"Mr. High School Sports" - WPIAL Hoops Brackets Finalized
By Matt Popchock
The playoff pairings for the 2012 WPIAL Boys' and Girls' Basketball Championships were revealed Tuesday night at the Double Tree Hotel in Greentree by WPIAL Chief Executive Tim O'Malley and his Basketball Steering Committee.
Starting this Friday night, 163 teams--82 in the boys' tournament, 81 in the girls'--will begin their quest to don District 7 gold medals at the A.J. Palumbo Center. The final round of both tournaments will take place there Fri., Mar. 2 and Sat., Mar. 3, with the majority of the title contests slated for that first day due to a Duquesne men's home game the next.
All quarterfinal games are slated to tip off next Friday and spill over into next Saturday, with the boys' and girls' semifinal rounds set for Tue., Feb. 28 and Wed., Feb. 29.
Below is the schedule for the boys' and girls' Preliminary and First Round games, with seeding, where applicable, listed in parentheses. The higher-seeded teams will host these games, unless otherwise noted.
BOYS' CLASS AAAA PRELIMINARY ROUND:
McKeesport vs. Norwin; Saturday, 3:00 PM at California University (winner plays at No. 1 seed Shaler in a First Round game Wed., Feb. 22, 8:00 PM)
BOYS' CLASS AAAA FIRST ROUND:
(8) Plum vs. (9) Kiski Area; Wed., Feb. 22, 8:00 PM
(4) Woodland Hills vs. (13) Peters Township; Saturday, 12:00 PM at California University
(5) Hempfield vs. (12) Pittsburgh Central Catholic; Saturday, 12:00 PM at Plum High School
(2) Chartiers Valley vs. (15) Butler; Wed., Feb. 22, 8:00 PM
(7) North Allegheny vs. (10) Bethel Park; Wed., Feb. 22, 8:00 PM
(3) Mount Lebanon vs. (14) Seneca Valley; Saturday, 3:00 PM at Chartiers Valley High School
(6) Penn-Trafford vs. (11) Gateway; Saturday, 3:00 PM at Plum High School
BOYS' CLASS AAA PRELIMINARY ROUND:
Highlands vs. Southmoreland; Friday, 8:00 PM at Gateway High School (winner plays at No. 1 seed New Castle in a First Round game Tue., Feb. 21, 8:00 PM)
Trinity vs. Kittanning; Friday, 8:00 PM at Yough High School (winner plays at No. 4 seed Keystone Oaks in a First Round game Tue., Feb. 21, 8:00 PM)
Beaver vs. Thomas Jefferson; Friday, 8:00 PM at Moon Area High School (winner plays at No. 5 seed South Fayette in a First Round game Tue., Feb. 21, 8:00 PM)
Knoch vs. Indiana; Friday, 8:00 PM at Plum High School (winner plays at No. 2 seed Montour in a First Round game Tue., Feb. 21, 8:00 PM)
Blackhawk vs. South Park; Friday, 8:00 PM at North Allegheny High School (winner plays at No. 7 seed Uniontown in a First Round game Tue., Feb. 21, 8:00 PM)
Washington vs. Elizabeth Forward; Friday, 8:00 PM at Chartiers Valley High School (winner plays at No. 3 seed Hampton in a First Round game Tue., Feb. 21, 8:00 PM)
Central Valley vs. McGuffey; Friday, 8:00 PM at Keystone Oaks High School (winner plays at No. 6 seed Greensburg-Salem in a First Round game Tue., Feb. 21, 8:00 PM)
BOYS' CLASS AAA FIRST ROUND:
(8) West Mifflin vs. (9) Mars; Tue., Feb. 21, 8:00 PM
BOYS' CLASS AA PRELIMINARY ROUND:
Chartiers-Houston vs. Riverside; Saturday, 1:00 PM at Ambridge High School (winner plays at No. 1 seed Monessen in a First Round game Wed., Feb. 22, 8:00 PM)
