PIAA Basketball Playoff: Western AA Preview

Jim Hammett
D6SN Sports Editor
Follow me @JimHammett @D6SN



The Favorite - Seton LaSalle - The Rebels of Seton LaSalle will enter the PIAA Class AA tournament as the favorites to represent the West. Coming off a narrow win in the WPIAL championship, the Rebels enter the state tournament with a 25-1 record. Seton LaSalle's only loss came to the hands of AAA power, Montour. They have rolled through the majority of their schedule and even have some wins over AAA and AAAA team to their credit. The tremendous size and athleticism of Seton makes them a tough team to prepare against. Dale Clancy is a smooth, senior guard that leads the offense. The Rebels have big time size with Levi Masua and Malik White. Seton LaSalle is a deep and talented team, and will be a tough out for anybody.

The Challenger -  Greensburg Central Catholic - GCC boasts a 22-3 record, and nearly pulled off a win against Seton LaSalle in the WPIAL championship. The Centurions have a balanced team with strong guard play. The GCC attack starts with versatile wing, Bryan Graytok. Graytok plays taller than his 6-1 listed height, and has a good all around offensive game. Billy Hipp creates a tough match up being a 6-4 guard, and is more than capable leading the team in scoring. GCC played a daring schedule, and it should help them during this run through the playoffs.

Dark Horse - Quaker Valley - The Quakers enter as the 6 seed from the WPIAL, but it would not surprise anyone if they put on a little run from here. Mike Mastroianni is an excellent coach, and seems to thrive in playoff basketball. Quaker Valley does not have a big time star player, and they are very well balanced. 6-4 junior forward, Chris Conlan, leads the Quakers in scoring. Winter Fondi dishes out 6 assists per game, and is one of many seniors in the QV 10 man rotation.

Top Local Favorite - Richland - Last year saw three local teams advance past the first round, and Conemaugh Township made their way to the round of 8.  The Indians are back,  but I look for Richland to have the best chance to move on a game or two. Yes, the Rams play a good Quaker Valley team, but they have enough fire power to steal a win.  Richland starts four seniors, and they have been playing great ball down the stretch. Matt Shaffer is tough to stop in the post, and Kyle Flick is a versatile, stat-sheet-stuffing guard. The tandem along with shooters, Aaron Miller and Jacob Lushko, make a well put together team.

Toughest Draw - Central - Central made their way to the District final, but bowed to a very strong Richland team. The reward for that run, a date with perennial power Beaver Falls. While all the local teams appear to be underdogs, Central getting a 7 loss Beaver Falls team can be misleading. The Tigers have been the team to beat in recent years, and you can bet they still are capable of making a run to the Western Final.  Beaver Falls played a tough schedule, and with their tradition, this looks like a really daunting task for an undersized Central team.

Under .500 - District 9 is awarded one bid to the state tournament, and 11 win Brookville is the team that got it. After going 8-14 in the regular season, the Raiders won their three district playoff games by a total of ten points. All three teams they beat have winning records. The Raiders meet perennial District 10 power, Mercyhurst Prep.

Most Intriguing Game - West Middlesex vs. Neshannock - West Middlesex has been on a great run recently, but things are a little different this year. The Big Reds went on a Western Final run last year with star player Matt Dogan, but he has since graduated. Sure they came back and managed to get to 20 wins this time around, but they definitely lack the star power Dogan brought to the table. Neshannock has an impressive record, but curiously were blown out by Beaver Falls in the WPIAL playoffs.  It was curious they were blown out simply for the fact they beat Beaver Falls twice in the regular season.  This game has the chance to be a good one with no true clear defined favorite.

Most lopsided game - Penns Valley vs. Seton LaSalle - This is David vs. Goliath if there has ever been one. No need to talk about the Rebels anymore, but Penns Valley could be in trouble. The Rams simply do not have the size or athletes to match Seton LaSalle. Penns Valley runs a deliberate offense and hard nosed defense, but they did not have one game on their schedule that could simulate what they will see Saturday. Penns Valley will try to make this a grudge match, but Seton has the shooters and size to combat the defensive pressure.

And from the East? - Constitution High is ranked number one in the Harrisburg Patriot News state rankings. They hail from the Philadelphia Public League, and they boast a 23-5 record playing the toughest schedule of anyone in the bracket. They will be the most likely team to represent the East, but maybe Loyalsock Township or Lewisburg can give them a run for their money.


My Picks  -

Seton LaSalle over Penns Valley
Mercyhurst Prep over Brookville
Quaker Valley over Richland
Aliquippa over Fairview
Summit Academy over Conemaugh Township
Beaver Falls over Central
Greensburg Central Catholic over Bald Eagle
West Middlesex over Neshannock

Seton LaSalle over Mercyhurst Prep
Quaker Valley over Aliquippa
Beaver Falls over Summit Academy
GCC over West Middlesex

Seton LaSalle over Quaker Valley
Greensburg Central over Beaver Falls

Seton LaSalle over Greensburg Central Catholic