Alle-Kiski Valley basketball teams and their fans don’t have to wait too long to kick off their respective WPIAL playoff tournaments.
Some, like the Knoch boys, the highest seeded team among the 16 from the area that qualified for the postseason, begin playoff action Friday.
The Knights finished the regular season 18-4 and tied North Catholic for the Section 1-4A title. The Trojans, who won the second meeting in the season series, are the No. 2 seed with a first-round bye. Quaker Valley, the top seed, also has a first-round bye. Knoch is seeded third.
Fronted by senior Teegan Finucan (16 points per game), the Knights host No. 14 East Allegheny (10-9) on Friday at 7 p.m.
“We have to move forward and worry abut things we can control,” Knoch first-year coach Joe Lafko said. “We can control that we are playing a first-round game at our place on Friday. The message to the guys (Monday) was that you have to play and beat the best to win it all. We now know our path to accomplish the next goal we set for ourselves.”
All of the games throughout each round of the 12 brackets will lead to the championship games Feb. 26-28 at Pitt’s Petersen Events Center.
Knoch is in the same quadrant of the Class 4A bracket as Highlands (11-9). The Golden Rams, who won at Valley on Friday to secure their place in the playoffs, are the No. 11 seeds and will travel to No. 6 Central Valley on Friday at 7 p.m.
Deer Lakes (10-11) had a chance to knock Highlands out of the playoffs, but the Lancers let a double-digit lead Friday against North Catholic slip away in an 81-77 loss.
The Lancers, in the playoffs for the ninth year in a row, were handed the No. 13 seed in Class 4A and will travel to face No. 4 Derry on Friday at 7 p.m. Derry defeated Elizabeth Forward on Friday to clinch its first section title in 69 years.
Burrell (10-12) beat Valley, 55-41, last Tuesday in its Section 1 finale to wrap up third place. It is back in the playoffs after missing the postseason by one game last year. The Bucs are the No. 9 seed and will travel to No. 8 Belle Vernon on Friday at 7 p.m. with the winner moving on to face No. 1 Quaker Valley in the quarterfinals.
Burrell is hoping to stabilize and prepare over the next couple days after news broke Monday that head coach Mike Fantuzzo was arrested on charges related to allegations of theft of more than $240,000 from a Montgomery Country nonprofit group where he formerly served as treasurer.
Athletic director Brian Ferra said the varsity assistants will guide the Bucs for the rest of the season.
Fox Chapel, which tied Pine-Richland (7-7) for fourth in Section 1-6A, is the No. 8 seed and will host No. 9 Norwin on Monday at 7 p.m. The winner will face No. 1 Upper St. Clair on Feb. 19 at a site and time to be determined. The Foxes are in the playoffs for the 12th time in 13 seasons.
In Class 2A, Springdale, tied for third in Section 1-2A with Bentworth behind Jeannette and Clairton, is the No. 11 seed and will visit No. 6 Jefferson Morgan in the first round Monday at 7 p.m.
After a one-year playoff hiatus, St. Joseph returns and is the No. 7 seed in the eight-team Class A bracket. The Spartans (8-12) will face No. 2 Nazareth Prep in the quarterfinals Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at Fox Chapel.
In girls competition, Fox Chapel enters the playoffs with a lot of momentum having won six in a row including Friday’s 60-43 victory over rival and Section 1-5A champion Plum.
The Foxes (14-8) are Class 5A’s No. 7 seed and will host No. 10 Latrobe (11-7) Friday at 7:30 p.m.
“The girls talked about finishing the season strong and giving us the best possible chance to get as high of a seed as possible,” Foxes coach Marty Matvey said. “I think we certainly did that, not just over the last six games but also throughout the season. We had two games we wanted to have back with Penn Hills and Plum the first time. I think we are gaining momentum and playing well together at the right time. To be a seven seed and play at home, we’re over the moon.”
Senior Lyla Jablon leads Fox Chapel in scoring (16.3 ppg.).
Plum (17-4) hopes to regain its winning ways as the No. 5 seed in the Class 5A first round. The Mustangs, in the playoffs for the fourth year in a row and eighth time in the last nine years, will host defending champion Peters Township on Friday at 7 p.m.
Kiski Area (11-10), which defeated McKeesport on Thursday to wrap up fourth place in Section 2, has the unenviable task of visiting No. 1 South Fayette (21-1) on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Burrell (15-7) built a solid 8-4 Section 1-4A record behind Class 4A powers North Catholic and Oakland Catholic. The Bucs, in the playoffs for the fourth year in a row, are the No. 9 seed and will visit No. 8 Hampton (14-7) on Monday at 7 p.m. Blackhawk, North Catholic and Oakland Catholic are the top three seeds in Class 4A.
Freeport (12-9), fourth in Section 1-4A, is seeded 10th in the first round and will travel to No. 7 South Park (14-8) on Monday for a 7 p.m. game.
St. Joseph secured the No. 5 seed in Class A after going 13-8 overall and tying Sewickley Academy for third in Section 1 behind top-seeded Aquinas and No. 3 Union. The Spartans, hoping for a run in the bracket and a berth to the PIAA playoffs for a fifth year in a row, will travel to No. 4 Geibel Catholic (20-1) in the quarterfinals Feb. 19.
Deer Lakes (11-9), fourth in Section 2-3A behind Shady Side Academy, Greensburg Central Catholic and Avonworth, drew the No. 10 seed in the Class 3A bracket and will make the long trip to Waynesburg (19-2) on Friday at 7 p.m. The Lancers are in the playoffs for the ninth time in the last 11 years.
Riverview (10-8) and Apollo-Ridge (12-10) finished as part of a three-way tie for second place in Section 4-2A with Jeannette behind champ Winchester Thurston. The Raiders and Vikings are in the same quadrant of the Class 2A bracket and will have first-round road games Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The Raiders, who have played the last couple of weeks without injured senior star Isabel Chaparro (25 points per game), are the No. 13 seeds and will take on No. 4 Fort Cherry (16-5), while No. 12 Apollo-Ridge will face No. 5 Rochester (12-8).