2016-2017 WPIAL Girls Basketball PREVIEW
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Friday, December 9, 2016 | 4:03 PM
The year of major change around the WPIAL has made it through one season and now it’s the winter sports, specifically girls basketball, that gets a taste of the new expanded six classifications. New rivalries, fewer playoff teams in each class and more champions crowned in the end. Here is a preview of players to watch and teams to beat with our MSA Sports Preseason Top Ten teams in each class.
WPIAL CLASS 6-A:
Players to Watch:
Lauren Gilbert – Baldwin
Justina Mascaro – Bethel Park
Cheyenne Trest – Canon-McMillan
Gabby Badway – Fox Chapel
Michelle Burns – Hempfield
Kate Sramac – Mount Lebanon
McKenzie Bushee – Mount Lebanon
Desiree Oliver – Penn Hills
Amanda Kalin – Pine-Richland
Hailey Zeise – North Allegheny
Erin Danik – Seneca Valley
Team to Watch – Top Ten:
1. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS
2. MOUNT LEBANON BLUE DEVILS
3. PENN HILLS INDIANS
4. PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS
5. NORWIN KNIGHTS
6. BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS
7. PINE-RICHLAND RAMS
8. CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS
9. SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS
10. FOX CHAPEL FOXES
WPIAL CLASS 5-A:
Players to Watch:
Mackenzie Wagner – Chartiers Valley
Jenna Lafko – Hampton
Ali Collins – Hampton
Lauren Wasylson – Mars
Tai Johnson – Mars
Johnasia Cash – McKeesport
Ashley Briscoe – Ringgold
Sam Kosmacki – South Fayette
Marina Petruzzi – Thomas Jefferson
Sierra Kotchman – Trinity
Teams to Watch – Top Ten:
1. SOUTH FAYETTE LIONS
2. HAMPTON TALBOTS
3. MARS FIGHTING PLANETS
4. TRINITY HILLERS
5. CHARTIERS VALLEY COLTS
6. McKEESPORT TIGERS
7. RINGGOLD RAMS
8. GATEWAY GATORS
9. THOMAS JEFFERSON JAGUARS
10. GREENSBURG-SALEM GOLDEN LIONS
WPIAL CLASS 4-A:
Players to Watch:
Bella Posset – Beaver
Madison Amalia – Blackhawk
Mady Aulbach – Blackhawk
Sam Breen – Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic
Ashlyn Jonczak – Highlands
Olivia Porter – Southmoreland
Teams to Watch – Top Ten:
1. BLACKHAWK COUGARS
2. CARDINAL WUERL NORTH CATHOLIC TROJANS
3. BEAVER BOBCATS
4. HIGHLANDS GOLDEN RAMS
5. BURRELL BUCCANEERS
6. SOUTH PARK EAGLES
7. AMBRIDGE BRIDGERS
8. SOUTHMORELAND SCOTTIES
9. DEER LAKES LANCERS
10. DERRY TROJANS
WPIAL CLASS 3-A:
Players to Watch:
Hayden Robinson – Avonworth
Shamyja Price – Bishop Canevin
Ashleigh Wilson – Carlynton
Diamond Thomas – Carlynton
Maria Claybaugh – Charleroi
Amani Johnson – East Allegheny
Carmie Matarazzo – Neshannock
Teams to Watch – Top Ten:
1. BISHOP CANEVIN CRUSADERS
2. CARLYNTON COUGARS
3. NESHANNOCK LANCERS
4. RIVERSIDE PANTHERS
5. SETON-LaSALLE REBELS
6. BROWNSVILLE FALCONS
7. CHARLEROI COUGARS
8. EAST ALLEGHENY WILDCATS
9. AVONWORTH ANTELOPES
10. APOLLO-RIDGE VIKINGS
WPIAL CLASS 2-A:
Players to Watch:
Kinlee Whited – Beth-Center
Jenna Miller – California
Bailey Vig – California
Jala Walker – Chartiers-Houston
Alexa Williamson – Chartiers-Houston
Brooke Poling – Frazier
Brittany Stawovy – Greensburg Central Catholic
Mikayla Lovelace – Leechburg
Loren Minor – Serra Catholic
Janaya Hazlip – Sto-Rox
Teams to Watch – Top Ten:
1. CHARTIERS-HOUSTON BUCCANEERS
2. CALIFORNIA TROJANS
3. GREENSBURG CENTRAL CATHOLIC CENTURIONS
4. VINCENTIAN ACADEMY ROYALS
5. SERRA CATHOLIC EAGLES
6. LEECHBURG BLUE DEVILS
7. OUR LADY OF THE SACRED HEART CHARGERS
8. FRAZIER COMMODORES
9. STO-ROX VIKINGS
10. BETH-CENTER BULLDOGS
WPIAL CLASS 1-A:
Players to Watch:
Daeja Quick – Cornell
Lizzy Celko – St. Joseph
McKenna Lampe – West Greene
Gia Thorpe – Winchester Thurston
Ayanna Townsend – Winchester Thurston
Teams to Watch – Top Ten:
1. WINCHESTER THURSTON BEARS
2. QUIGLEY CATHOLIC SPARTANS
3. WEST GREENE PIONEERS
4. ST. JOSEPH SPARTANS
5. CORNELL RAIDERS
6. JEFFERSON-MORGAN ROCKETS
7. ROCHESTER RAMS
8. IMANI CHRISTIAN SAINTS
9. AVELLA EAGLES
10. SEWICKLEY ACADEMY PANTHERS
More Basketball
• Westmoreland high school notebook: Puck drops for area’s PIHL teams• Penn Hills notebook: Basketball grad to play professionally in Ireland
• New coach Gabby Baldasare excited to fill big shoes with North Allegheny girls basketball
• Woodland Hills provides ‘right situation’ for Steve Scorpion’s 2nd chance as head coach
• Gene Brisbane resigns as Derry girls basketball coach