What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Jan. 28, 2022: OLSH on brink of making history

By: Don Rebel
Friday, January 28, 2022 | 12:38 AM

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On the final Friday night of high school basketball in January, 57- and 37-year-old WPIAL boys basketball records are in serious jeopardy of being smashed by a bolt of lightning.

The OLSH Chargers tied the record for longest district winning streak at 52 in a row Monday in a nonsection route of Avonworth.

Now, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart hits the road to set the record in a Section 1-2A contest at South Side.

The 52-consecutive-victory record was first set by Uniontown, starting in 1963 and ending in 1965.

That mark was tied 20 years later when the Washington team, coached by current bench boss Ron Faust, won 52 straight from 1983-1985.

A 53rd straight win would put the Chargers alone in the record book.

They would have to beat a Rams team that while 6-9 overall, is in second place in the section with a 3-1 record.

South Side’s only second loss was at OLSH, 73-38, on Jan. 4.

Front-running four

The tightest race for a section championship heading into the final two weeks of the regular season is in Section 2-6A.

Four teams — Baldwin, Bethel Park, Mt. Lebanon and defending 6A champion Upper St. Clair — are all tied for the top spot with 3-2 section records.

Even the other two teams in the section are right there on the doorstep, with Canon-McMillan at 2-3 and Peters Township in the basement but only two games back at 1-4.

Every game in the South Hills will be big the rest of the way.

The second half of section play begins Friday with Baldwin visiting Upper St. Clair, Mt. Lebanon hosting Canon-McMillan and Peters Township at neighboring Bethel Park.

In the first meeting between these teams, the Panthers, Blue Devils and Black Hawks were winners.

We’ve got spirit

The two-day PIAA Competitive Spirit Championship event begins Friday at the Giant Center in Hershey.

The preliminary round will take place in five divisions: 3A large varsity, 3A small varsity, 2A large varsity, 2A small varsity and co-ed varsity.

There are 14 teams from the WPIAL in Hershey this weekend, participating in the 2022 state championships.

3A large varsity – Norwin, Hempfield, South Fayette, Penn-Trafford

3A small varsity – Plum, Pine-Richland, North Hills, Thomas Jefferson, Seneca Valley

2A large varsity – Laurel, Neshannock

2A small varsity – Hopewell, Ringgold

Co-ed varsity – Butler

The five defending state champions from last year are District 12 St. Hubert in 3A large varsity, South Fayette in 3A small varsity, District 6 Bishop McCort in 2A large varsity, District 12 Lansdale Catholic in 2A small varsity and District 10 McDowell in co-ed varsity.