Make no mistake, these teams will win
Did you hear about the Oscars gaffe?
The Dribbler sure did, and it brought back some bittersweet memories.
Back when he was a pup, The Dribbler was asked by his fifth-grade teacher to reveal to the class the winner of the “most likely to succeed” award. As The Dribbler opened the envelope, he glanced over and saw a pretty girl he had a crush on wink at him. Overjoyed, he accidentally announced her name instead of the name on the card. She jumped for joy, but before long was in tears after finding out she had not won.
The Dribbler could never live it down. However, years later he would Moonlight as a cook in Manchester (the neighborhood in the North Side, not the one by the Sea). One night, he heard the girl from his past would soon be making her Arrival at the restaurant. He figured it would be the perfect opportunity to mend some Fences. Wouldn’t you know the girl showed up, forgave The Dribbler, and then gave him a peck on the cheek? No, he wasn’t living in La La Land. It actually happened.
The Dribbler went 6-2 with his quarterfinal picks, moving him to 60-25 (.705) for the season.
Here are his thoughts on this weekend’s WPIAL championships (all games will be played at Petersen Events Center):
Boys
6A: Pine-Richland vs. Butler, 9 p.m. Saturday — Have you seen Butler freshman Ethan Morton play yet? He alone is worth the price of admission. Speaking of admission, if someone tried charging Pine-Richland for a ticket, could they pay in Petcash? That would be Andrew Petcash, a star senior who scored 21 points in last year’s final. He will help the Rams make it back-to-back titles. Winner: Pine-Richland.
5A: Moon vs. Hampton, 9 p.m. Friday — One point. That’s all that separated these Section 2 rivals when they previously met Jan. 27. Moon’s Jioni Smith played the hero role, scoring on a putback as time expired to give the Tigers the dramatic win. Hampton was awfully impressive in a semifinal triumph against Mars, but unless Moon’s Jarrod Simmons gets into foul trouble, the Tigers will take home the title. Winner: Moon.
4A: New Castle vs. Quaker Valley, 1 p.m. Saturday — It comes as no shock that these teams are playing for the championship. They have been the class of the class all season and went 1-1 against each other in the regular season, so it’s only right they get a rubber match on this stage. This will be the best game of this year’s championships. Winner: Quaker Valley.
2A: Sewickley Academy vs. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 5 p.m. Friday — Cameron Johnson has had a solid sophomore season at Pitt. Now little brother Donovan — a freshman at OLSH — gets to try out the Petersen Events Center floor. Johnson has loads of potential, but he and his team are facing a squad with a senior-laden backcourt that is playing in its second consecutive final. Winner: Sewickley Academy.
Girls
6A: North Allegheny vs. Bethel Park, 7 p.m. Saturday — You might need to reference your periodic table to get this one. … Did you know that chemistry teachers at North Allegheny are all about that sodium? Get it? ‘Na.’ The NA girls basketball team has lots of chemistry, too. The Tigers play together and get after it defensively. It will help earn them some ‘Au’ (gold). Winner: North Allegheny.
5A: Oakland Catholic vs. Chartiers Valley, 3
p.m. Saturday — The Dribbler thinks there’s a good chance Pitt women’s coach Suzie McConnell-Serio will be at this game, but which team will she be rooting for? McConnell-Serio coached Oakland Catholic to the first four of its six WPIAL titles. However, her niece, Megan, is one of Chartiers Valley’s starting guards. Well, regardless of her decision. … Winner: Chartiers Valley.
4A: Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic vs. Blackhawk, 7 p.m. Friday — It’s good to be consistent, right? The Dribbler thinks so. But he’s going away from that mindset here. North Catholic was his preseason pick to win it all. He also picked the Trojanettes to win prior to the playoffs. Why change now? It’s because he’s seeing ‘3s’. If Blackhawk is nailing those long-range shots, watch out. Winner: Blackhawk.
3A: Bishop Canevin vs. Neshannock, 11 a.m. Saturday — A Cardinal will win the 4A title, while a Bishop will wear the 3A crown. Neshannock really impressed The Dribbler by upending previously unbeaten East Allegheny in the semifinals. The Lancers can be wicked defensively. No team in the WPIAL gives up fewer points. Bishop Canevin, though, just has too many weapons. The defending champs roll. Winner: Bishop Canevin.
1A: Winchester Thurston vs. Cornell, 3 p.m. Friday — Winchester Thurston has a fabulous point guard in Gia Thorpe. Ditto for Cornell with Daeja Quick. The latter can score in bunches and is a menace defensively. But what she doesn’t have is a star on the inside to complement her playmaking abilities, something Winchester Thurston has with Ayanna Townsend. Winner: Winchester Thurston.