There’s a solution to fighting boredom

The Dribbler was bored the other night, so he decided to dust off some board games and give them a try.

Did you hear about the 2x4 that was complaining he was board? He was hoping something fun wood come along.

First up was Scrabble. The Dribbler won big courtesy of the last names of two talented WPIAL players: Mike Zolnierczyk of Springdale and Maddie Dziezgowski of Bethel Park. Both scored him 38 points apiece.

Then it was on to Monopoly. Mrs. Dribbler won after building a hotel on North Catholic Avenue. North Catholic’s girls team has been so good over the years, it’s as if the Trojanettes have had a monopoly on the WPIAL.

To break the tie, they played Clue. Winner: Mrs. Dribbler. The winning answer was Mr. Morton (Butler’s Ethan Morton) in the gym with a 3-point shot. Could the WPIAL Class 6A title be decided that way, too?

The Dribbler went 4-3 last week, dropping him to 46-15 (.754) for the season.

Here are his thoughts on this week’s top games:

Boys

Cornell at Vincentian, 7:30 p.m. Friday — There’s not much on the line on this one … other than a section title. The winner of this matchup between two of the top teams in Class 1A will capture the Section 1 title. Vincentian is seeking its third consecutive title, while Cornell is seeking its first since 2005. When these two met Jan. 15, Kaden DiVito scored 36 points to lead Cornell to an 84-75 win. That’s Vincentian’s only loss this calendar year. Payback. Winner: Vincentian.

Penn Hills at Woodland Hills, 7:30 p.m. Friday — Chances are this is the only high school game in the country this week featuring teams that both had graduates who played in Sunday’s Super Bowl. Who would win one-on-one: Rob Gronkowski or Aaron Donald? The Dribbler would take Gronk. He has a hoops background and a big height advantage. As for this game, The Dribbler will take Donald’s alma mater. Penn Hills will finish section play unbeaten. Winner: Penn Hills.

McGuffey at Washington, 7:30 p.m. Friday — Speaking of famous alumni, did you know that actor Ashton Kutcher attended Washington his freshman year? He did, just not this Washington. It was another one in Iowa. Dude, where’s my car? That’s what The Dribbler said to a friend after having trouble finding his car in the Wash High parking lot after a game years ago. This isn’t one of Ron Faust’s best teams, but it will still win a section title. Winner: Washington. The Dribbler

Keystone Oaks at Seton LaSalle, 7:30 p.m. Friday — Waterloo. Gettysburg. McNeilly Road. Those are the biggest battles in world history, at least according to The Dribbler. What makes the Battle of McNeilly Road so unique is that it happens every year. Seton LaSalle needs to win this game against its neighbor to claim at least a share of the Class 3A Section 2 title. It won’t be easy. The Rebels won last month’s meeting by only five points. Winner: Seton LaSalle.

New Castle at Ambridge, 7:30 p.m. Saturday — The Dribbler loves New Castle, but what he’s really craving right now is White Castle. C’mon, White Castle. It’s time you bring your delicious sliders to Western Pa. Yeah, you can buy them at some local grocery stores, but they’re not the same as the hot, fresh ones from the actual restaurant, the closest of which is two-and-half hours away in Ohio. As for this key Class 4A Section 2 game … Winner: New Castle.

Allderdice at Mt. Lebanon, 7:30 p.m. Saturday — A top-flight non-section game between the City League’s best team and one of the top teams in WPIAL Class 6A. Allderdice has played a great non-section schedule, but has played only one “true” road game against a non-City League team. That was against Upper St. Clair, which dealt the Dice a 58-51 loss. Upper St. Clair handed Mt. Lebanon its first home loss Tuesday Winner: Mt. Lebanon.

Girls

North Catholic at Bethel Park, 7:30 p.m. Monday — North Catholic is the clear favorite to win the WPIAL Class 4A title, but how will the Trojanettes fare against one of the top teams in Class 6A? Well, they have already played one of them, falling to undefeated Peters Township by 11 points last Saturday. North Catholic gave up a lot of offensive rebounds in that game. Clean that up against Bethel Park, and the Trojanettes might grab an impressive win. Winner: North Catholic.

Norwin at Penn Hills, 7:30 p.m. Monday — You can’t spell Norwin without “win,” and the Knights have done a lot of that again this season. So much for Class 6A being a two-horse race between North Allegheny and Peters Township. Last Tuesday, Norwin dealt North Allegheny its first regular-season loss since the 2016-17 season. Are the Knights a serious WPIAL title contender. Most definitely. Penn Hills is one of the better teams in Class 5A. Winner: Norwin