A lot of time has been spent this season, and rightly so, updating the wild jumbled-up race for second place in WPIAL boys basketball Section 1-6A.
Heading into the final night of the regular season, there is another logjam of a section race coming down to the wire that would make the Parkway East around 4 p.m. blush.
Three teams have clinched a playoff berth in Section 1-5A: champion Gateway (12-1) along with Franklin Regional (8-5) and Penn-Trafford (8-5).
Four teams head into their final section contest tied for fourth place with at least two postseason berths up for grabs.
Laurel Highlands, Uniontown, McKeesport and Latrobe are all 6-7 in the section with no more head-to-head battles.
Here is the Friday slate:
Penn-Trafford at Laurel Highlands
Uniontown at Franklin Regional
McKeesport at Gateway
Albert Gallatin (0-13) at Latrobe
If all four teams were to remain tied after Friday, here is how the head-to-head tiebreaker stands:
McKeesport is 3-1, Uniontown is 2-2, Latrobe is 2-2 and Laurel Highlands is 1-3.
McKeesport would finish fourth and clinch, and then the other three go back to head-to-head. All three would be 2-2 and all three would qualify.
If, say, Latrobe wins and the other three tied teams lose Friday, the Wildcats are fourth and head-to-head among the three tied teams would go to McKeesport because it would be 3-1, Uniontown 2-2 and Laurel Highlands 1-3.
Stay tuned.
Controlling your own destiny
There are several boys basketball teams that don’t need help and can clinch a playoff berth with a victory Friday.
• In Section 1-6A, with North Hills joining New Castle, Pine-Richland and Seneca Valley in the postseason, Fox Chapel and Woodland Hills control their own destiny. If the Foxes win at home over Butler, they clinch. If the Wolverines win at home over North Hills, they also qualify for the playoffs.
• In Section 2-6A, Norwin can clinch with a win at Hempfield, and Imani Christian is in with a road victory against Central Catholic.
• In Section 2-5A, Indiana clinches with a home win against Plum, and Hampton qualifies with a triumph at home against Shaler.
• In Section 3-5A, Baldwin can clinch with a win over visiting Thomas Jefferson, and Ringgold qualifies with a victory at Trinity.
• In Section 4-5A, Montour clinches with a home win against Moon, and Mars qualifies with a triumph at home against Chartiers Valley.
• In Section 3-4A, East Allegheny can qualify for the postseason with a win over visiting Yough, and Greensburg Salem clinches with a home win over West Mifflin.
• In Section 2-3A, McGuffey can clinch with a home win over Washington.
• In Section 1-A, Cornell qualifies for the playoffs with a home win over Summit Academy.
Girls win and you’re in
On Thursday in district girls hoops, Shaler battled Franklin Regional in a matchup where the winner qualified for the playoffs and the loser saw its season end.
The stage is set for another win-and-you’re-in game in girls 5A hoops.
The fourth and final playoff spot in Section 4-5A will be decided when Bethel Park visits reigning district champion Peters Township.
Both teams are 5-6 in the section, trailing playoff-bound Thomas Jefferson, Baldwin and Trinity.
The Black Hawks are 11-10 this season, but they have hit a wall lately, losing three straight games.
The Indians sit at 11-9 overall with four consecutive victories, allowing them to tie the Hawks in the standings.
The first meeting between the two went to overtime before Bethel Park pulled away from Peters Township to win, 40-33.
Friday on Trib HSSN
There are 13 broadcasts you can watch or listen to at TribHSSN.TribLive.com on the sixth day of February.
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: North Hills at Woodland Hills at 7:30 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Butler at Fox Chapel at 7:30 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Moon at Montour at 7:30 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Mars at Chartiers Valley at 7:30 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Norwin at Hempfield at 7:30 p.m. on Westmoreland Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: McKeesport at Gateway at 7:30 p.m. on the Gateway Gator Production at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Penn-Trafford at Laurel Highlands at 7:30 p.m. on WMBS-AM 590, WMBS-FM 101.1 at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Uniontown at Franklin Regional at 7:30 p.m. on WMBS-AM 590, WMBS-FM 101.1 at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Deer Lakes at North Catholic at 7:30 p.m. on the North Catholic Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Derry at Elizabeth Forward at 7:30 p.m. on Westmoreland Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Jeannette at Clairton at 7:30 p.m. on MVI Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Basketball – Video Stream: Jefferson-Morgan at Chartiers-Houston at 7:30 p.m. on WJPA-AM 1450 at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Girls Basketball – Video Stream: Bethel Park at Peters Township at 7:30 p.m. on WJPA-FM 95.3 at TribHSSN.TribLive.com