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The Dribbler: Shaking down his picks for PIAA quarterfinals
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The Dribbler is sick and tired of hearing about the Harlem Shake.
"Who hasn't done one yet? There are millions of videos on the Internet," The Dribbler said earlier this week with an agitated tone.
But it's not only the overdone factor that has irritated The Dribbler. He's also upset because he believes the Harlem Shake idea is a rip-off of an old dance he once tried to spread, this before the term "going viral" ever existed.
"Yes. I was the originator of the Wilkinsburg Wiggle," he said.
The Dribbler had a cousin who played at Wilkinsburg in the early 1980s. The cousin was a seldom-used reserve for the Tigers, and only entered the game in mop-up time. When his cousin would get in a game, The Dribbler would get excited and do a dance that soon became known as the Wilkinsburg Wiggle.
The Dribbler danced his way to an impressive 13-1 record in his picks last week, moving him to 37-13 (.740) in the playoffs and 104-48 (.684) on the season.
Here is his take on the top PIAA quarterfinal games.
Top boys games
New Castle vs. Erie Cathedral Prep (Class AAAA, Saturday) -- The Dribbler thinks that if New Castle played a game in Fond du Lac, Wisc. or Mossyrock, Wash., a few thousand Red Hurricanes' fans would show up. Few schools in Western Pennsylvania have such a devoted fan base. Winner: New Castle.
Montour vs. General McLane (Class AAA, today) -- Montour hasn't faced a team with a player who can fill up the hoop like General McLane's Jaymon Mason can since, well, the Spartans knocked off Mason and the Lancers in last year's quarterfinals. Mason averages 26 points per game, and has scored 32 and 33 in two PIAA games. Winner: General McLane.
Lincoln Park vs. Bishop Carroll (Class A, 7 p.m. today at Hempfield) -- How about the disparity in final scores for these two in the second round? Bishop Carroll outscored Vincentian, 92-85, while Lincoln Park played its lowest scoring game of the season, a 51-34 triumph against Ridgway. Expect Lincoln Park to get closer to its 73-point average in this one. Winner: Lincoln Park.
Other boys games
Class AAA: Archbishop Carroll over Chartiers Valley; Class AA: Beaver Falls over West Middlesex
Top girls games
Chartiers Valley vs. Mt. Lebanon (Class AAAA, 8 p.m. today at North Hills) -- The Dribbler is picking Mt. Lebanon for two reasons. One, it's tough for him to go against the Blue Devils in the playoffs because they've won so many big games in recent years. Two, Chartiers Valley is banged up. Mariah Wells played a huge part in Chartiers Valley beating Mt. Lebanon in the WPIAL semifinals, but Wells missed the first two PIAA games with a foot injury. Winner: Mt. Lebanon.
South Park vs. Franklin (Class AAA, Saturday) -- Reggie Wells guided the South Park boys team to a pair of PIAA semifinal appearances in the late 1990s. Can Wells lead the South Park girls there, too? Winner: South Park.
Blackhawk vs. Lancaster Catholic (Class AAA, Saturday) -- Both of these teams have lost just once this season. Winner: Lancaster Catholic.
Other girls games
Class AA: Bishop Canevin over Burrell; Seton-LaSalle over Mohawk; Class A: Vincentian over Kennedy Catholic
First Published March 15, 2013 12:00 am
