Boys
Class 6A
Quarterfinals
5-Hempfield (15-7) at 4-Seneca Valley (13-9)
7 p.m. Thursday
Winner plays: Winner of 8-Fox Chapel (14-9)/1-Upper St. Clair (21-2) Monday in semifinals (time, site TBD)
Players to watch: Danny Husenits, Hempfield; Andrew Omasits, Seneca Valley
Layup lines: Hempfield is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2021-22. The Spartans are seeking their first playoff win since 2020-21 when they beat Baldwin, 66-63. Husenits, a Pitt-Greensburg commit, leads Hempfield in scoring at 15 points per game. Lucas Simmons has a nonstop motor on both ends of the floor, while Trevor Donsen is a calming backcourt presence. First-year coach Austin Butler is looking to guide the Spartans to their first semifinal trip since 2002-03. … Seneca Valley has won seven of 10 games and finished tied for second with North Hills in Section 1. The Raiders have been in a lot of close games. They average 46.2 points and give up 44.9. They lost to South Fayette, 27-26, in overtime. Seneca Valley split with North Hills and Fox Chapel and played New Castle much closer the second time around — a 45-39 loss compared to a 60-26 drudging earlier in the season. Seneca Valley’s last semifinal appearance was in 2012-13.
Class 2A
Quarterfinals
9-Eden Christian (15-6) vs. 1-Jeannette (20-1)
6 p.m. Thursday at Fox Chapel
Winner plays: Winner of 5-Clairton (17-3)/4-Neshannock (18-4) Monday in semifinals (time, site TBD)
Players to watch: Mason Dean, Eden Christian; Jayce Powell, Jeannette
Layup lines: Eden Christian, coached by former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Aaron Smith, finished second in Section 2 behind Sewickley Academy. The Chargers average 62 points and allow 49. In a 68-42 first-round win over Laurel, they jumped out to an 18-6 lead after the first quarter and swelled the advantage to 35-19 at the half. Dean led all scorers with 22 points, River Bartam added 19 and Brady Salvia had 11 in the victory. Eden lost to Laurel in the preliminary round last year. The two previous years, they fell to Greensburg Central Catholic in the quarterfinals. … Jeannette took the first step toward a WPIAL title defense with a 70-49 win over Brentwood. The game was closer than the score indicated. Powell scored 21 points, Markus McGowan added 19, Kymon’e Brown 12 and Xavier Odorisio-Farrow 11. Jeannette is on an 18-game winning streak. The Jayhawks are giving up just 39.8 points per game. They beat Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the quarterfinals last year, 55-50, at Fox Chapel, to set up a semifinal matchup against Sewickley Academy.
Girls
Class 4A
Quarterfinals
5-Elizabeth Forward (17-6) vs. 4-Belle Vernon (20-3)
6 p.m. Thursday at AHN Arena, Peters Township
Winner plays: Winner of 9-Burrell (16-7)/1-Blackhawk (20-0) Monday in semifinals (time, site TBD)
Players to watch: Kaelynn Settles, Elizabeth Forward; Lyla McConnell, Belle Vernon
Layup lines: The top two teams from Section 3 meet meet for the third time this season. … Elizabeth Forward lost both section games to the Leopards, 70-56 and 55-53. The Warriors defeated Hopewell, 58-37, in the first round, building a 30-15 lead at halftime and punctuating the victory with a 20-point fourth quarter. Settles finished with 18 points, Mia Sostaric added 14 and Mia Curinga had 10 in the win. The Warriors made the semifinals last year and lost to Blackhawk, 57-51. A rematch could be on the horizon. … Upstart Belle Vernon, with one of its best up-and-coming groups, is threatening a breakthough playoff run. Sophomore 6-2 swing forward Aubrey Brown scored a career-high 24 points, including five 3-pointers, and McConnell, a freshman, added 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in an 85-60 win over Lincoln Park. Freshman Isis Almyty, a 6-1 forward, pitched in with 11 points. The team’s 20 wins are the most in the program since 1997-98. That team finished 20-8 after losing to South Park in the quarterfinals.