What to watch for in WPIAL sports on March 19, 2021: Champs begin state title quests

By: Don Rebel
Thursday, March 18, 2021 | 8:29 PM

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While the PIAA basketball playoffs actually began Tuesday and Wednesday with first-round games, the state playoff action tips off for WPIAL champions Friday.

The District 7 champs hitting the court Friday evening are New Castle (5A), Lincoln Park (4A) and Bishop Canevin (A) boys along with North Allegheny (6A), Mohawk (3A) and Neshannock (2A) girls.

Here are some road to Hershey factoids.

Cathedral Prep at New Castle, 6:30 p.m.

• This is the 66th time New Castle will hit the floor for a PIAA boys basketball playoff game. They are 43-22 overall with one state championship.

• This marks the fifth time the Red Hurricane will face the Ramblers out of District 10. New Castle won a first-round game, 55-51, in 1982. Cathedral Prep eliminated the ‘Canes in the 1993 semifinals and the first round in 1995. The last meeting was in 2013 when the Red Hurricane won, 80-70, in a quarterfinals contest.

Clearfield at Lincoln Park, 6:30 p.m.

• Lincoln Park’s first PIAA playoff game was in 2010. In a short period of time, the Leopards have amassed 32 wins and a pair of state titles.

• In fact, they are still the reigning Class 3A champs after winning it all in 2019. Lincoln Park is now in Class 4A.

• The Leopards have never played Clearfield in the state playoffs, but the WPIAL champs are 5-1 against teams from District 9.

• The Bison are 1-17 in PIAA playoff games.

Berlin-Brothersvalley at Bishop Canevin, 6:30 p.m.

• Thirty-five years ago, Bishop Canevin played its first PIAA boys basketball playoff game. The Crusaders lost to Cambria Heights in double overtime, 57-50, in the first round of the 1986 Class AAA playoffs.

• The Crusaders have won in the first round four times. Their most recent trip to the state playoffs was their most successful as they reached the 2017 Class 2A semifinals, where they lost to Sewickley Academy, 50-48.

• This is only the second time the Mountaineers are playing in a PIAA quarterfinals game. They lost to Wampum out of the WPIAL in the 1955 state quarterfinals.

• Berlin-Brothersvalley is 3-19 overall in PIAA boys basketball playoff games.

McDowell at North Allegheny, 6 p.m.

• North Allegheny beat Manheim Township and State College in the 2020 state playoffs before the tournament was first suspended, then cancelled due to the pandemic.

• This is the eighth straight season the Tigers qualified for the PIAA girls postseason. The only season they didn’t reach the quarterfinals round was 2019.

• The last time these programs met was the tipoff to the 2012-2013 season as host North Allegheny cruised past McDowell, 56-24.

• McDowell only played one team from the WPIAL this season and lost to Hampton, 53-45, the day before the season was suspended for three weeks Dec. 11.

Punxsutawney at Mohawk, 6:30 p.m.

• Mohawk beat United by 24 points and Carlynton by 17 in the first two rounds of the state playoffs a year ago before a quarterfinals matchup against Cambria Heights was cancelled due to covid-19 outbreak.

• The Warriors also won two games in the 2018 PIAA playoffs before losing to Bishop Canevin, 31-30, in the state quarterfinals.

• Mohawk also won two state playoff games in 2013 by beating Everett and North East in the Class AA tournament before losing in the quarterfinals to Seton LaSalle.

• Punxsutawney enters the game with a perfect 19-0 record after beating Moniteau in the District 9 title game and Everett, 72-38, in a PIAA first-round game on Tuesday.

• The Chucks have won seven straight District 9 championships; however, they have not fared well in the state playoffs against WPIAL teams. Punxsutawney is 1-5 in first-round games against District 7 teams in the last seven years. Their lone win was a 46-40 triumph over Central Valley in the 4A first round in 2017.

Windber at Neshannock at 6:30 p.m.

• The last time Neshannock won the WPIAL in 2019, the Lancers beat Tyrone by four points and Avonworth by 23 points in the state playoffs, before losing to Delone Catholic in the quarterfinals, 50-41.

• Neshannock has appeared in the girls state playoffs in six of the last eight years, but only in 2017 and 2019 did the Lancers make it past the first round.

• Windber is 20-1 after beating Tussey Mountain, 44-29, in the District 5 title game, then beating District 9 champion Keystone in a PIAA first-round game Tuesday.

• The Ramblers’ only loss was a two-point defeat at the hands of Shanksville-Stonycreek, a loss Windber avenged in the D-5 quarterfinals.

• Winber has qualified for the PIAA girls basketball playoffs for four straight years; however, they were 0-3 before this season, including a 59-52 loss to Brentwood in the 2A first round in 2018.