Will it be a lucky Friday the 13th for the nine WPIAL and one City League basketball team taking to the court as The Road to Hershey continues with quarterfinals Friday?
The spotlight shines on the remaining 10 district teams in boys Class 5A, 4A and A and girls Class 6A, 3A and 2A.
While many of the quarterfinalists on both ends of the state were expected to reach round three of the state playoffs, that is not the case for one stunning matchup in boys Class 4A.
Very few had Deer Lakes (14-14) facing Obama Academy (18-9) at North Allegheny at 7 p.m. on their state quarterfinals bingo card.
The Lancers were 10-12 after losing three straight games to end the regular season.
However, the postseason has been a different animal for Deer Lakes, as it stunned Derry and Hopewell to reach the district semifinals before losing to Quaker Valley.
Following a consolation loss to North Catholic, the Lancers first beat District 6 champion Huntingdon in the PIAA first round, then followed up with a triumph over Hickory from District 10, 46-37.
In the second-round win over the Hornets, Collin Rodgers led the Lancers with 18 points. Evan Moore, who had 30 points in the first-round upset, added 17 against Hickory.
City League champion Obama Academy has won seven straight after ending the regular season with three losses in its last four games.
After dethroning Allderdice in the District 8 finals, the Eagles have soared past Clearfield in a state subregional game, defeated Warren in the first round and then shocked top-ranked Erie Cathedral Prep in the second round, 70-69.
Eric James has led Obama with 36 points in the wins over District 10 Warren and Cathedral Prep.
The win streak has improved Obama to 18-9 while Deer Lakes is 14-14 has finally reached .500 overall for the first time since Feb. 4.
In the other three PIAA Class 4A boys quarterfinals Friday:
• North Catholic (21-6) battles Philadelphia Carver Engineering & Science (22-6) at McConnellsburg at 5 p.m.
The Trojans needed three overtimes to knock off WPIAL champion Knoch in the state second round, 77-69, while the Engineers rolled past Dallas on Tuesday, 69-53.
• District 3 runner-up Bishop McDevitt (21-3) plays District 4 champ Lewisburg (24-4) at Martz Hall in Pottsville at 7 p.m.
•District 12 No. 4 seed Devon Prep (7-18) takes on District 2 winner Scranton Prep (22-5) at Bethlehem Liberty at 7:30 p.m.
WPIAL eliminators
WPIAL Class 5A boys champion Chartiers Valley and District 7 No. 4 seed Moon hope to clash for a fourth time in the PIAA semifinals.
But first, they must get past two district champions that have made it a habit of eliminating WPIAL teams this PIAA postseason.
Chartiers Valley will face District 6 winner Johnstown at Norwin at 7 p.m.
Moon heads east to face District 3 champion West York at Hollidaysburg at 6 p.m.
Johnstown eliminated Shaler in the first round and Gateway in the second round.
The Trojans enter the quarterfinals with a record of 20-4.
West York also bounced out two District 7 teams, first beating Ringgold, then on Tuesday, winning by 14 points over Penn Hills.
Those two wins improved the Bulldogs to 22-1 for the season with their only loss coming in late December to Class 6A power Central Dauphin.
Chartiers Valley is 25-2 and coming off a 39-point second-round win over Cocalico. Sophomore Luca Federico scored 15 points to lead the Colts.
Moon improved to 22-4 with a high-scoring victory over Thomas Jefferson on Tuesday. Junior Brody Bauman led the Tigers with 28 points.
In the other two PIAA Class 5A boys quarterfinals Friday:
• District 12 No. 3 seed Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast (21-6) will play District 1 No. 4 seed Springfield-Delco (23-4) at Cardinal O’Hara at 6 p.m.
• District 1 No. 5 seed Upper Moreland (19-9) battles District 12 champion Neumann-Goretti (22-5) at Bensalem at 7 p.m.
Alone in the Neighborhood
And then there was one.
That one remaining team, however, has plenty of hardware, winning gold, gold and gold in its last three district and state playoffs over the last two seasons.
WPIAL two-time champion and defending PIAA Class A winner Neighborhood Academy is still going strong as it prepares to face Conestoga Christian on Friday at McConnellsburg High School at 7 p.m.
The Bulldogs are 23-3 after rolling past District 6 runner-up Johnsonburg in the second round, 59-45.
Junior Kedron Gilmore continues to lead the Neighborhood Academy. He has a combined 51 points in the state playoff wins over St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy and Johnsonburg.
Conestoga Christian is 16-11 this season coming out of District 3.
The Cougars own wins over Conemaugh Valley and North Clarion in the PIAA postseason.
In the other three PIAA Class A boys quarterfinals Friday:
• District 9 champion Elk County Catholic (26-2) battles District 10 winner Erie First Christian Academy (20-6) at PennWest-Clarion at 7 p.m.
• District 3 winner High Point Baptist (16-8) takes on District No. 4 seed Coventry Christian (21-5) at Exeter Township at 7 p.m.
• District 12 champ Sankofa-Freedom (20-8) battles District 3 runner-up York Country Day (23-4) at Coatesville at 6 p.m.
