WPIAL boys basketball playoff clinching scenarios as of Feb. 8, 2022

By: Don Rebel
Wednesday, February 9, 2022 | 12:15 AM

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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 Tuesday.

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 (13 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

Penn Hills Indians

Gateway Gators

Mars Fightin’ Planets

Highlands Golden Rams

Hampton Talbots

Shaler Titans

5A playoff scenarios:

• In Section 2, West Allegheny (4-5) has a half-game lead over Moon (3-5) for fourth place. If Moon loses at South Fayette on Wednesday, West Allegheny clinches. If Moon wins on Wednesday, then the Moon at West Allegheny game on Friday is a win-and-you’re-in game.

• 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, split 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 (12 of a possible 15 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

4A playoff scenarios:

• In Section 2, Beaver (4-8) needs to win at Montour on Wednesday and at home over Central Valley on Friday AND have Central Valley lose at Lincoln Park on Wednesday to qualify.

• In Section 3, Yough (4-6) can clinch a playoff spot with a win Wednesday over South Park. If they lose, then the Yough at Southmoreland (4-7) game Wednesday is win and you’re in. Southmoreland can qualify even if Yough beats South Park with a win over Yough on Friday.

Class 3A (16 of a possible 17 playoff teams have clinched)

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

3A playoff scenarios:

• In Section 2, New Brighton (1-7) is in with wins at Summit Academy and at Freedom AND a Summit Academy loss to Aliquippa.

• In Section 3, East Allegheny is eliminated since they lose the head-to-head tiebreaker with Steel Valley.

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

Carlynton Cougars

Fort Cherry Rangers

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 must beat OLSH twice and South Side and have South Side lose to Shenango to qualify.

• In Section 4, if California wins at Carmichaels on Wednesday, Bentworth is eliminated. If California loses on Wednesday, Bentworth can qualify with a win at home over California on Friday.

Class A (11 of a possible 15 playoff teams have clinched)

Union Scotties

Eden Christian Academy Warriors

Rochester Rams

Bishop Canevin Crusaders

Geibel Catholic Gators

Mapletown Maples

West Greene Pioneers

Imani Christian Saints

Leechburg Blue Devils

The Neighborhood Academy Bulldogs

Aquinas Academy Crusaders

Class A playoff scenarios:

• In Section 1, Nazareth Prep can clinch with one more section win at Union or at Cornell. Western Beaver is home to Eden Christian on Thursday and Union on Friday and needs at least one win and two Nazareth Prep losses or two wins and one Nazareth Prep loss. Cornell needs to beat Rochester on Wednesday and Nazareth Prep on Friday and have Nazareth Prep lose to Union and Western Beaver lose at least one game to qualify.

• In Section 2, Propel Montour must beat Geibel Catholic and Bishop Canevin and have Mapletown lose to Geibel Catholic to qualify.