Shady Side Academy vs. California; Saturday, 12:00 PM at Gateway High School (winner will earn the No. 8 seed and host the Frazier-Riverview winner Wed., Feb. 22, 8:00 PM)
Frazier vs. Riverview; Saturday, 1:30 PM at Baldwin High School (winner will earn the No. 9 seed and play at the Frazier-Riverview winner Wed., Feb. 22, 8:00 PM)
Northgate vs. Freeport; Saturday, 12:00 PM at North Allegheny High School (winner plays at No. 4 seed Summit Academy in a First Round game Wed., Feb. 22, 8:00 PM)
Shenango vs. West Shamokin; Saturday, 3:00 PM at North Allegheny High School (winner plays at No. 5 seed Greensburg Central Catholic in a First Round game Wed., Feb. 22, 8:00 PM)
Brentwood vs. South Side Beaver; Saturday, 2:30 PM at Ambridge High School (winner plays at No. 2 seed Beaver Falls in a First Round game Wed., Feb. 22, 8:00 PM)
Wilkinsburg vs. Brownsville; Saturday, 3:00 PM at Gateway High School (winner will earn the No. 7 seed and host the Jeannette-Fort Cherry winner Wed., Feb. 22, 8:00 PM)
Jeannette vs. Fort Cherry; Saturday, 3:00 PM at North Hills High School (winner will earn the No. 10 seed and play at the Wilkinsburg-Brownsville winner Wed., Feb. 22, 8:00 PM)
Aliquippa vs. Ford City; Saturday, 12:00 PM at North Hills High School (winner plays at No. 3 seed Sto-Rox in a First Round game Wed., Feb. 22, 8:00 PM)
Seton-LaSalle vs. Neshannock; Saturday, 12:00 PM at Chartiers Valley High School (winner plays at No. 6 seed Quaker Valley in a First Round game Wed., Feb. 22, 8:00 PM)
BOYS' CLASS A FIRST ROUND:
(1) Lincoln Park vs. (16) Jefferson-Morgan; Friday, 8:00 PM at Chartiers-Houston High School
(8) St. Joseph vs. (9) Sewickley Academy; Friday, 8:00 PM at North Hills High School
(4) Serra Catholic vs. (13) Western Beaver; Friday, 8:00 PM at Northgate High School
(5) Vincentian Academy vs. (12) Geibel; Friday, 8:00 PM at Fox Chapel High School
(2) North Catholic vs. (15) Carmichaels; Friday, 8:00 PM at West Allegheny High School
(7) Bentworth vs. (10) Union; Friday, 6:30 PM at West Allegheny High School
(3) Clairton vs. (14) Avella; Friday, 8:00 PM at Baldwin High School
(6) Cornell vs. (11) Quigley; Friday, 8:00 PM at Ambridge High School
GIRLS' CLASS AAAA FIRST ROUND:
(Oakland Catholic earned the No. 1 seed and a First Round bye)
(8) North Allegheny vs. (9) Bethel Park; Tue., Feb. 21, 6:30 PM (winner will face Oakland Catholic at site TBA Fri., Feb. 24, 6:30 PM)
(4) Penn-Trafford vs. (13) Shaler; Friday, 6:30 PM at Plum High School
(5) Baldwin vs. (12) Kiski Area; Friday, 6:30 PM at Gateway High School
(2) Mount Lebanon vs. (15) Norwin; Tue., Feb. 21, 6:30 PM
(7) Pine-Richland vs. (10) Plum; Tue., Feb. 21, 6:30 PM
(3) Gateway vs. (14) Upper St. Clair; Friday, 6:30 PM at Baldwin High School
(6) Hempfield vs. (11) Woodland Hills; Friday, 6:30 PM at Fox Chapel High School
GIRLS' CLASS AAA PRELIMINARY ROUND:
Indiana vs. Belle Vernon; Saturday, 1:30 PM at Gateway High School (winner plays at No. 1 seed Hopewell in a First Round game Wed., Feb. 22, 6:30 PM)
Beaver vs. Knoch; Saturday, 1:30 PM at North Allegheny High School (winner plays at No. 4 seed Chartiers Valley in a First Round game Wed., Feb. 22, 6:30 PM)
