WPIAL Class 5A, 2A boys set to open playoffs in 3 games to watch Tuesday

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, February 19, 2018 | 8:33 PM

The next to the last day of the first round continues with nine WPIAL boys basketball playoff games Tuesday. There are five Class 5A opening-round tilts and four Class 2A first-round frays that will help set the stage for the quarterfinals in those two classifications Friday.

Class 5A first round: West Allegheny vs. Laurel Highlands at Peters Township, 8 p.m.

Eleven years ago, West Allegheny became the poster team for all WPIAL boys and girls basketball teams that qualify for the postseason. Back in 2007, the Indians barely made the playoffs and had to play Keystone Oaks in a preliminary-round game just to earn the No. 16 seed. Four surprising wins later, West Allegheny boys hoops had stunned all and were celebrating Class 3A gold.

This year's version of the Indians is also a long shot, but when you consider what they did from this season compared to last year, well they've beat the odds once this year. First-year coach Andrew Tsangaris has overseen a masterful turnaround at West Allegheny after the Indians finished 2-20 last season. West A has a record of 10-11 and finished third in the tough Section 2-5A. Balanced scoring and an in-your-face defense has been the key to success for this Tribe.

That defense will be challenged on Tuesday by Bryce Laskey and Laurel Highlands. Laskey, the second-leading scorer in the WPIAL, has had an outstanding season for the Mustangs, averaging more than 33 points. But that kind of dominant force hasn't translated into great success as Laurel Highlands finished 14-8 and in third place in Section 1-5A after placing in a deadlock for second place last year. A win puts the Mustangs into the quarterfinals for a second straight year.

Class 5A first round: Moon vs. Albert Gallatin at Baldwin, 8 p.m.

One team is looking to defend a district championship while the other is playing in the postseason for the first time in more than a decade. But, as the coaches like to say, both Moon and Albert Gallatin are 0-0 in this year's playoffs.

Moon relied heavily on 6-foot-8 Jarrod Simmons a year ago in winning the school's fourth boys basketball crown and first since winning three straight in 2004, 2005 and 2006. While Simmons and his size graduated, enough players with title-game experience returned to make this another successful season for the Tigers (17-5), who were runners-up to Mars in Section 2. Junior brothers Connor and Austin Ryan are a tough one-two combo on the perimeter.

Meanwhile, it has been a long time since the Albert Gallatin boys team hit the court for a district playoff game. Eleven years ago, the Colonials stunned three-time defending champion Moon, 80-73, in a district quarterfinals game en-route to the Quad-A title game, which they lost to Bethel Park, 68-63. This year' team at Albert Gallatin finished 12-10 and in fourth place in Section 1, thanks to the play of James Peggues and Matt Rankin.

Class 2A first round: Neshannock vs. Chartiers-Houston at West Allegheny, 8 p.m.

Last year, Chartiers-Houston won Section 2-2A and Neshannock needed a win on the last night of section play over rival Laurel to just make it to the playoffs. This year rinse, wash and repeat, as the Bucs claimed another section crown while the Lancers once again beat the Spartans on the final night to clinch a postseason berth. Now both teams want to repeat their first-round success from 2017.

Chartiers-Houston beat Leechburg a year ago before falling to eventual runner-up Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the quarterfinals. The Bucs ended up 17-5 with only one section loss thanks in part to the play of Cameron Hanley, who averages nearly 21 points per game.

Last year, Neshannock edged California, 46-45, before falling to Greensburg Central Catholic in Round 2. An up-and-down season ended with only eight wins in 22 games, but the Lancers have won two straight and have a good big man the opposition had to deal with in 6-6 junior Jake McCormick. This marks the 12th straight trip to the district playoffs for Neshannock.

Don Rebel is a TribLive High School Sports Network broadcaster and staff writer. Reach him at drebel@tribweb.com.

Tags: Albert Gallatin, Chartiers-Houston, Laurel Highlands, Moon, Neshannock, West Allegheny