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PIAA CLASS 2A FIRST ROUND PLAYOFFS
Teams: 6-4 Bellwood-Antis Lady Blue Devils (15-10) vs. 7-1 Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions (20-6)
Site, time: Greensburg Central Catholic High School, 7 p.m.
The coaches: Bellwood-Antis--Kyley Longo; Greensburg Central Catholic--Chris Skatell
Playoff path: Bellwood-Antis--def. Penns Manor, 38-25, in District 6 Class 2A quarterfinals; lost to Portage, 56-45, in semifinals; lost to Bishop McCort, 61-49, in consolation game. Greensburg Central Catholic--def. Northgate, 77-10, in WPIAL first round; def. Rochester, 63-41, in quarterfinals; def. South Side, 73-38, in semifinals; def. Serra Catholic, 61-42, in WPIAL championship.
Probable starting lineups: Bellwood-Antis--G Chloe Hammond, sr.; G Leigha Clapper, jr.; G Lainey Quick, sr.; G-F Jenna Norton, jr.; F Lilly Gerwert, so. Greensburg Central Catholic--G Mya Morgan, sr.; G Avery Davis, sr.; G Erica Gribble, so.; F Cara Dupilka, sr.; F Abigail Dlugos, so.
Key reserves: Bellwood-Antis--G Marissa Cacciotti, so.; G Annie Bardell, sr. Greensburg Central Catholic--G Jayla Peterson, so.; F Nolan Althof, fr.
Who they get: The winner plays either District 10 third-place finisher West Middlesex or District 9 runner-up Moniteau in the second round on Tuesday.
Notable: Bellwood-Antis is back in the PIAA playoffs after missing them last season. ... In 2022, the Lady Blue Devils made it all the way to the PIAA semifinals before losing 61-53 to Neshannock, the eventual PIAA champion. ... Bellwood-Antis won PIAA championships in 2018 and 2019 and was in the PIAA quarterfinals in 2020 when the PIAA canceled the rest of the tournament. ... Greensburg Central Catholic won a WPIAL championship for the first time since 2007 and the sixth time in school history. ... Erica Gribble, just a sophomore, scored 28 points in the WPIAL championship game and has already gone over 1,000 career points. She's averaging 20.5 points per game this season. ... Mya Morgan is also a 1,000-point scorer for Greensburg.
PIAA CLASS 2A FIRST ROUND PLAYOFFS
Teams: 7-3 Aliquippa Quips (22-4) vs. 6-2 Portage Lady Mustangs (23-3)
Site, time: Portage Area H.S., 7 p.m.
The coaches: Aliquippa--Dwight Lindsey; Portage--Lance Hudak
Playoff path: Aliquippa--def. California, 53-18, in WPIAL first round; def. Clairton, 35-34, in quarterfinals; lost to Serra Catholic, 42-36, in semifinals; def. South Side, 40-37, in consolation game. Portage--def. Homer-Center, 47-36, in District 6 quarterfinals; def. Bellwood-Antis, 56-45, in semifinals; lost to Marion Center, 58-44, in District 6 championship.
Probable starting lineups: Aliquippa--G Carla Brown, jr.; G Samiyah Ausby, jr.; F Yaree Carter, jr.; F Aunesty Johnson, jr.; F Denim Odom, fr. Portage--G Alex Chobany, sr.; G Ashlyn Hudak, sr.; G Cami Burkett, sr.; F Jenna Burkett, sr.; F Brooke Bednarski, sr.
Key reserves: Aliquippa--G Decari Hall, sr.; F Evanna Lay, sr. Portage--F Payton Noll, jr.; G Liana Bagby, so.; G Britton Myher, so.
Who they get: The winner will play District 10 champion Kennedy Catholic or WPIAL seventh-place finisher Fort Cherry in the second round on Tuesday.
Notable: Portage missed the PIAA playoffs last season but made it in Class 1A in 2022 and went all the way to the PIAA semifinals where the Lady Mustangs lost to Kennedy Catholic, which is a possible second-round opponent. ... The Lady Mustangs have won District 6 championships in Class 1A and Class 5A but never in 2A. ... All of Portage's starters are seniors. ... Aliquippa won its WPIAL section and went undefeated in the section for the first time since 1993. ... The Quips made it to the WPIAL semifinals for the second year in a row. ... Aliquippa lost in the first round of the PIAA playoffs last year to Maplewood, 65-47. ... Carla Brown is Aliquippa's top scorer.
PIAA CLASS 6A FIRST ROUND PLAYOFFS
Teams: 7-4 Chartiers Valley Lady Colts (16-8) vs. 6-1 Altoona Lady Lions (20-4)
Site, time: Altoona Area High School Fieldhouse, 7:30 p.m.
The coaches: Chartiers Valley--Mike Semplice; Altoona--Chris Fleegle
Playoff path: Chartiers Valley--def. Mount Lebanon, 34-26, in WPIAL quarterfinals; lost to Norwin, 63-47, in semifinals; lost to Peters Township, 73-59, in consolation. Altoona--def. State College, 61-42, in District 6 championship; def. Erie, 48-18, in District 6-8-10 subregional.
Probable starting lineups: Chartiers Valley--G Ava Shazer, jr.; G Ella Cupka, sr.; G Iyla Ozbey, jr.; G Lilah Turnbull, jr.; G-F Emma Reynolds, jr. Altoona--G Melana Eyer, jr.; G Lanie Wilt, jr.; G-F Zaelinh Nguyen-Moore, so.; F Samantha Harpster, so.; F Jaiden Krull, sr.
Key reserves: Chartiers Valley--G Natalia Palumbo, jr.; C Katie Johnson, jr. Altoona--G Raylin Eyer, fr.; F Kendall Cogan, so.
