1A Boys - Neighborhood Academy vs Serra Catholic
Neighborhood got off to a hot start in this one as they jumped out to a 13-5 lead. Serra Catholic answered by turning the Bulldogs over and scoring on back to back possessions to get it to 13-9. Tyler Sapida shouldered the offensive load for Serra Catholic throughout the game, but especially early on, as he got another bucket to go to make it a two point game. Neighborhood Academy star, Kedron Gilmore, quieted the crowd with a three, but Sapida answered again late in the quarter to cut the Neighborhood lead to just 16-13 after the one. The second quarter was a back and forth battle with Serra Catholic actually outsourcing Neighborhood 12-10 in the quarter to make it a one point game at the half with Neighborhood leading 26-25.
The Bulldogs looked to takeover in the third and show why they’ve been the top team in 1A all year. They came out firing on all cylinders and outscored the Eagles 19-11 in the quarter, giving them a 45-36 leading entering the fourth. But Serra Catholic is a battle tested team and they had no intentions of going down without a fight. The Eagles stormed back with a 10-0 run to start the final quarter and took a 46-45 lead with less than five minutes to go in the game. Neighborhood Academy could sense the upset coming as both teams were struggling to score, and it looked like this game was completely up for grabs midway through the fourth. Kedron Gilmore tied the game at 48 with four minutes left to go and Serra Catholic didn’t score a point the rest of the game. Neighborhood outscored Serra 15-2 in the final four minutes en route to a 60-48 win. This game was much closer than that final score showed, but when the final buzzer sounded, Neighborhood Academy were back-to-back 1A champions and Serra Catholic finished up as the runner-up for the second year in a row.
Kedron Gilmore was fantastic in this one for Neighborhood Academy, stuffing the stat sheet with 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 steals. After the game, he talked about what it’s like to win his second straight WPIAL title saying, “It feels great to go back-to-back. I want to go for three”. Tyler Sapida was great for Serra Catholic in the loss, matching Gilmore’s 24 points and pulling down 9 rebounds in the game.
Both schools will move on to the PIAA state playoffs where Neighborhood will look to repeat on that stage as well.
3A Girls - Shadyside vs Greensburg Central Catholic
Greensburg Central Catholic jumped out to a 13-8 lead after one as Morgan Skoloda knocked down two three balls in the quarter. The second quarter was all Shady Side though as they ratcheted up the defensive pressure and held Greensburg Central to just 6 points in the quarter and under 30% from the field. The Bulldogs were just the opposite in the second, shooting 62.5% from the field as they doubled-up the Centaurians in the quarter, outscoring them 12-6 and taking a 20-19 lead at the half with Cassie Sauer leading the way with 8 points and 6 rebounds. Shady Side also managed to keep Greensburg Central Catholic star and Richmond commit, Erica Gribble, in check in the first half, holding her to just 2 points.
Greensburg Central Catholic punched back to start the third, going on a 6-0 run early, but Shady Side found their footing midway through the quarter and began to show why they were the top seed. Ultimately, the third quarter looked much like the second with Shady Side shooting a very efficient 70% from the field as they headed into the final quarter with a 37-29 lead. Greensburg Central Catholic stayed within striking distance for the first few minutes of the fourth quarter, but Gribble picked up her 5th foul with a little under five minutes to go in the game and that seemed to be the dagger. Greensburg Central Catholic never really got back into the game after Gribble exited and Shady Side was dominant the rest of the way with Karis Thomas knocking down free throw after free throw late in the game, finishing a perfect 10-10 from the line. Shady Side went on to outscore Greensburg Central Catholic 20-9 in the quarter and coasted to a 57-40 win. Thomas had a game-high 21 points, including 15 in the second half. Avery Jones had 14 points and 9 rebounds for GCC in the loss. Shady Side was super efficient in this one, shooting over 61% from the field and over 91% from the free throw line.
Shady Side had been waiting all year to get another shot at Greensburg Central Catholic after falling to them in the finals last year, and they got their revenge tonight.