Central Valley vs. Trinity; Saturday, 1:30 PM at Chartiers Valley High School (winner plays at No. 5 seed Uniontown in a First Round game Wed., Feb. 22, 6:30 PM)
Greensburg-Salem vs. Montour; Saturday, 1:30 PM at California University (winner plays at No. 2 seed South Park in a First Round game Wed., Feb. 22, 6:30 PM)
West Mifflin vs. Kittanning; Saturday, 1:30 PM at Plum High School (winner plays at No. 3 seed Blackhawk in a First Round game Wed., Feb. 22, 6:30 PM)
GIRLS' CLASS AAA FIRST ROUND:
(8) Elizabeth Forward vs. (9) Hampton; Wed., Feb. 22, 6:30 PM
(7) South Fayette vs. (10) Mars; Wed., Feb. 22, 6:30 PM
(6) Mount Pleasant vs. (11) New Castle; Wed., Feb. 22, 6:30 PM
GIRLS' CLASS AA PRELIMINARY ROUND:
Beth-Center vs. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart; Friday, 6:30 PM at Chartiers-Houston High School (winner plays at No. 1 seed Seton-LaSalle in a First Round game Tue., Feb. 21, 6:30 PM)
Quaker Valley vs. Springdale; Friday, 6:30 PM at Moon Area High School (winner will earn the No. 8 seed and host the Beaver Falls-South Side Beaver winner Tue., Feb. 21, 6:30 PM)
Beaver Falls vs. South Side Beaver; Friday, 6:30 PM at Ambridge High School (winner will earn the No. 9 seed and play at the Quaker Valley-Springdale winner Tue., Feb. 21, 6:30 PM)
Keystone Oaks vs. Shady Side Academy; Friday, 5:00 PM at North Hills High School (winner plays at No. 4 seed Deer Lakes in a First Round game Tue., Feb. 21, 6:30 PM)
Burrell vs. Charleroi; Friday, 6:30 PM at Yough High School (winner plays at No. 5 seed Greensburg Central Catholic in a First Round game Tue., Feb. 21, 6:30 PM)
Mohawk vs. Washington; Friday, 6:30 PM at Chartiers Valley High School (winner plays at No. 2 seed Bishop Canevin in a First Round game Tue., Feb. 21, 6:30 PM)
Avonworth vs. Elderton; Friday, 6:30 PM at North Hills High School (winner plays at No. 7 seed Bentworth in a First Round game Tue., Feb. 21, 6:30 PM)
Ford City vs. New Brighton; Friday, 6:30 PM at Northgate High School (winner plays at No. 3 seed Jeannette in a First Round game Tue., Feb. 21, 6:30 PM)
Steel Valley vs. Freeport; Friday, 6:30 PM at Riverside High School (winner plays at No. 6 seed Riverside in a First Round game Tue., Feb. 21, 6:30 PM)
GIRLS' CLASS A PRELIMINARY ROUND:
Frazier vs. West Greene; Saturday, 3:00 PM at Baldwin High School (winner plays at No. 1 seed North Catholic in a First Round game Wed., Feb. 22, 6:30 PM)
Avella vs. Clairton; Saturday, 3:00 PM at Chartiers-Houston High School (winner plays at No. 2 seed Vincentian Academy in a First Round game Wed., Feb. 22, 6:30 PM)
GIRLS' CLASS A FIRST ROUND:
(8) Carmichaels vs. (9) St. Joseph; Wed., Feb. 22, 6:30 PM
(4) Monessen vs. (13) Rochester; Saturday, 1:30 PM at Chartiers-Houston High School
(5) Quigley vs. (12) Riverview; Saturday, 12:00 PM at Baldwin High School
(7) Chartiers-Houston vs. (10) Winchester Thurston; Wed., Feb. 22, 6:30 PM
(3) Fort Cherry vs. (14) Aliquippa; Saturday, 1:30 PM at North Hills High School
(6) Serra Catholic vs. (11) Cornell; Saturday, 12:00 PM at Chartiers-Houston High School
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Check back with us later this week for more WPIAL boys' and girls' basketball postseason coverage.
(Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/mpopchock)
