Southmoreland has checked off a number of benchmarks during recent postseason runs.
The boys basketball team won its first section title since 1992 last year and doubled down with its first playoff win since 2017.
This year, the Scotties (15-8) captured back-to-back section titles for the first time since 1988.
So, what’s next?
After a 63-58 win over Washington on Tuesday, Southmoreland can do something it hasn’t done since 1987: reach the WPIAL semifinals and qualify for the PIAA playoffs.
The fifth-seeded Scotties play No. 13 Shady Side Academy (9-14) at 6 p.m. Friday at Charleroi in the 3A quarterfinals.
“Getting to the semifinals is a roadblock we haven’t been able to overcome yet, but we have another opportunity to get there this Friday,” Scotties coach Frank Muccino said. “This senior group has had lots of accomplishments in their four years in the program.”
The seniors have:
• A 22-game section winning streak.
• Playoff wins in back-to-back years.
• Four winning seasons (15.5 wins per year).
“These seniors have set a standard for what we want the program to become,” Muccino said. “They they have accomplished that.”
Chasing history
Ligonier Valley pulled an upset in the opening round of the boys’ 3A tournament with a 47-44 win over sixth-seeded Keystone Oaks, a team it lost to in last year’s first round.
Now, the No. 11 Rams (13-10) will aim to make history. They will play South Park (19-3) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Charleroi in the 3A quarterfinals.
Ligonier Valley, which returned to the WPIAL in 2020 after a long absence — the Rams competed in District 6 for 50 years — has not won a WPIAL quarterfinal game since 1945.
Then known as the Mounties, Ligonier Valley defeated South Union, 48-45.
To encapsulate how long ago that was: It was the final weeks of World War II and Franklin Delano Roosevelt was president.
South Union is now part of the Laurel Highlands school district.
Waiting game
Norwin will host Hempfield in the 6A girls quarterfinals Friday night. Tip-off has been changed to 6 p.m.
The teams have something more in common than sharing the same section. They both will have been off for 10 days when they take the court again.
With a 10-team bracket, the WPIAL scheduled the 6A playoffs to begin later than other classifications.
Norwin coach Brian Brozeski has been through long layoffs before with some of his other teams. His take? It’s all about perspective.
“The waiting game is whatever you want it to be,” Brozeski said. “It can be annoying if you want it to be annoying, or it can be advantageous if you want it to be. Either way, it is something we as coaches can’t control and thus it is up to us as coaches to make the most of the time. Sort of like referees in a game: You may not like the way the refs are calling the game, but it is up to the coaches to adjust to the refs and not the other way around.”
Big 5/6 awards
The Big 5/6 Conference, which recognizes athletic accomplishments of teams in the WPIAL’s two largest classifications, announced its all-section basketball teams.
In Class 6A, Hempfield senior Danny Husenits made the Section 2 first team, while Norwin senior Alex Graney and Hempfield junior Lucas Simmons were second-team picks.
Hempfield junior Reagan Fisher and Norwin senior Ava Christopher were first teamers in Section 2-6A, while junior Liz Yarosik, freshman Giuliana Giannikas and sophomore Aubrey Graney of Norwin and seniors Gabby Coccia and Ava Shipman of Hempfield all made the second team.
In Class 5A, senior Ian DeCerb (Latrobe), junior Logan Walter (Franklin Regional) and senior Zach Feldman (Penn-Trafford) were picked for the Section 1 first team, with second-team honors going to senior Rob Young (Latrobe), senior Ethan McDonald (Penn-Trafford) and sophomore Alec Masten (Franklin Regional).
Girls Section 1 first-team selections included sophomore Alyssa Bridges (Franklin Regional) while junior Chloe Pucka and sophomore Katherine Yaniga of Franklin Regional made the second team.
Section 2-5A first teamers included senior Torrie DeStefano and junior Izzie Fontana of Penn-Trafford and Latrobe junior forward Maggie Maiers.
Among the second-team picks were sophomore Raya Johnson and senior Hanna Weishaar (Penn-Trafford), senior Bri Havrilla and freshman Morgan Maiers (Latrobe) and senior Mya Heasley (Greensburg Salem).
Greensburg Salem’s Rick Klimchock, who recently announced his retirement, was named the Section 2 Coach of the Year.
Leaving on a high note
Two local girls standouts had impressive scoring outputs in their final games of the season.
Latrobe junior forward Maggie Maiers poured in a 31 points in a 60-58 loss to Fox Chapel in the WPIAL 5A first round.
Madison Johnson, meanwhile, scored 29 in her final game in a Monessen uniform. Johnson, a career 1,000-point scorer, and the Greyhounds fell to Sewickley Academy in the Class A first round, 64-41.
Consy round
The WPIAL released brackets for the play-in games for PIAA seeding.
For girls, Class 5A and 3A games will begin Friday, 4A on Saturday and 2A and A on Monday. The 6A third-place game will be Feb. 26.
For boys, Class 2A will begin Saturday, Class 5A, 4A and 3A Monday, Class A Tuesday and Class 6A third-place Feb. 25.