, juniors Ethan Ellis and Tommy Burke and sophomore Justin Kontul represent the Trojans.

On the girls side in 3A, WPIAL champion Fox Chapel and runner-up Peters Township will be two of the six teams. Seniors Nina Busch, Erin Drahnak, Grace Rygelski and Baylin Bitar and her freshman sister Baustin Bitar represent the Foxes. Seniors Delaney Kern and Allison Poon, sophomore Amelia Severns and freshmen Brooke Vowcheck and Sophia Severns will tee off for the Indians.

The WPIAL will have two teams among the six finalists in girls 2A, as well. For WPIAL champion Greensburg Central Catholic, three of these five will play with two being alternates. They include seniors Meghan Zambruno, Ella Zambruno, Olivia Kana and Tyler Zierski and sophomore Izzy Aigner. For runner-up Central Valley, senior Kate Robertson and juniors Mya Mrkonja and Kennedy Norton are representing.

Boys soccer first round

Class 2A boys soccer takes center stage Monday with eight single-game opening-round matches.

Last year was the year of the Deer in 2A boys soccer as Deer Lakes won the district championship.

This season, the Lancers finished second in Section 2-2A and were given the No. 7 seed.

Deer Lakes will host No. 10 East Allegheny on Monday.

Speaking of East Allegheny, the Wildcats are one of four 2A boys soccer teams in the postseason this year that missed out on the playoffs a year ago.

The others are No. 16 Yough, which visits top-seeded South Park, No. 8 McGuffey, which hosts North Catholic and No. 2 Quaker Valley, which hosts Burrell.

The Quakers earned a spot in the playoffs a year ago but could not compete due to covid-19 protocols.

Girls soccer opening round

Monday will feature first-round girls soccer matches in both Class 4A and 3A.

In Class 4A, while so many things have changed from a year ago, some things remained the same, like an opening- round contest between Penn-Trafford and Seneca Valley.

The two teams met in last year’s No. 8 vs. No. 9 Round 1 game with the Raiders beating the Warriors, 7-1.

This year, host Seneca Valley is the No. 4 seed and Penn-Trafford is No. 13.

In Class 3A, no team in this 16-team bracket is hungrier for a victory then the No. 4 seed.

Connellsville capped off another strong regular season, winning the Section 2-3A title with an overall record of 14-3.

For the second straight year, the Falcons have earned the No. 4 seed. Last year, they were stunned by No. 13 Montour, 4-1, in the first round.

The next playoff win for Connellsville will be the program’s first. On Monday, the Falcons host Kiski Area.

Volleyball playoffs commence

The 2021 WPIAL girls volleyball playoffs also begin Monday with 11 preliminary-round matches.

There will be five pigtail playoff matches in both 3A and 2A and one match to determine the No. 16 seed in Class A.

Tags: Burrell, Central Valley, Connellsville, Deer Lakes, East Allegheny, Fox Chapel, Greensburg C.C., McGuffey, Montour, North Catholic, Penn-Trafford, Peters Township, Quaker Valley, Seneca Valley, South Park, Yough