Stay seated

This is the fifth season basketball coaches in Pennsylvania are allowed to stand during games. It used to be they would get a technical foul if they stood.

But longtime Washington boys' coach Ron Faust is old school. He still never stands during a game.

"I've never stood since the rule came into place," Faust said. "In practice, I never sit down. But the nights of games are for the kids. I don't need to stand. They know who the coach is. I get announced."

Chester out

Perennial Eastern Pennsylvania boys' power Chester lost Wednesday to Williamsport, 62-49. Look for Chester to be strong again next year because the Clippers started a number of non-seniors. One of their best players was sophomore guard Maurice Nelson, younger brother of Orlando Magic guard Jameer Nelson.

On guard

The Sewickley Academy-Kennedy Catholic Class A boys' game tonight features a matchup of standout guards.

The talents of Sewickley Academy's Tom Droney have been well-documented. A 6-foot-5 junior, Droney will square off with Kennedy Catholic's Kyle Randall (5-11 Sr.). Droney averages 23 ppg and has scholarship offers from Pitt, Notre Dame and Davidson. Randall averages 25 and has an offer from Cleveland State, among others. Randall has 1,933 career points.

Moving up

Beaver Falls senior guard-forward Todd Thomas now has 2,043 career points, good for 22nd place on the WPIAL all-time list. Beaver Falls is in the Class AA quarterfinals, and Thomas needs 33 more to move up another spot. Warren Sallade, a 1959 graduate of Wilmington, had 2,075. Thomas is a Pitt football recruit.

Fourth and final

If familiarity does breed contempt, then the North Catholic and Vincentian girls' teams should have a strong dislike for each other.

When they meet in the Class A quarterfinals tomorrow, it will be their fourth meeting of the season.

The two played in the same section and also met in the WPIAL semifinals. North Catholic won the previous three games by scores of 66-46, 70-46 and 46-25. North Catholic has won its two PIAA playoff games by 41 and 36 points.

Washington defense team

The Washington boys are allowing an average of only 38 points a game. After his team lost to Washington, 60-38, in a Class AA second-round game Wednesday, Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni said, "That's the best half-court defense we've seen played in a long time."

Toughest year

Doug Biega's Beaver Falls boys' team has made the Class AA quarterfinals, but the 10th-year coach said, "This has been the most difficult year I've had as a coach."

During the season, Beaver Falls has had to deal with injuries to three starters, and another starter was thrown off the team.

"The expectations were so high, but it just seemed like, 'When is this going to start to click in?' " Biega said. "I don't know if it has started to click.

"But this would be a good time for it."

Stats corner

Division I college recruits on the Archbishop Carroll girls' team, which is in the Class AAAA quarterfinals. Hollie Mershon is headed to Drexel, Kaitlin Cole to Holy Cross and Kerri Shields to Boston College. It would be interesting if undefeated Mt. Lebanon played Carroll in the championship game.