Latrobe beats Plum in 1 vs. 2 showdown ...... New state basketball rankings

Although the game got close a few times, Latrobe led from start to finish in today's 1 vs. 2 showdown.

Latrobe scored the first four points of the game, took a 10-point lead midway through the first quarter and went on to defeat Plum, 76-66, in the County Challenge this afternoon at Penn Hills.

It was a battle between the top two ranked Class AAAA teams in the Post-Gazette rankings. No. 1 Latrobe came in at 7-0 while No. 2 Plum was 6-1. 

"They're good at what they do," said Plum coach Ron Richards. "They push the ball when they get the chance and they've got some skilled guys and they can shoot some contested deep shots. But we knew they would keep shooting and we could maybe get back in it. We made our run and it came down to a one-possession game here and there. It could've went either way, just like when we played them last year."

Latrobe junior guard Austin Butler, one of the leading scorers in the WPIAL, had 28 points. This kid can flat out shoot it from deep. I didn't see him put it on the deck much to score, but he can stick it from near the volleyball line. He was 10 of 18 from the field. (Pictured, Austin Butler drives against James Edwards).

Latrobe doesn't really have an inside game, but the Wildcats have excellent guard play - and they won today despite some foul trouble. Ryan Soisson scored 18 and Sean Graytok 17.

For Plum, senior guard James Edwards came on after a slow start to score 22. Jack Marold came off the bench to score 17 and nail five 3-pointers. His final 3-pointer brought Plum within 68-66 with 1:27 left. But Plum never scored again. Latrobe was 8 of 8 from the free-throw line in the final minute.

(Pictured, Plums James Edwards tries to get around Latrobe's Reed Fenton).

All told, a good game to watch. Latrobe came in averaging 85 points a game and scored 26 in the first quarter. But the pace slowed some after that. Still, the Wildcats won.

"For a little over two quarters, we had the tempo we wanted," said Latrobe coach Brad Wetzel. "But when it comes to teams as good as Plum and a handful of others, you're not going to get the tempo all the time up and down. We had to grind it out. But our guys can play that game. We want it to be up and down, but we don't need it to be up and down."

State Rankings

Here are the latest state rankings for boys and girls.

GIRLS

CLASS AAAA

1 Cardinal O’Hara (12) 4-0 — previously: 2

2 Norwin (7) 8-0 — previously: 3

3 Cumberland Valley (3) 5-1 — previously: 1

4 North Allegheny (7) 7-1 — previously: 4

5 Peters Twp. (7) 7-1 — previously: 5

6 Pine-Richland (7) 6-2 — previously: 6

7 North Penn (1) 7-2 — previously: 7

8 Abington (1) 4-3 — previously: 8

9 Mount St. Joseph (1) 9-0 — previously: 9

10 Perkiomen Valley (1) 7-0 — previously: 10

HONORABLE MENTION

Bethel Park (7) 7-1, Bethlehem Liberty (11) 7-0, Bishop Shanahan (1) 7-0, Boyertown (1) 5-3, Cedar Crest (3) 7-1, Central Bucks South (1) 6-1, Central Bucks West (1) 5-1, Central Dauphin East (3) 6-3, Central York (3) 7-1, Easton (11) 6-2, Governor Mifflin (3) 8-1, Harrisburg (3) 7-2, Hazleton (2) 4-1, Parkland (11) 8-2, Penn Hills (7) 7-1, Pottsville (11) 5-1, Red Lion (3) 9-0, Seneca Valley (7) 7-2, State College (6) 6-1, Warren (10) 6-1.

CLASS AAA

1. Archbishop Wood (12) 3-4 — previously: 1

2. South Fayette (7) 6-0 — previously: 2

3. Berks Catholic (3) 6-1 — previously: 3

4. Trinity (7) 5-2 — previously: 4

5. Blackhawk (7) 6-1 — previously: 5

6. South Park (7) 6-1 — previously: 6

7. Villa Maria (10) 6-0 — previously: 7

8. Hickory (10) 6-0 — previously: 8

9. Gwynedd Mercy (1) 5-1 — previously: 9

10. Greencastle-Antrim (3) 6-1 — previously: 10

HONORABLE MENTION

Allentown Central Catholic (11) 6-2, Ambridge (7) 7-1, Athens (4) 5-2, Berwick (2) 5-1, Bethlehem Catholic (11) 8-0, Blue Mountain (11) 7-1, Bonner-Prendergast (12) 4-0, Danville (4) 6-0, Forest Hills (6) 8-1, Hampton (7) 6-1, Lancaster Catholic (3) 8-0, Mercyhurst Prep (10) 6-2, Nanticoke (2) 7-1, Northern Lebanon (3) 9-0, Southern Lehigh (11) 6-1, Susquehannock (3) 8-1.

