In a normal year, the WPIAL pairings meeting would be held in a crowded, standing room only ballroom with coaches straining to get a good look at the screen to see who their team will be playing. Eventually, the opposing coaches would have to meet and exchange films.
As everyone knows, though, this is not a normal year. The meeting was done virtually and, for more reasons than one, that was advantageous. Because of the compressed schedule, many of the teams whose postseason schedules were announced were actually playing at the same time.
One of them was the Beaver girls, who hosted Ambridge on senior night, and could play their first playoff game against those same Bridgers. Beaver’s unbeaten season was rewarded with the top seed in Class 4A while Ambridge is seeded 17th.
The Bridgers will travel to 16th seeded Burrell for a noon game Saturday and a mild upset there could create a rematch. Since games are not played at neutral sites until the championship, the rematch would be on the same floor, too.
“I was surprised to see that possibility,” said Beaver coach Greg Huston, whose team defeated Ambridge 68-30 Tuesday. “There’s plusses and minuses to the possibility. It’s nice to play someone you’re familiar with but they’re familiar with you too. If you play somebody different, they don’t know you.
“We don’t play right away (the first game is March 2) so I’ll probably give the girls a day or two off, we haven’t played as many games but it’s all been packed together. It’s been a grind physically and mentally.”
The compressed season and home court advantage have made a higher seed more valuable and local teams fared well. In addition, only the WPIAL champions will advance to the state playoffs so the WPIAL playoffs will carry even more importance.
Top seeds in addition to the Beaver girls were the OLSH boys, and the Rochester girls. Receiving second seeds were the Lincoln Park and Rochester boys and the Quaker Valley girls.
In all, 33 local teams will be participating in the playoffs this season, The WPIAL opened the field this year because of the scheduling problems created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bigger field has created some unusual circumstances in the field that, given the circumstances, would have been unlikely or even impossible, otherwise. In boys’ Class 4A, four of the top six seeds come from the local Section 2 – Lincoln Park is second, Montour third, Quaker Valley fourth, and Central Valley sixth.
In a normal year, that domination would be impressive, but making it even more so is that Ambridge, which wouldn’t have qualified for the playoffs under traditional standards, is seeded 9th and will open the playoffs Thursday at South Park.
With that many teams at the top of the brackets, Central Valley is only one win away from visiting Montour, a trip it made Tuesday night while the pairings meeting was going on.
“Neither team was real crisp, it felt like more of an exhibition game,” said Central Valley coach Brandon Ambrose, whose team fell 53-47. “I don’t want to say the focus goes once you know the brackets are set, but you don’t know.
“Some teams can flip the switch once the playoffs start and that’s what you hope for. It’s happened before.”
Every team will be looking to flip that switch as the playoffs start Saturday and six local teams will see action that day. At noon, the South Side girls visit Sto-Rox, the Ambridge girls visit Burrell, the West Allegheny boys visit Plum, the South Side boys visit Clairton, and the Aliquippa girls host Springdale. At 2 p.m., the Sewickley Academy boys host Northgate.
An Aliquippa win would set the stage for a game with top-seeded Neshannock, coached by former Aliquippa coach Luann Grybowski.
Another potential interesting matchup in the second round also involves Neshannock. The Lancers were awarded the top seed with only one loss on their record but the second-round opponent could be Beaver Falls, who provided that only loss.
There will be other interesting matchups as the playoffs unfold as well, but there will definitely be action. Once the playoffs begin Saturday, there will be games every day (except Sunday) until the championships.
PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
The open tournament format isn’t the only change for the playoffs this year. Games are also being hosted by higher seeds, instead of at neutral sites. At least, that’s the case in most of the games. A few school districts either opted out of hosting or did not meet the WPIAL’s capacity requirements to host. So, some games are at the site of lower seeds or at a neutral site.
Here are the preliminary and first round games involving teams from the Times’ coverage area.
BOYS
CLASS 1A
First Round – Tuesday, March 2
No. 15 West Greene at No. 2 Rochester, 6 p.m.
No. 10 Western Beaver at No. 7 Geibel, 6 p.m.
CLASS 2A
Preliminary Round – Saturday, February 27
No. 23 Northgate at No. 10 Sewickley Academy, 2 p.m.
No. 19 South Side at No. 14 Clairton, noon
First Round – Wednesday, March 3
Chartiers Houston/California at No. 1 OLSH, 6 p.m.
Northgate/Sewickley at No. 7 Carlynton, 6 p.m.
South Side/Clairton at No. 6 Frazier, 6 p.m.
CLASS 3A
Preliminary Round – Monday, March 1
No. 13 New Brighton at No. 20 Waynesburg, 6 p.m.
No. 22 Valley at No. 11 Ellwood City, 6 p.m.
First Round – Thursday, March 4
New Brighton/Waynesburg at No. 4 Aliquippa, 6 p.m.
Ellwood City/Valley at No. 6 Avonworth, 6 p.m.
Charleroi/Steel Valley at No. 7 Beaver Falls, 6 p.m.
CLASS 4A
Preliminary Round – Monday, March 1
No. 17 Freeport at No. 16 Blackhawk, 6 p.m.
No. 21 Hopewell at No. 12 Mount Pleasant, 6 p.m.
No. 19 Beaver at No. 14 Uniontown, 6 p.m.
First Round – Thursday, March 4
Blackhawk/Freeport at No. 1 Belle Vernon, 6 p.m.
Knoch/Yough at No. 2 Lincoln Park, 6 p.m.
Beaver/Uniontown at No. 3 Montour, 6 p.m.
Derry/Southmoreland at No. 4 Quaker Valley, 6 p.m.
Hopewell/Mt. Pleasant at No. 5 North Catholic, 6 p.m.
No. 11 Burrell at No. 6 Central Valley, 6 p.m.
CLASS 5A
Preliminary Round – Saturday, February 27
No. 18 West Allegheny at No. 15 Plum, noon
GIRLS
CLASS 1A
No. 1 Rochester, bye (won’t play until quarterfinal round on March 8)
CLASS 2A
Preliminary Round – Saturday, February 27
No. 17 Springdale at No. 16 Aliquippa, noon
No. 18 South Side at No. 15 Sto-Rox, noon
First round – Tuesday, March 2
Springdale/Aliquippa at No. 1 Neshannock, 6 p.m.
South Side/Sto-Rox at No. 2 Serra Catholic, 6 p.m.
Seton LaSalle/Jeannette at No. 4 Sewickley Academy, 6 p.m.
No. 11 Apollo Ridge at No. 6 OLSH, 6 p.m.
CLASS 3A
First Round – Wednesday, March 3
No. 8 Avonworth at No. 9 Freedom, 6 p.m.
No. 12 Ellwood City at No. 5 South Park, 6 p.m.
No. 14 Beaver Falls at No. 3 Brentwood, 6 p.m.
CLASS 4A
Preliminary Round – Saturday, February 27
No. 17 Ambridge at No. 16 Burrell, noon
First Round – Tuesday, March 2
Ambridge/Burrell at No. 1 Beaver, 6 p.m.
No. 8 Elizabeth Forward at No. 9 Central Valley, 6 p.m.
No. 13 Hopewell at No. 4 Knoch, 6 p.m.
No. 12 Highlands at No. 5 Blackhawk, 6 p.m.
No. 15 New Castle at No. 2 Quaker Valley, 6 p.m.
CLASS 5A
Preliminary Round – Monday, March 1
No. 18 Lincoln Park at No. 15 Plum, 6 p.m.
No. 19 Indiana at No. 14 Moon, 6 p.m.
