Possibly the most interesting story line, from a local perspective, is moving the Monessen boys from Section 5-AA to Section 3-AA.
The Greyhounds are a Class A team and elect to play up because head coach Joe Salvino prefers the competition in Class AA. Monessen, since moving up, had been in Section 5, with Washington, Burgettstown and company.
Washington moved to Section 5-AAA with rivals Trinity and South Fayette. Carlynton, Fort Cherry, South Side Beaver and Sto-Rox join Burgettstown and Chartiers-Houston in Section 5-AA. Section 4-AA consists of Beth-Center, Brownsville, California, Charleroi, Frazier, Greensburg Central Catholi and Jeannette. It's a natural fit for Monessen but with the recent transfers of Josh and Terrance Stepoli from Monessen to Greensburg Central Catholic, it could have created a difficult situation.
The additions of Washington, South Fayette, Ringgold and Montour make Section 5-AAA very intriguing.
"I really liked what they did," Trinity boys basketball coach Joe Dunn said. "I like it all the way across the board. (Class AAA) looks very balanced."
Boys Class AAAA (30 teams) Section 1
Albert Gallatin, Connellsville, Hempfield, Kiski, Latrobe, Laurel Highlands, Norwin, Penn-Trafford
Section 2
Fox Chapel, Franklin Regional, Gateway, McKeesport, Penn Hills, Plum, Woodland Hills
Section 3
Butler, Pittsburgh Central Catholic, North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley, Shaler
Section 4
Baldwin, Bethel Park, Canon-McMillan, Chartiers Valley, Moon, Mt. Lebanon, Peters Township, Upper St. Clair
Class AAA (36 teams) Section 1
Burrell, Deer Lakes, Hampton, Highlands, Kittanning, Knoch, Mars, Valley
Section 2
Ambridge, Beaver, Blackhawk, Central Valley, Hopewell, New Castle, West Allegheny
Section 3
Derry Area, Greensburg-Salem, Indiana, Mt. Pleasant, Southmoreland, Uniontown, Yough
Section 4
Belle Vernon, East Allegheny, Elizabeth Forward, Keystone Oaks, South Park, Thomas Jefferson, West Mifflin
Section 5
McGuffey, Montour, Ringgold, South Fayette, Trinity, Washington, Waynesburg
Class AA (41 teams) Section 1
Apollo Ridge, Ford City, Freeport, Riverview, Springdale, Shady Side Academy, West Shamokin
Section 2
Ellwood City, Laurel, Mohawk, Neshannock, Riverside, Shenango, Summit Academy
Section 3
Bishop Canevin, Brentwood, Monessen, South Allegheny, Seton-La Salle, Steel Valley, Wilkinsburg
Section 4
Beth-Center, Brownsville, California, Charleroi, Frazier, Greensburg Central Catholic, Jeannette
Section 5
Burgettstown, Carlynton, Chartiers-Houston, Fort Cherry, South Side Beaver, Sto-Rox
Section 6
Aliquippa, Avonworth, Beaver Falls, Freedom, New Brighton, Northgate, Quaker Valley
Class A (24 teams) Section 1
Cornell, Lincoln Park, OLSH, Rochester, Union, Western Beaver
Section 2
Aquinas Academy, North Catholic, Quigley Catholic, Sewickley Academy, Trinity Christian, Vincentian Academy
Section 3
Avella, Bentworth, Carmichaels, Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown, West Greene
Section 4
Clairton, Elderton, Geibel, Leechburg, Serra Catholic, St. Joseph
Girls Class AAAA (28 teams) Section 1
Albert Gallatin, Connellsville, Hempfield, Kiski Area, Latrobe, Norwin, Penn-Trafford
Section 2
Fox Chapel, Franklin Regional, Gateway, McKeesport, Penn Hills, Plum, Woodland Hills
Section 3
Butler, North Allegheny, North Hills, Oakland Catholic, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley, Shaler
Section 4
Baldwin, Bethel Park, Canon-McMillan, Moon, Mt. Lebanon, Peters Township, Upper St. Clair
Class AAA (32 teams) Section 1
Hampton, Highlands, Kittanning, Knoch, Mars, Valley
Section 2
Ambridge, Beaver, Blackhawk, Central Valley, Ellwood City, Hopewell, New Castle
Section 3
Derry Area, Greensburg-Salem, Indiana, Laurel Highlands, Mt. Pleasant, Uniontown, Yough
Section 4
Belle Vernon, Elizabeth Forward, Ringgold, South Park, Thomas Jefferson, West Mifflin
Section 5
Chartiers Valley, McGuffey, Montour, South Fayette, Trinity, West Allegheny
Class AA (43 teams) Section 1
Apollo Ridge, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Elderton, Ford City, Freeport, Leechburg, West Shamokin
Section 2
Beaver Falls, Laurel, Mohawk, Neshannock, New Brighton, Riverisde, Shenango
Section 3
East Allegheny, Greensburg Central Catholic, Jeannette, Southmoreland, Springdale, Shady Side Academy, Wilkinsburg
Section 4
Bentworth, Beth-Center, Brownsville, Burgettstown, Charleroi, Washington, Waynesburg
Section 5
Bishop Canevin, Brentwood, Carlynton, Keystone Oaks, South Allegheny, Seton-La Salle, Steel Valley
Section 6
Avonworth, Freedom, Northgate, OLSH, Quaker Valley, South Side Beaver, Sto-Rox
Class A (28 teams) Section 1
Aliquippa, Cornell, Quigley Catholic, Rochester, Sewickley Academy, Union, Western Beaver
Section 2
Ellis School, Mt. Alvernia, North Catholic, Riverview, St. Joseph, Trinity Christian, Vincentian Academy
Section 3
Avella, Carmichaels, Chartiers-Houston, Fort Cherry, Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown, West Greene
Section 4
California, Clairton, Frazier, Geibel, Monessen, Serra Catholic, Winchester Thurston
5 comments:
haha wowwww, they made that section too easy for wash high. they are too athletic to be playing against those schools. although, south fayette will play them good.
Is Wash Hi electing to play up in AAA or is their enrollment higher than I thought?
When the numbers were released in November, California boys were in Class A. Now they are in AA with the likes of Greensburg Central Catholic. How can small schools compete in a section with much larger enrollments plus schools without district boundaries? Only a certain few schools such as Monessen, Rochester, Aliquippa, and Jeannette produce the athletes to compete in higher classifications, but that is by choice. Put the names in a hat and see what happens. I bet Upper St. Clair would never be put in a different section than Bethel Park and Mt. Lebo! WPIAL strikes out again!
I'm looking at the new alignment and can't figure out what the WPIAL was thinking when they moved Monessen. Monessen will be traveling pretty far to play and have no connection to any of these teams. Is the WPIAL trying to punish the basketball team? I think so...Wake up committee and change this. I enjoyed watching Monessen and Charleroi and Monessen and California. The locals have always enjoyed watching them play one another as well the boys themselves...
Anon wrote:
Is the WPIAL trying to punish the basketball team? I think so...
Hard to argue.
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