Championships up for grabs as part of 3 things to watch this weekend in Western Pa. athletics

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, February 14, 2018 | 10:00 PM

Thursday is the calm before the storm to a very busy weekend of winter high school sports playoffs and championship action, so here's a look ahead to Friday and Saturday.

While the WPIAL boys and girls basketball playoffs tip off this weekend, the City League postseason concludes with Allderdice vs. Westinghouse squared in the boys and girls basketball title games at Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Both games will be broadcast on the TribLive High School Sports Network .

Allderdice will go for a fifth straight championship at 2 p.m. against Westinghouse. Allderdice cruised past Obama Academy in the semifinals, 60-44, thanks in part to a game-high 20 points for Bobby Clifford. Westinghouse needed overtime to beat Carrick, 51-49, in the semifinals behind a mammoth game for James Ellis, who scored 20 points and had 20 rebounds. The Dragons swept two games from the Bulldogs during the regular season, 80-45 and 66-50.

There will be a new champion crowned on the girls' side of the City after four-time defending champion Obama Academy was ousted in the semifinals. Obama Academy fell to Westinghouse, 44-33. The Bulldogs will now play for gold Saturday at noon against Allderdice, which crushed Carrick, 79-33, in the other semifinal game. Emma Waite scored 20 points for the Dragons, who remain unbeaten in the City League and face a Bulldogs team they beat 53-50 and 51-40 in the regular season.

WPIAL 2A wrestling championships

The WPIAL will squeeze its Class 2A individual wrestling postseason into two action packed days at Canon-McMillan on Friday and Saturday.

Friday will be the individual sectionals as wrestlers from the three Class 2A sections square off to earn spots in the district championship, which will take place on Saturday.

Eight wrestlers will try to win back-to-back gold this weekend, including Bishop McCoy of South Side (220 now at 285), Bryson Miller of Freedom (195), Christian Clutter of McGuffey (160 now at 170), Tyler Griffiths of Southmoreland (132 now at 145), Gavin Teasdale of Jefferson-Morgan (126), Jeff Pattison of McGuffey (120 now at 126), Manny Dovshek of Bentworth (113 now at 120) and Trent Valochik of Burrell (106).

Full day coverage of both the sectionals on Friday and the championships on Saturday can be heard on the TribLive High School Sports Network .

Gymnastics gold

The WPIAL gymnastics championships will be held at Moon, with the team event Friday and the individual championships Saturday.

Moon captured the 2017 team title by beating out Thomas Jefferson, Hampton, West Allegheny, North Allegheny and South Side.

The Tigers' title ended a two-year reign for Hampton in district gymnastics. Moon claimed team gold the three previous years in 2012-14.

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

Tags: Allderdice, Hampton, Moon, North Allegheny, South Side, Thomas Jefferson, West Allegheny, Westinghouse