Big Mac attack
A year ago, Upper St. Clair continued the tradition of a WPIAL team playing for gold in the PIAA Class 6A girls basketball finals.
In eight years of 6A basketball, a team from District 7 reached Hershey five times.
Heading into the state elite eight Friday in girls 6A, only Canon-McMillan remains from District 7.
The Big Mac attack this season has led to 23 wins in 27 contests.
Now they prepare to face District 3 runner-up Dallastown at Altoona at 6:30 p.m.
Madison Clair has been the scoring leader for Canon-McMillan this year and in the state playoffs.
The 5-foot-10 senior has scored 31 points in PIAA playoff wins over Governor Mifflin and Allderdice.
Dallastown enters with a record of 25-3.
The Wildcats defeated Spring-Ford in the opening round by nine points, then needed overtime to eliminate Emmaus in the second round, 68-65.
In the other three PIAA Class 6A girls quarterfinals Friday:
• District 6 champ Altoona (21-4) battles District 12 No. 3 seed Cardinal O’Hara (23-4) at Cumberland Valley at 5:30 p.m.
• District 1 winner Upper Dublin (26-2) takes on District 2 champion Hazleton (26-2) at Bethlehem Liberty at 6 p.m.
• District 3 No. 4 seed Red Lion (24-3) goes up against District 12 champ Archbishop Carroll (23-5) at Coatesville at 7:30 p.m.
3 for 1
Thus far in the first two rounds of the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball playoffs, WPIAL championship Shady Side Academy has defeated a pair of No. 3 seeds in their district.
First, the Bulldogs barely got past District 6 No. 3 Marion Center, needing overtime to win by nine points. Then SSA took care of WPIAL No. 3 Beaver Falls in the second round, winning by six points.
Now Shady Side Academy faces a fellow district champion when it battles D-6 winner Central Cambria on Friday at Armstrong at 7:30 p.m.
The Bulldogs enter the game with a 25-2 record and have been led by senior guard Karis Thomas, who has been a model of consistency in scoring 22 points in each of the first two state playoff games for SSA.
Central Cambria is 22-6 this season.
The Red Devils followed up their District 6 crown with a 27-point triumph over Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the first round and a seven-point victory in the second round over Karns City.
WPIAL runner-up Greensburg Central Catholic makes the trek east to Altoona to go up against District 3 champion Camp Hill Trinity (23-2) at 5 p.m.
The Centurions improved to 21-7 by bouncing back from their WPIAL loss to Shady Side Academy to beat both Cranberry and Northwestern by a combined 28 points.
The Shamrocks are 23-2 overall after crushing Martin Luther King Jr. in Round 1 by 41 points and defeating Troy in the second round by 14 points.
In the other two PIAA Class 3A girls quarterfinals Friday:
• District 2 runner-up Holy Redeemer (20-8) plays District 11 runner-up Schuylkill Haven (24-5) at Lehighton Elementary Center at 7 p.m.
• District 4 champion Hughesville (26-3) takes on District 2 winner Dunmore (24-3) at Wilkes-Barre at 7:30 p.m.
Last team standing
The WPIAL sent seven girls Class 2A teams into the PIAA playoffs last week.
When the dust settled after two rounds, only one District 7 team remains.
Rochester, Aliquippa, Fort Cherry and Burgettstown lost in the first round, then Winchester Thurston and Chartiers-Houston saw their seasons end in Round 2.
That leaves only WPIAL champion Neshannock alive and heading into the quarterfinals as they battle District 10 runner-up Kennedy Catholic at New Castle at 7 p.m.
The Lancers are now 24-3 after crushing Burgettstown in the first round, 80-26, and eliminating Penns Manor in the second round in a much closer fray, 60-53.
Kennedy Catholic is 24-2 and has spent a good part of this season ranked No. 1 in the Trib HSSN girls 2A state rankings.
The Golden Eagles have been impressive, beating Rochester by 40 points in the opening round and whacking Keystone in the second round by 38 points.
In the other three PIAA Class 2A girls quarterfinals Friday:
• District 6 champion Bishop McCort (19-8) squares off with District 10 winner Wilmington (23-4) at Armstrong at 6 p.m.
• District 4 runner-up Southern Columbia (14-13) looks to surprise District 2 champ Mountain View (21-6) at Wilkes-Barre at 5:30 p.m.
• District 2 runner-up Wyoming Seminary (19-7) battles District 5 winner Berlin-Brothersvalley (23-5) at Cumberland Valley at 7 p.m.
Friday on Trib HSSN
There are two broadcasts you can watch or listen to at TribHSSN.TribLive.com on the 13th day of March.
PIAA Girls Basketball Playoffs Audio Stream – Class 2A Quarterfinals: Neshannock vs. Kennedy Catholic at 7 p.m. on Lawrence County Sports Net at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
PIAA Girls Basketball Playoffs Audio Stream – Class 2A Quarterfinals: Wilmington vs. Bishop McCort at 6 p.m. on Lawrence County Sports Net at TribHSSN.TribLive.com