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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