By Chris Rossetti, www.d9sports.com
Special to MaxPreps.com
PITTSBURGH – The WPIAL Tuesday announced its 2008 playoff brackets in boys’ and girls’ basketball.
The top seeds on the boys’ side are McKeesport (17-3) in Class AAAA, Chartiers Valley (22-2) in Class AAA, Beaver Falls (19-3) in Class AA and Serra Catholic (21-2) in Class A.
The top seeds on the girls’ side are Norwin (23-1) in Class AAAA, Hampton (22-2) in Class AAA, Our Lady of Sacred Heart (22-1) in Class AA and North Catholic (20-4) in Class A.
Both Quad A top seeds are coming off upset loses Monday night, yet still earned the top draws based on their body of work.
McKeesport’s boys fell by 66-65 Monday to non-playoff entrant Mt. Lebanon, while Norwin’s girls lost their first game of the season, 66-53, to Woodland Hills, which is the No. 7 seed in the Quad A playoffs.
In fact, McKeesport lost its final two regular-season games, but still earned the No. 1 seed.
“The bull’s-eye is on us,” McKeesport coach Corey Gadson told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “We’ve been No. 1 before, and I think it was two season ago, and we lost to Mt. Lebanon in the finals. Maybe we’ll respond this time. Hopefully we’ll respond.”
While most coaches were obviously happy to be No. 1 seeds, Chartiers Valley boys’ coach Tim McConnell was a bit unpleased with who his team might have to face in its opening-round game. The Colts will play either Valley (14-9) or Mt. Pleasant (9-13). It is the prospect of playing Valley, which was highly regarded coming into the season and opened with seven wins in its first nine games, that has McConnell upset.
“You would have thought you would get a team other than one who was ranked No. 1 in the WPIAL at the beginning of the year,” McConnell said. “With the No. 1 seed, I’m not sure what they were looking at. We played the toughest schedule in the WPIAL. I don’t know. I’d like an answer on that. I think Class AAA is tough, but they made it tougher.”
WPIAL Executive Director Tim O’Malley defended the move to the Tribune-Review.
“It’s very difficult with all the pigtail games,” O’Malley said. “The committee went with what it thought to be the 16th seed (Valley) and they are playing what they felt was the 17th seed (Mt. Pleasant).”
A closer breakdown of each classification follows.
Boys Class AAAA
Total teams in bracket: 16
Top 8 seeds: 1. McKeesport (17-3); 2. North Allegheny (22-2); 3. Moon (17-6); 4. Pittsburgh Central Catholic (19-4); 5. Canon-McMillan (17-7); 6. Franklin Regional (18-6); 7. Norwin (18-6); 8. Seneca Valley (17-7).
Final four: North Allegheny, Moon, McKeesport, Pittsburgh Central Catholic.
Who’s winning it: North Allegheny.
Two players to keep an eye on: Franklin’s Regional’s Nick Novak (21.4 ppg and could go over 500 points on the season, He had 449 through Jan. 28); McKeesport’s Quentin Harding (16.1 ppg)
Girls Class AAAA
Total teams in bracket: 16
Top 8 seeds: 1. Norwin (23-1); 2. Mt. Lebanon (22-2); 3. Butler (22-2); 4. New Castle (18-5); 5. Upper St. Clair (18-5); 6. Fox Chapel (17-7); 7. Woodland Hills (17-7); 8. Latrobe (14-10).
Final four: Butler, Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair, Norwin.
Who’s winning it: Mt. Lebanon.
Two players to keep an eye on: Norwin’s Lindsey Loutsenhizer (19.6 ppg), Woodland Hill’s Jamie Smith (23.6 ppg; 3rd leading scorer in WPIAL/Pittsburgh City League).
Boys Class AAA
Total teams in bracket: 21
Top 8 seeds: 1. Chartiers Valley (22-2); 2. Hopewell (18-5); 3. Highlands (19-4); 4. Uniontown (18-4); 5. Blackhawk (19-5); 6. Greensburg Salem (19-5); 7. Belle Vernon (19-5); 8. Indiana (19-5).
