WPIAL girls playoff capsules

Class AAAA
Top seeds: 1. Mt. Lebanon (20-2), 2. Butler (16-5), 3. Baldwin (17-4), 4. Shaler (17-4).
Local teams: 12. Peters Township (11-11)
2009 champion: Mt. Lebanon
The skinny: Mt. Lebanon, like the Blue Devils boys team, is the prohibitive favorite, and have yet to be challenged by a WPIAL team. ... The last time Peters Township finished fourth in Section 4, the Indians rolled to the WPIAL championship game and upset Mt. Lebanon in the semifinals. That's where the two would meet this year if PT can pull of another string of upsets. ... Bethel Park stumbled down the stretch but the Black Hawks were considered the WPIAL's second-best team for much of the season.
Local players to watch: Ellie Hanlon, Emily Matthis (Peters Township)
Sleeper: Bethel Park
Prediction: Mt. Lebanon over Baldwin

Class AAA
Top seeds: 1. Hopewell (22-0), 2. New Castle (17-3), 3. Indiana (19-1), 4. Chartiers Valley (18-4)
Local teams: 21. McGuffey (6-12)
2009 champion: New Castle
The skinny: Hopewell is the only undefeated team in the WPIAL, boys or girls. ... McGuffey is in the postseason for the third consecutive year. Last year, the Highlanders won a preliminary round game before losing to New Castle. ... New Castle lost to Hopewell twice, by a total of three points.
Local players to watch: Marissa Pattison, Jocelyn Lucsko (McGuffey)
Sleeper: Thomas Jefferson
Prediction: New Castle over Hopewell

Class AA
Top seeds: 1. Avonworth (20-1), 2. Jeannette (20-2), 3. Greensburg Central Catholic (18-1), 4. Seton-La Salle (17-5)
Local teams: 8. Beth-Center (16-3), 12. Washington (12-8), 13. Charleroi (12-6), 23. South Fayette (15-6)
2009 champion: Sto-Rox
The skinny: Hard to pick a favorite in the class as many believe Seton-La Salle, which made the finals last year, may have the most talent. ... Beth-Center won its first section championship since 1983 and have two strong scorers in Megan Sowers and Anna Shashura. ... South Fayette made it to the semifinals last year out of the preliminary round.
Local players to watch: Sowers, Shashura (Beth-Center), Chelsea Evans (Washington), Morgan Iacovino (Charleroi), Bailey Seiner (South Fayette)
Sleeper: Bishop Canevin
Prediction: Seton-La Salle over Jeannette

Class A
Top seeds: 1. North Catholic (19-3), 2. Quigley Catholic (17-2), 3. Rochester (18-3), 4. Monessen (16-4)
Local teams: 5. Fort Cherry (15-4), 9. Chartiers-Houston (12-8), 10. Carmichaels (13-6), 12. California (12-8), 17. Avella (13-7)
2009 champion: North Catholic
The skinny: North Catholic's only losses are against Bethel Park, Hopewell and New Castle. ... A late-season loss to California likely hurt Monessen's seeding. The Greyhounds were without freshman and leading scorer Mariah Ward for that game. ... Carmichaels receives key contributions from a pair of freshmen - Anna Cree and Morgan Berardi. ... Fort Cherry drew a diifcult first-round opponent in California but the Rangers allow just 36.9 points per game. ... Chartiers-Houston has to love its draw. If the Bucs get past Winchester Thurston in the first round, they probably get North Catholic in the quarterfinals. If NC wins the WPIAL, C-H will qualify for the state playoffs.
Local players to watch: Geena Shrader (Monessen), Beka Bellhy (Fort Cherry), Katie Rosemeier (Chartiers-Houston), Molly Stuvek (Carmichaels), Kristina Wagner, Morgan Moluski (California), Olivia English, Amanda Temple (Avella).
Sleeper: Fort Cherry
Prediction: North Catholic over Quigley Catholic