May Day! We begin the fourth month of the year with no attempt to fool, just an effort to point out some of the key high school sporting events set for a sunny Tuesday.
While the other five classifications began section series play last week, Monday marked the start of action in both Class 6A sections.
As was the case the last two seasons, Class 6A teams will play three section series games each week against the same opponent because of the small sections with only five teams in each.
This gives 6A teams 12 section games instead of the eight they’d play if they just faced each other twice.
One 6A team off to a hot start is Butler.
The Golden Tornado was 4-0 after Monday’s section opener against North Hills with nonsection victories over Knoch, Shaler and Baldwin.
The Indians were 2-4 after the first section game against Butler, having defeated Valley and Knoch while falling to Gateway, Peters Township and Mars.
On Tuesday, North Hills visits Butler at Pullman Park at 3:30 p.m.
The other Section 1-6A game Tuesday has Central Catholic hosting Seneca Valley at the No Offseason Complex in Russellton.
The two games in Section 2-6A on Tuesday see Norwin visiting rival Hempfield at 4:15 p.m. and Canon-McMillan hosting Woodland Hills at McDowell Field in Canonsburg at 4 p.m.
Volleyball lid-lifters
While play began in a handful of WPIAL boys volleyball sections last week, the rest of the sections in Class 3A and 2A join the fun Tuesday.
Here are the openers in Section 1-3A:
• Peters Township visits Bethel Park
• Mt. Lebanon travels to Canon-McMillan
• Baldwin hosts Upper St. Clair
In Section 4-3A:
• North Hills heads east to Gateway
• Central Catholic is home to Plum
In Section 3-2A:
• South Park is at Brentwood
• Seton LaSalle travels across the street to Keystone Oaks
Finally in Section 4-2A:
• Trinity travels to Ambridge
• South Fayette visits Hopewell
• Montour welcomes Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Tennis anyone?
A year ago in the 2024 WPIAL Class 3A boys tennis team playoffs, North Allegheny was the top seed in the 18-team tournament and Moon was the No. 18 seed.
Moon had to beat Bethel Park in a preliminary round match just to qualify for the field of 16.
Moon’s season ended with a first-round loss to Fox Chapel.
North Allegheny’s 2024 campaign ended in the PIAA state playoffs after hoisting the program’s fifth WPIAL team tennis title and first in 15 years.
Now these Tigers of a different color are set to meet for first place in Section 2-3A.
North Allegheny and Moon are both on top of the section with 3-0 records as they meet at NA at 3:30 p.m.
Also tied for first in Section 2-3A is 2024 2A champion Sewickley Academy. The Panthers visit Mars (1-2) on Tuesday.