Final four: Blackhawk, Highlands, Hopewell, Indiana.
Who’s winning it: Highlands.
Two players to keep an eye on: Blackhawks' Antoine Childs (21.2 ppg; 10th leading scorer in WPIAL); Highlands Reece Mabery (20.6 ppg)
Girls Class AAA
Total teams in bracket: 23
Top 8 seeds: 1. Hampton (22-2); 2. West Mifflin (21-3); 3. Hopewell (19-4); 4. Indiana (21-3); 5. Elizabeth Forward (20-4); 6. Chartiers Valley (18-6); 7. Ringgold (17-7); 8. Mt. Pleasant (16-6).
Final four: Elizabeth Forward, Hampton, Hopewell, West Mifflin
Who’s winning it: Hampton.
Two players to keep an eye on: Ambridge’s Kiki Brown (25.7 ppg; 2nd leading scorer in WPIAL); Elizabeth Forward’s Cassy Sanderson (18.5 ppg);
Boys Class AA
Total teams in bracket: 24
Top 8 seeds: 1. Beaver Falls (19-3); 2. Jeannette (16-4); 3. Aliquippa (16-8); 4. North Catholic (21-3); 5. Riverside (23-1); 6. Monessen (18-5); 7. South Fayette (19-5); 8. Washington (18-6)
Final four: Aliquippa, Beaver Falls, Jeannette, North Catholic
Who’s winning it: Beaver Falls.
Two players to keep an eye on: Aliquippa’s Jonathan Baldwin (22.9 ppg; 4th leading scorer in WPIAL); Jeannette’s Terrelle Pryor (Who else; has 2,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds, Avg. 21.7 ppg; 7th leading scorer in WPIAL)
Girls Class AA
Total teams in bracket: 25
Top 8 seeds: 1. Our Lady of Sacred Heart (22-1); 2. Washington (22-1); 3. Greensburg Central Catholic (16-7); 4. Riverside (17-7); 5. Beaver Falls (15-8); 6. Neshannock (16-7); 7. Beaver (15-6); 8. Bishop Canevin (18-6)
Final four: Greensburg Central Catholic, Our Lady of Sacred Heart, Washington, Wilkinsburg.
Who’s winning it: Our Lady of Sacred Heart.
Two players to keep an eye on: Wilkinsburg’s Darche’ Jackson (33.5 ppg; WPIAL’s leading scorer; 2 games over 50 points this year; Over 1,000 career points as a junior); OLSH’s Devin McGrath (17.5 ppg)
Boys Class A
Total teams in bracket: 17
Top 8 seeds: 1. Serra Catholic (21-2); 2. Wilkinsburg (12-10); 3. California (15-5); 4. Lincoln Park (14-6); 5. Union- New Castle (14-6); 6. Sewickley Academy (11-8); 7. Clairton (11-10); 8. St. Joseph (13-10).
Final four: Lincoln Park, Serra Catholic, Sewickley Academy, Wilkinsburg.
Who’s winning it: Serra Catholic.
Two players to keep an eye on: St. Joseph’s Mike Barkowksi (22.2 ppg; 4th leading scorer in WPIAL); Serra Catholic’s Pat Grubbs (6-8, over 300 pounds; 19.5 ppg)
Girls Class A
Total teams in bracket: 16
Top 8 seeds: 1. North Catholic (20-4); 2. Monessen (23-0); 3. Quigley Catholic (17-7); 4. Serra Catholic (15-5); 5. Mt. Alvernia (13-8); 6. Vincentian Academy (15-8); 7. Geibel Catholic (17-6); 8. Avonworth (12-9).
Final four: Mt. Alvernia, Monessen, North Catholic, Quigley Catholic
Who’s winning it: Monessen.
Two players to keep an eye on: Monessen’s Christian Chukwuedo (19.1 ppg); Geibel’s Mia White (18.4 ppg).
