North Xtra: Playoff drives heat up
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It is hard to believe. It seems like just yesterday that school custodians were cleaning the dust off gym floors to get ready for the start of basketball season. Now, the WPIAL will conduct its basketball pairings meeting in 12 days.
That means teams are into the stretch run for playoff spots for the WPIAL tournament that is scheduled to begin Feb. 17, although there could be "pigtail games" (preliminary round) or first-round playoff games on Feb. 16.
The top four teams in each section qualify for the postseason. Also, teams that tie for fourth place -- as long as they split their two section contests with each school winning once -- advance to the postseason. There is also a tie-breaking procedure if three teams tie for fourth place, but we will deal with that if and when it happens.
A number of North Xtra area boys teams, such as Shaler Area, Hampton, Shady Side Academy and North Catholic, have their playoffs tickets punched. But there are a number of teams on the bubble and those are the teams we will deal with.
Here is a quick look at some teams that need to sprint to the finish to gain an invitation to the WPIAL pairings meeting at the Doubletree Hotel in Green Tree. In each case the records are section records and you can check out updated standings in the high school section of sports on the Post-Gazette website at www.post-gazette.com.
• Section 2-AAAA: Fox Chapel is 4-6 and in fifth place behind Plum (5-4) and McKeesport (5-4). The Foxes have lost to twice to Plum and have split with McKeesport. That means the Foxes need to finish ahead of the Mustangs in the standings because if the two tie for fourth place, the Mustangs win the tiebreaker. Fox Chapel is at Gateway Friday, entertains Franklin Regional Tuesday and is rooting for the teams Plum and McKeesport play.
• Section 3-AAAA: Seneca Valley and North Allegheny are tied for second at 5-4, and Butler and Central Catholic are both at 5-5. Central Catholic beat Butler, 78-49, earlier this season which helps the Vikings' cause. Butler plays at Central Catholic Tuesday and entertains Seneca Valley Feb. 10. Central Catholic is at North Allegheny at 8 p.m. Friday before the showdown with Butler. North Allegheny is at Seneca Valley Tuesday and entertains North Hills Feb. 10. Seneca Valley is at Pine-Richland Friday.
• Section 1-AAA: Highlands is 5-6 and tied with Kittanning for fourth place with Valley right behind at 4-7. Highlands is at Mars Friday, entertains Deer Lakes Tuesday and is at Hampton Feb. 10. Kittanning has section contests left against Hampton, Mars and Deer Lakes, while Valley still has to play Knoch, Hampton and Burrell. It would be nice if Highlands senior guard Micah Mason, a Drake recruit and the WPIAL's leading scorer this season, finished his high school career with a playoff game or two.
First Published February 2, 2012 12:00 am
