What to watch for in WPIAL sports for Jan. 4, 2022: Boys basketball section action tips off

By: Don Rebel
Monday, January 3, 2022 | 7:12 PM

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Tuesday has been a day a lot of WPIAL boys basketball teams in the two smallest classifications have had circled on their new calendars. Section play finally tips off.

Half of Class 3A and all of 2A and A will begin playing their section schedules. Unlike last year, these are the games that will decide the playing field for the 2022 WPIAL basketball playoffs next month.

Some of the standout openers include:

• Beaver Falls at Neshannock in Section 1-3A

• Avonworth at Aliquippa in Section 2-3A

• Union at Cornell in Section 1-A

• Leechburg at Imani Christian in Section 3-A

Silver linings

Four of the six WPIAL boys basketball teams that lost in the 2021 district finals are off to good starts in a quest to return to the WPIAL title game.

Pine-Richland, North Catholic, South Allegheny and Greensburg Central Catholic are a combined 21-6 going into their respective games Tuesday.

However, as they both plan to begin section play Tuesday, it has been tough sledding for the runners-up a year ago in 5A and A.

Chartiers Valley is off to a 0-7 start while Rochester is 1-5.

A word of caution before counting out the Colts and Rams: They both loaded up and played tough nonsection schedules through December.

Chartiers Valley hosts Trinity in its Section 2-5A opener Tuesday while Rochester hosts Western Beaver in a Section 1-A lid-lifter.

Power back on

One of the top girls games from Monday was postponed until Tuesday because of a power outage at North Catholic.

So the rematch of last year’s Class 3A WPIAL girls basketball championship game has been bumped back 24 hours as Mohawk visits North Catholic.

Last season, the Trojans beat the Warriors in both Section 1-3A meetings by a combined 25 points.

However, when the two met in the district title game, Mohawk stunned defending 4A champion North Catholic, 54-48, to claim the school’s first WPIAL girls basketball crown.

It’s been tough sledding for the defending champion Warriors thus far, as they are 1-1 in the section and 2-5 overall.

The Trojans started 4-1 overall with a 2-0 section mark before losing twice in the North Allegheny Holiday Tournament to defending 6A champion North Allegheny and last year’s 5A champion, Chartiers Valley.

You can watch the game on Trib HSSN at 7:30 p.m.