CLASS AA

1. Neumann-Goretti (12) 7-0 — previously: 1

2. Bishop Canevin (7) 8-1 — previously: 2

3. Dunmore (2) 7-0 — previously: 3

4. Holy Redeemer (2) 6-1 — previously: 4

5. Minersville (11) 8-0 — previously: 5

6. Our Lady of Sacred Heart (7) 7-1 — previously: 6

7. St. Basil Academy (1) 7-1 — previously: 7

8. Camp Hill (3) 7-0 — previously: 8

9. Burrell (7) 7-1 — previously: 10

10. Bishop McCort (6) 7-0 — previously: HM

HONORABLE MENTION

Chartiers-Houston (7) 6-2, Carbondale (2) 6-1, Carlynton (7) 5-2, Charleroi (7) 7-0, Delone Catholic (3) 7-1, Everett (5) 7-0, Holy Cross (2) 6-0, Karns City (9) 6-1, Imhotep Charter (12) 6-0, Lakeland (2) 5-1, Marian Catholic (11) 8-0, Mohawk (7) 6-0, Mt. Carmel (4) 7-1, Neshannock (7) 6-1, Notre Dame - Green Pond (11) 4-1, North Star (5) 7-0, Palisades (11) 5-2, Riverside (7) 7-1, Tyrone (6) 6-0, West Middlesex (10) 9-0, York Catholic (3) 7-2.

CLASS A

1. Pittsburgh Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic (7) 6-0 — previously: 1

2. Vincentian Academy (7) 5-2 — previously: 2

3. Portage (6) 5-1 — previously: 3

4. Bishop Guilfoyle (6) 4-1 — previously: 4

5. Phil-Mont Christian (1) 7-1 — previously: 5

6. Kennedy Catholic (10) 5-1 — previously: 6

7. Mansfield (4) 7-0 — previously: 7

8. Blairsville (6) 6-2 — previously: 8

9. Jenkintown (1) 7-1 — previously: 9

10. West Greene (7) 7-1 — previously: 10

HONORABLE MENTION

Bishop Carroll (6) 6-2, Christian School of York (3) 6-0, Cochranton (10) 6-1, Elk County Catholic (9) 4-2, Ellis School (7) 6-0, Harrisburg Christian (3) 6-0, Jefferson-Morgan (7) 7-1, Leechburg (7) 6-2, Lourdes Regional (4) 5-2, Serra Catholic (7) 5-1, Shade (5) 6-1, Southern Fulton (5) 5-1, Williams Valley (11) 7-1.

BOYS

Here are the boys rankings from www.cityofbasketballlove.com

CLASS AAAA

No.  School                                            Rec    Pvs

1.     Roman Catholic (12)                    6-1        1

2.     Allderdice (8)                                 4-1        2                           

3.     Archbishop Wood (12)                4-0        3

4.     Plymouth-Whitemarsh (1)          6-0        4

5.     Coatesville (1)                               7-0        5

6.     La Salle College (12)                     9-0        6

7.     Downingtown West (1)               8-1        7

8.     Harrisburg (3)                                6-0        9

9.     Reading (3)                                     5-3        8

10.   Parkland (11)                                  6-3     10                               

Checked in: No one.

Checked out: No one.

Others to watch: Abington (1) 6-2, Abington Heights (2) 7-0, Baldwin (7) 5-0, Carlisle (3) 7-2, Cedar Crest (3) 6-2, Central Bucks West (1) 6-1, Central Dauphin East (3) 4-3, Central York (3) 8-0, Chartiers Valley (7) 7-2, Chester (1) 2-3, Emmaus (11) 8-0, Franklin Regional (7) 6-2, Gateway (7) 6-2, Hazleton (2) 4-2, Latrobe (7) 7-0, Lower Merion (1) 5-2, Martin Luther King (12) 4-5, McCaskey (3) 7-1, Nazareth (11) 7-2, North Allegheny (7) 5-2, Pennsbury (1) 7-1, Penn-Trafford (7) 6-1, Peters Twp. (7) 6-2, Phoenixville (1) 9-1, Plum (7) 6-1, Pocono Mountain West (11) 9-0, Ridley (1) 7-0, Spring Grove (3) 5-1, St. Joseph’s Prep (12) 6-2, Upper St. Clair (7) 6-2, Whitehall (11) 6-2, William Allen (11) 5-2, Williamsport (4) 5-2, Wilson (3) 7-1, York (3) 6-3.

