What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Dec. 22, 2021: Wrestlers vie for 1st place in early season tests

By: Don Rebel
Tuesday, December 21, 2021 | 8:06 PM

Three days before the focus is on the family chimney and the big guy making his yearly visit, the focus is on the scholastic wrestling circle as district teams hit the mat for one more sub-section match before the holidays.

Nearly 30 WPIAL wrestling matches are schedule for Wednesday, some with early season first place at stake.

Those battles include:

• Gateway at Penn-Trafford in Section 1B-3A

• Moon at Butler in Section 3A-3A

• Burgettstown at Fort Cherry in 1A-2A

• McGuffey at Frazier in 1B-2A

• Knoch at Burrell in 3A-2A

• Mt. Pleasant at Southmoreland in 3B-2A

All of the above teams are 1-0 in sub-section competition, with the exception of defending 2A champion Burrell, which is already 2-0.

Girls powers collide

Three times in this century, Oakland Catholic and Mt. Lebanon have played each other in a WPIAL girls basketball championship game.

On Wednesday, they meet in a mere nonsection contest.

Oakland Catholic defeated Mt. Lebanon in both the 2000 and 2006 Class AAAA title games by scores of 52-49 and 49-36.

Ten years ago, the Blue Devils turned the tables and beat the Eagles for the 2012 district championship.

This season, both teams are perfect through the first week and a half as Oakland Catholic enters this game with a 4-0 record while Mt. Lebanon is 5-0.

Eagles ups and down

Serra Catholic has long been a power on the hardwood with great success for both the boys and girls basketball programs through the decades.

So far this season, though, one of the Eagles teams is soaring high while the other is struggling to get airborne.

The girls basketball team did reach the 2A finals last year but said goodbye to longtime coach Bill Cleary, who retired after the season.

Under new coach Matt Bacco, the girls team is off to a 4-0 start.

The boys team was still searching for their first victory of the season heading into Tuesday’s home game with Chartiers-Houston.

Both teams are in action Wednesday against Yough. The girls host the Cougars while the boys team visits Cougar Mountain.