WPIAL boys basketball clinching scenarios as of Feb. 9, 2022

By: Don Rebel
Wednesday, February 9, 2022 | 11:40 PM

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Less than a week remains in section play in the WPIAL boys basketball regular season.

This winter, the district returns to earning a ticket to ride on the Path to the Pete with no open tournament and the championships returning to the University of Pittsburgh’s Petersen Events Center, March 3-5.

Trib HSSN will once again have exclusive coverage of the WPIAL boys basketball playoffs starting Monday with the Playoff Pairings Show as we unveil the brackets to the masses.

Here is the updated list of teams that have earned a district playoff berth through Wednesday.

Class 6A (11 of a possible 13 playoff teams have clinched)

North Hills Indians

Pine-Richland Rams

Butler Golden Tornado

North Allegheny Tigers

Upper St. Clair Panthers

Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils

Bethel Park Black Hawks

Baldwin Highlanders

Fox Chapel Foxes

Central Catholic Vikings

Penn-Trafford Warriors

6A playoff scenarios:

• In Section 3, Norwin (3-6) and Hempfield (3-6) are tied for fourth place with one section game remaining. Norwin hosts Penn-Trafford on Friday while Hempfield is home to Greensburg Salem. If the Knights and Spartans both win or both lose, they will both qualify for the postseason.

Class 5A (14 of a possible 19 playoff teams have clinched)

Laurel Highlands Mustangs

Albert Gallatin Colonials

West Mifflin Titans

Thomas Jefferson Jaguars

New Castle Red Hurricane

South Fayette Lions

Chartiers Valley Colts

West Allegheny Indians

Penn Hills Indians

Gateway Gators

Mars Fightin’ Planets

Highlands Golden Rams

Hampton Talbots

Shaler Titans

5A playoff scenarios:

• In Section 2, Moon (3-6) can clinch a playoff spot with a win at West Allegheny (4-5) on Friday.

• In Section 3, Kiski Area (5-6), Woodland Hills (5-6) and Franklin Regional (5-6) are tied for third place with McKeesport (5-7) a half-game back. On Friday, Kiski Area is at Latrobe, Woodland Hills at Penn Hills and Franklin Regional hosts Gateway. If two of those three win, McKeesport is out. In a three-way tie between KA, WH and FR, Kiski Area is 3-1, Franklin Regional 2-2 and Woodland Hills 1-3. McKeesport wins tiebreaker against Kiski Area, splits with Franklin Regional and loses tiebreaker to Woodland Hills. If Kiski Area, Woodland Hills and Franklin Regional all lose, all three plus McKeesport would qualify because they are all 3-3 in a four-way tiebreaker.

Class 4A (13 of a possible 14 playoff teams have clinched)

North Catholic Trojans

Burrell Buccaneers

Deer Lakes Lancers

Freeport Yellowjackets

Quaker Valley Quakers

Lincoln Park Leopards

Montour Spartans

Blackhawk Cougars

Central Valley Warriors

Belle Vernon Leopards

Uniontown Red Raiders

Elizabeth Forward Warriors

Yough Cougars

4A playoff scenarios:

• In Section 3, Southmoreland (4-7) can clinch a playoff spot with a win at home over Yough (5-6) on Friday.

Class 3A (Set with 16 playoff teams — no byes, no preliminary games)

Ellwood City Wolverines

Neshannock Lancers

Beaver Falls Tigers

Laurel Spartans

Seton LaSalle Rebels

Aliquippa Quips

Avonworth Antelopes

Summit Academy Knights

South Allegheny Gladiators

Shady Side Academy Bulldogs

Ligonier Valley Rams

Steel Valley Ironmen

Washington Little Prexies

Brownsville Falcons

Brentwood Spartans

Waynesburg Central

Class 2A (16 of a possible 18 playoff teams have clinched)

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Chargers

Springdale Dynamos

Shenango Wildcats

South Side Rams

Fort Cherry Rangers

Carlynton Cougars

Sto-Rox Vikings

Chartiers-Houston Buccaneers

Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions

Serra Catholic Eagles

Winchester Thurston Bears

Jeannette Jayhawks

Monessen Greyhounds

Carmichaels Mighty Mikes

Jefferson-Morgan Rockets

California Trojans

2A playoff scenarios:

• In Section 1, Sewickley Academy (1-6) must beat OLSH twice Thursday and Friday and South Side on Saturday and have South Side (4-4) lose to Shenango on Friday to qualify.

• In Section 4, Bentworth (2-7) can qualify with a win at home over California (3-6) on Friday.

Class A (11 of a possible 13 playoff teams have clinched)

Union Scotties

Rochester Rams

Eden Christian Academy Warriors

Bishop Canevin Crusaders

Geibel Catholic Gators

Mapletown Maples

West Greene Pioneers

Imani Christian Saints

Leechburg Blue Devils

Neighborhood Academy Bulldogs

Aquinas Academy Crusaders

Class A playoff scenarios:

• In Section 1, Nazareth Prep (3-6) can clinch with a win at Cornell on Friday. Western Beaver (2-6) can clinch with wins at home against Eden Christian on Thursday and Union on Friday, or a split of those two games AND a Nazareth Prep loss to Cornell.