TONIGHT

DISTRICT 5-6 CLASS 3A GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP

Teams: Cambria Heights Lady Highlanders (16-8) vs. Central Cambria Lady Devils (19-6)

Site, time: Mount Aloysius College, Cresson, 6 p.m.

The coaches: Cambria Heights — Eric Thomas; Central Cambria — Brittany Bracken

Playoff path: Cambria Heights — def. Central, 40-31, in the quarterfinals; def. Marion Center, 35-32, in the semifinals. Central Cambria — def. Philipsburg-Osceola, 54-10, in the quarterfinals; def. Penns Valley, 52-37, in the semifinals.

Probable starting lineups: Cambria Heights — PG Kinley Rogal, sr.; G Markie Bender, sr.; G Brienna Kirsch, fr.; F Lilly Karlheim, jr.; F Julia Karlheim, fr. Central Cambria — PG Alaina Long, sr.; G Paige Alexander, so.; F Katie George, jr.; F Rowyn Ruddek, jr.; F Gianna Grimaldi, so.

Key reserves: Cambria Heights — G-F Ava Adams, so.; F Cali Abrams, fr. Central Cambria — F Camryn Matlin, jr.; G Makenzie Hite, so.; G Delaney Snyder, fr.

Who they get: The winner hosts the sixth-place team from the WPIAL, and the loser hosts the third-place team out of District 4 in the first round of the PIAA tournament on Friday, March 6.

Notable: Cambria Heights coach Eric Thomas coached Central Cambria coach Brittany (Sedlock) Bracken at Northern Cambria, and together they won the District 6 Class 2A championship over Bishop McCort in 2008 and went on to the PIAA championship game where they lost to York Catholic. … Another coaching connection is that Central Cambria assistant coach Alyssa Berzonsky was an assistant coach for Cambria Heights last season. … Both teams made the PIAA playoffs last year with Central Cambria winning the district and Cambria Heights finishing third. … The teams haven’t met since a 55-47 Central Cambria win in 2022. … Kinley Rogal leads the Lady Highlanders in scoring, averaging 14.9 points per game. … Both teams have won two previous District 6 championships. Cambria Heights won Class 3A titles in 1984 and 2020. Central Cambria won a 3A title last season and a 2A championship in 1998.

DISTRICT 6 CLASS 3A BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP

Teams: Forest Hills Rangers (23-3) vs. Bishop Guilfoyle Academy Marauders (22-4)

Site, time: Mount Aloysius College, Cresson, 7:30 p.m.

The coaches: Forest Hills — Dominic Vescovi. Bishop Guilfoyle — Ryan Lestochi

Playoff path: Forest Hills — def. Penns Valley, 59-41, in the quarterfinals; def. Westmont Hilltop, 44-41, in the semifinals. Bishop Guilfoyle — def. Southern Huntingdon, 77-44, in quarterfinals; def. River Valley, 60-43, in the semifinals.

Probable starting lineups: Forest Hills — PG Koy McGough, sr.; G Easton Gramling, jr.; G Xander Richardson, sr.; F Dylan Stohon, jr.; C Brandon Gregovich, sr. Bishop Guilfoyle — PG Tyson Lestochi, sr.; G Taurean Consiglio, sr.; G Troy Ruggery, jr.; G Alex Krimmel, so.; F Jake Kissell, sr.

Key reserves: Forest Hills — G Colson Tokarsky, sr.; G Josh Myers, jr.; F Nathan Gabany, jr.; F Kevin Edmondson, jr. Bishop Guilfoyle — F Grant Okonak, jr.; F Connor Okonak, jr.; F Tyler Lightner, so.

Who they get: The winner hosts the seventh-place team out of the WPIAL, and the loser hosts the fourth-place team out of the WPIAL in the first round of the PIAA tournament on Saturday, March 7.

Notable: Forest Hills defeated Bishop Guilfoyle in last year’s District 6 championship game, 69-58. The Rangers also beat BG in this year’s Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference final, 62-46 in a game that was tied at 31 at halftime. … The previous matchup was in the LHAC semifinals last year in a game BG won, 78-69. That win marked the ninth straight win for Guilfoyle over Forest Hills up to that point. The last time the Rangers had won before last year’s district title game was a three-point win Feb. 1, 2018. … Dylan Stohon leads Forest Hills with a scoring average of 18.5 points per game, but Koy McGough (15.6) and Brandon Gregovich (14.8) also have put up a lot of points. … Two of Forest Hills’ three losses this season came against Johnstown, which Bishop Guilfoyle defeated twice. … Forest Hills has won three District 6 championships — one in Class 3A last year and two in Class 2A in 1983 and 1995. … Bishop Guilfoyle has won 15 District 6 championships — one in Class 3A in 2021. BG won 10 in Class 2A — 1974, 1976, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1992, 2002, 2018, 2019, 2020 and four in Class 1A in 1993, 1997, 2007 and 2013.

— Michael Boytim