Mars, Moon in rare rematch
They met in a memorable WPIAL championship game a few weeks ago. For Mars and Moon to also meet in the PIAA semifinals is a rare rematch.
Mars and Moon play Monday night at New Castle in a PIAA Class 5A semifinal. The winner advances to Friday’s title game in Hershey.
How rare is a rematch of a WPIAL championship? History says there was only a 13 percent chance of it happening.
Since the PIAA changed to four or more classifications in the 1983-84 season, there have been 144 semifinal games in the western region of the PIAA tournament. This is only the 20th time that teams who played for a WPIAL championship also have met in the PIAA semifinals. Only seven times has there been a rematch in the two largest classifications.
The last time WPIAL finalists in one of the two largest classifications also met in the PIAA semifinals was 2011, when Montour and South Fayette did it.
For Mars and Moon, this is the sixth time in three years the two have played. In the previous two seasons, the two played in the same section for the first time. They played in different sections this year, but met in a terrific WPIAL championship. Mars won, 5856, when Andrew Recchia made a 3-pointer with 2.6 seconds left.
“I was kind of mad they got moved out of our section because we had some great games with them when they were in our section,” Recchia said. “It started my sophomore year. We beat them twice, but lost to Hampton [in the WPIAL semifinals].”
This is not a heated minirivalry, but Recchia said: “If you ask our parents, none of them like each other. Hampton is still our rival, but as players, this is like a little rivalry. But it just makes the games more fun. The atmosphere is great. We’re excited to play them again.”
The two teams are somewhat similar in that they both have three experienced, talented senior guards. For Mars, it’s Andrew Recchia, Brandon Caruso and Khori Fusco. For Moon, it’s Jioni Smith and the Ryan twins — Connor and Austin.
“The two programs have the same DNA,” Mars coach Rob Carmody said. “We both have tough, hard-nosed kids. … Our games have been so close because the kids are so similar.
“Dislike them? No way. I have too much respect for them. I think our kids and their kids just get fired up to play each other.”
Facing size
Lincoln Park will play Sharon in Class 3A Tuesday night at New Castle. Sharon made it to the PIAA Class 4A championship a year ago, but the school’s enrollment placed the Tigers in 3A this season.
Sharon features Ethan Porterfield, a 6-foot-8 senior who has signed with IUP. Porterfield recently became Sharon’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing 1991 graduate Mike Archie, who went on to play running back at Penn State.
Lincoln Park is trying to make it back to a PIAA title game for the fifth time since 2011.
Two years ago, Lincoln Park lost to NeumannGoretti in the championship.
Facing 3-point specialists
WPIAL Class 2A champion Our Lady of the Sacred Heart plays Bishop Guilfoyle Tuesday at Kiski Area. It’s questionable whether OLSH has played any team that shoots like Bishop Guilfoyle.
The Marauders made 22 3pointers in a first-round win against Sto-Rox and 12 against Couldersport in the second round. Bishop Guilfoyle had seven 3-pointers in Saturday’s 55-52 victory against Farrell.
Leading Bishop Guilfoyle is senior guard Luke Ruggery, who has signed with Saint Francis.
OLSH is trying to make the PIAA final for the second year in a row.
Facing the alma mater
Vincentian will play Monessen in a Class 1A semifinal Monday night at Mt. Lebanon. Tim Tyree, Vincentian’s second-year coach, is a former player at Monessen.
A win will put Vincentian into a championship for the first time since the Royals joined the WPIAL in the 1980s. Monessen has made three championship game appearances and won titles in 1988 and 1989.