Who they get: The winner plays WPIAL champion Norwin or District 3 seventh-place finisher William Penn in the second round on Tuesday.
Notable: Altoona lost to Mount Lebanon, 58-50, out of the same PIAA slot last season. ... The Lady Lions' last PIAA win came in 2020 when they beat Mount Lebanon, 60-56, in overtime before losing to Nazareth, 59-48. ... Altoona has won four PIAA championships. The first came in 1986 with a 59-40 win over Downingtown. The second was in 1988, 39-36, over Wissahickon. The next two were back-to-back in 1995 (54-37 over Allentown Central Catholic) and 1996 (over Northampton). ... Mike Semplice took over for legendary coach Tim McConnell starting in the 2022-2023 season. ... Chartiers Valley owns the PIAA record for consecutive wins with 64. ... Chartiers Valley won the 2019 state championship in Class 5A. ... Emma Reynolds is Chartiers Valley's leading scorer, averaging 11.5 points per game.
BOYS
PIAA CLASS 1A FIRST ROUND PLAYOFFS
Teams: 9-3 Cameron County Raiders (22-5) vs. 6-2 Williamsburg Blue Pirates (17-8)
Site, time: Altoona Area High School Fieldhouse, 6 p.m.
The coaches: Cameron County--Marcus Brown; Williamsburg--Jeff Detwiler
Playoff path: Cameron County--def. Union, 52-38, in District 9 quarterfinals; lost to Elk County Catholic, 44-32, in semifinals; def. Johnsonburg, 56-49, in consolation. Williamsburg--def. Blacklick Valley, 55-46, in District 6 quarterfinals; def. Bishop McCort, 53-51, in semifinals; lost to Bishop Carroll, 72-41, in District 6 championship.
Probable starting lineups: Cameron County--G Josh Smith, sr.; G Ryan Shaffer, jr.; G Jake Narby, jr.; G-F Josh Beer, sr.; F Landen Farren, jr. Williamsburg--G Logan Brantner, jr.; G Jesse Brumbaugh, jr.; G Preston Isenberg, so.; F Rowan Gorsuch, sr.; C Sam Parks, jr.
Key reserves: Cameron County--F Maddox Baughman, sr.; F Koby Shepard, jr.; G-F Julius Knoke, jr.; G Malakai Zucal, so. Williamsburg--G Evan Zehner, so.; F Ethan Reffner, fr.
Who they get: The winner plays either District 10 champion Farrell or WPIAL fourth-place finisher Rochester in the second round on Tuesday.
Notable: Williamsburg is back in the PIAA a year after missing out last year. ... In its last appearance in 2022, Williamsburg defeated Otto-Eldred, 53-44, in the first round before it lost to Imani Christian Academy, 92-51. ... This is a rematch of the 2020 first round of the state playoffs when Cameron County defeated the Blue Pirates, 61-38. Cameron County went on to lose to Bishop Canevin by a point before that tournament was canceled by the PIAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ... Williamsburg is 24-21 all-time in the PIAA tournament and won state championships in 1958 and 1966, but the Blue Pirates have not made it to the quarterfinal round since 1975 when they lost to St. John's, 73-58. ... Cameron County is 5-13 all-time in the PIAA tournament and made it to the second round last year by beating District 6 champion Portage, 50-28.
PIAA CLASS 1A FIRST ROUND PLAYOFFS
Teams: 9-4 Johnsonburg Rams (19-8) vs. 6-1 Bishop Carroll Catholic Huskies (15-10)
Site, time: Bishop Carroll Catholic H.S., 7 p.m.
The coaches: Johnsonburg--Cole Peterson; Bishop Carroll--Cosie Aliquo
Playoff path: Johnsonburg--def. Northern Potter, 66-34, in District 9 quarterfinals; lost to Clarion, 54-34, in semifinals; lost to Cameron County, 56-49, in consolation. Bishop Carroll--def. Portage, 70-56, in District 6 quarterfinals; def. Conemaugh Valley, 89-75, in semifinals; def. Williamsburg, 72-41, in District 6 championship.
Probable starting lineups: Johnsonburg--G Eli Perez, sr.; G Luke Zimmerman, sr.; G Noah Stauffer, jr.; F Isaiah Jackson, sr.; F Eric Hoffman, sr. Bishop Carroll--G Luke Repko, sr.; G Max Oravec, sr.; G-F Parker Alexander, sr.; G Will Tremel, jr.; G Jace Casses, so.
Key reserves: Johnsonburg--C Nicky Myers, sr.; G Cade Peterson, jr. Bishop Carroll--G Zander Sekerak, sr.; G-F Gus Becquet, so.
Who they get: The winner will play WPIAL runner-up The Neighborhood Academy or District 10 runner-up Rocky Grove in the second round on Tuesday.
Notable: Johnsonburg coach Cole Peterson is in his first year after being an assistant to former coach Dan Nelson the last three years. Peterson helped Johnsonburg finish as the runner-up in the PIAA tournament as a player in 2013 and then helped the Rams win a state baseball championship. He is second all-time at the school with 1,598 points and was drafted by the Detroit Tigers. He spent time in the minor leagues before retiring in 2021. ... Isaiah Jackson was Johnsonburg's top returning player from last season's team that graduated three starters. ... Bishop Carroll is back in the state playoffs after missing the District 6 playoffs last year. ... The Huskies are 24-20 all-time in the PIAA playoffs. In 2022, they beat North Clarion before losing to Union. ... Bishop Carroll has made it to the PIAA semifinals four times (1978, 1998, 2014, 2018).
-- Michael Boytim