4A Boys - Quaker Valley vs Knoch
Roman DeFelice got the scoring started for Knoch, converting on back to back attempts to give the Knights a 4-0 lead early. Kolton Johnson got the Quakers on the board as he finished the layup after intercepting the Knoch pass. Liam Avon muscled his way inside for two more more to give Knoch a 6-2 lead midway through the quarter. Quaker Valley’s Zach Washington found Johnson down low for two more as he had all 4 for the Quakers so far. Vinnie DeFelice got the bucket to go for Knoch, but Harrison Kerley answered with a triple for Quaker Valley to cut the Knoch lead to just one, 8-7, at the end of the first quarter.
Knoch opened the second quarter with a balanced attack as both Roman and Vinnie DeFelice, Derek Lang, and Liam Avon scored early in the quarter as they jumped out to a 16-10 lead with the Quakers only points coming from another three pointer by Kerley. Kerley caught fire midway through the second and drained two more triples to tie the game at 16, giving him a game-high 12 points, all coming from long-range. Zach Washington would hit the baseline fadeaway next for the Quakers to give them their first lead of the game with just over two minutes left in the half. The Knights had gone ice cold and the Quakers had taken control with a 10-0 run as they now led 18-16. Roman Deflice broke the scoring drought for the Knights with a three to end the half and get this back to a one point game with Quaker Valley leading 20-19 lead at the half. The Quakers managed to hold Knoch’s all-time leading scorer, Teegan Finucan, to no points through those first two quarters.
Washington got the scoring started for Quaker Valley with a floater that kissed high off the glass and fell to give his squad a 22-19 lead, but Finucan answered quickly with his first bucket of the game to make it 22-21. Nicolas Cohen laced an NBA range three for his first points of the game, but once again, Finucan answered with a basket inside to keep this one tight. Knoch continued to charge back with Roman and Vinnie DeFelice each getting a bucket to retake the lead for Knoch by a score of 27-25. Johnson got the putback to go after the miss by Chapman and tied the game again at 27. Knoch went to their bigs the next two times down the floor with Avon powering his way to the rim and Lang getting the turnaround push shot to go to put Knoch on top 31-27 heading into the fourth.
Knoch opened the fourth quarter by finding Lang wide open under the rim for two more, stretching their lead to 6 early in the final quarter. After a minute-long possession, multiple offensive rebounds, and a jump ball that kept the ball in their hands, Finucan got fouled on the drive for Knoch. He would make the first and miss the second, but Lang was there on the offensive glass again for the tip-in to give them a 36-27 lead, their largest of the game. The Knights defense stepped up in the quarter as well, holding Quaker Valley scoreless for the nearly half of the fourth quarter. Avon scored again to stretch the lead to double-digits for the Knights with just over four minutes left in the game.
Avon imposed his will down the stretch of this one scoring inside, grabbing rebounds on both ends, and blocking multiple shots. Quaker Valley continued to play hard, but it just wasn’t their night tonight, as they struggled to find consistent scoring outside of the three point barrage from Kerley in the second and Knoch got solid contributions from their entire starting five, just as they’ve gotten all season. Cohen hit a corner three for the Quakers with a minute left in the game but there just wasn’t enough time for them to come back in this one. Knoch protected the ball and hit their free throws late in the game as they went on to win it 48-35. This game was tied at 27 in the third quarter. From that point on, the Knights outscored the Quakers 21-8.
Roman DeFelice, Liam Avon, and Derek Lang all finished in double figures for Knoch. This was a night of firsts, as the Knights won their first WPIAL title in program history and Head Coach, Joe Lafko, wins a title in his first season at the helm for the Knoch after a storied career at Hampton. Lafko spoke about his starting five after the game, praising their togetherness and drive throughout the season. He knew had a special group on his hands from the jump with this team saying, “We talked from the earliest times that I walked into the open gym that this night was going to happen, and we believed it.
Teegan Finucan was held to 7 points in the game and as the program’s all-time leading scorer, he was asked how he managed to stay composed out there when he wasn’t scoring like he’s used to. He praised his teammates and said, “They’re my brothers. That’s the best way to put it”. He went on to speak about the level of trust he has in all of his teammates saying, “I have as much confidence in them as I have confidence in me”.