Open event might open up some doors
Limited year gives some teams extra time on the court
The Greensburg Salem boys basketball team went into a game Friday night with an 0-9 record and the Lions have been outscored by an average of 66-30.
But despite the record and lack of success, Greensburg Salem has decided it wants to be part of the WPIAL playoffs.
The WPIAL will have an “open” playoff tournament for boys and girls teams this season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone was invited to participate, no matter records or number of games played. Schools had until 3 p.m. Thursday to inform the WPIAL if they wanted to be part of the playoffs. A total of 25 teams (11 boys and 14 girls) elected not to participate. Greensburg Salem wasn’t one of them.
“I understand why people would look at us and say we shouldn’t play in the playoffs. I get that,” Greensburg Salem coach Mark Zahorchak said. “In a normal year where we played 22 regular-season games, maybe we wouldn’t. But the main reason we decided to play is that with the COVID-19 situation, all the scheduling issues, getting shut down, losing games, this is basically a guaranteed extra game. Our kids want to play.”
The WPIAL playoffs begin Feb. 27. The league’s basketball committee meets Tuesday and pairings and seedings will be announced Tuesday night.
Teams with poor records have different feelings about participating in the playoffs. Zahorchak has no delusions of a playoff run but simply likes the fact his team can play an extra game. Greensburg Salem is in Class 6A and the 6A bracket will have 17 teams. Greensburg Salem almost assuredly will play a preliminary-round game against the No. 16 seed, with the winner getting the No. 1 seed.
“Our kids want to play games, so we’re taking it,” Zahorchak said. “The fact that it’s a playoff game is irrelevant to me.”
Greensburg Salem was one of five boys teams winless heading into Friday yet opted to participate in the open tournament. The others are Canon-McMillan, Woodland Hills, Beaver and Steel Valley. But Steel Valley has played only one game because of COVID-19 shutdowns. Jeannette and Northgate are the winless girls teams that will be in the playoffs.
This is only the second time the WPIAL has staged an open tournament. The previous time was 1984, when 12 boys teams and 23 girls teams elected not to participate. This year’s field will have three girls teams and 10 boys teams with one or zero wins (heading into Friday).
Greg Cercone is the coach of the winless Beaver boys team that elected to participate in the playoffs. Beaver was 0-13 heading into Friday, but Beaver plays in strong Section 2 of Class 4A.
“The first part of this is that we’re still living in the middle of a pandemic, and teams are still losing games, starting and stopping,” Cercone said. “This is about the kids, and our choice to play is nothing more than getting them another game and experience.”
The Bobcats compete against, among others, Lincoln Park, Quaker Valley, Central Valley and Montour.
“I don’t want to give anyone bulletin-board material, but our league is so good,” Cercone said. “Night-in and night-out, you’re going against some of the best around and also some legendary coaches. Our question is: If you’re given this opportunity for a playoff game, why not do it?”
Beth-Center is one of the 14 girls teams that elected not to participate in the playoffs. BethCenter is 3-9 and teams with worse records will be in the playoffs. But coach Steve Beyer said part of the reason for opting out of the playoffs is the team’s small roster. The Bulldogs started the season with only eight players and now are down to six.
“We sat down with the athletic director before the season and discussed how we wanted to handle these open playoffs,” Beyer said. “I’ve been coaching 29 years and I said, ‘Let’s just go with what the playoff format was last year. If we finish in the top
four in our section, then let’s go to the playoffs. If we don’t finish in the top four, is it really worth us getting that extra game or practice?’”
Beth-Center is 0-7 in WPIAL Class 2A Section 2.