CLASS AAA

No.  School                                             Rec     Pvs

1.     Neumann-Goretti (12)                 4-1         1

2.     Imhotep Charter (12)                   5-2         2

3.     Mars (7)                                          6-3         3

4.     Beaver Falls (7)                              8-0         4

5.     Archbishop Carroll (12)                8-0         5

6.     New Castle (7)                               9-0         6

7.     Strong Vincent (10)                       5-3        7

8.     Scranton Prep (2)                          5-1        8

9.     Lewisburg (4)                                 6-0        9

10.   Del-Val Charter (12)                     7-1    OW

Checked in: No. 10 Del-Val Charter.

Checked out: No. 10 Allentown Central Catholic.

Others to watch: Allentown Central Catholic (11) 5-4, Benjamin Franklin (12) 7-1, Bishop McDevitt (3) 4-1, Blue Mountain (11) 6-2, Cathedral Prep (10) 6-2, Cocalico (3) 6-2, Crestwood (2) 5-3, Eastern Lebanon County (3) 8-1, Girard (10) 7-0, Highlands (7) 4-3, Hollidaysburg (6) 7-1, Holy Ghost Prep (1) 6-2, Lampeter-Strasburg (3) 9-0, Lower Moreland (1) 6-1, Meadville (10) 6-0, Milton Hershey (3) 6-0, Nanticoke (2) 6-2, Octorara (1) 9-0, Pottsville (11) 7-0, Salisbury (11) 5-0, Shamokin (4) 8-0, Somerset (5) 6-3, Steel-High (3) 4-2, Steel Valley (7) 6-1, West Mifflin (7) 5-1.

CLASS AA

No.  School                                                  Rec    Pvs

1.     Aliquippa (7)                                        5-0        1

2.     Conwell-Egan (12)                              6-1        2

3.     Lincoln Park (7)                                   7-1        3

4.     Mid Valley (2)                                      7-0        5

5.     Church Farm (1)                                  5-1        7

6.     Greensburg C.C. (7)                            6-1        6

7.     Trinity (3)                                              6-2        4

8.     Minersville (11)                                   6-1        9

9.     Camp Hill (3)                                        6-2      10                                       

10.   Avonworth (7)                                     7-1     OW

Checked in: No. 10 Avonworth.

Checked out: No. 8 Quaker Valley.

Others to watch: Bellwood-Antis (6) 5-0, Bishop Canevin (7) 6-2, Calvary Christian (1) 7-1, Danville (4) 3-3, Dunmore (2) 4-3, East Allegheny (7) 6-2, Fairview (10) 5-2, Greenville (10) 6-1, Laurel (7) 7-1, Mahanoy Area (11) 4-3, Neshannock (7) 6-1, Our Lady of Sacred Heart (7) 6-2, Penns Valley (6) 6-1, Quaker Valley (7) 7-1, Richland (6) 6-1, Seton-La Salle (7) 3-3, Shady Side Academy (7) 6-2, Southern Columbia (4) 2-0, Tyrone (6) 5-2, Washington (7) 3-4, West Branch (6) 5-1, West Middlesex (10) 3-3, Westmont Hilltop (6) 5-2, York Catholic (3) 6-1.

CLASS A

No.  School                                                   Rec    Pvs

1.     Kennedy Catholic (10)                        4-1       1

2.     Monessen (7)                                       6-2       2                                  

3.     Farrell (10)                                            4-1       3

4.     Constitution (12)                                 4-6       4

5.     St. John Neumann (4)                         8-0       5

6.     Sewickley Academy (7)                       8-0       6

7.     Elk County Catholic (9)                        6-0       7

8.     Homer-Center (6)                                7-0       8

9.     Lincoln Leadership (11)                      7-0       9

10.  Clarion-Limestone (9)                          7-0     10

Checked in: No one.

Checked out: No one.

Others to watch: Bishop Carroll (6) 5-1, Clarion (9) 4-1, Coudersport (9) 6-0, Delco Christian (1) 4-2, Eden Christian (7) 7-1, Faith Christian (1) 5-1, Ferndale (6) 6-1, Jeannette (7) 6-2, Lourdes Regional (4) 7-0, Math, Civics & Sciences (12) 3-7, McConnellsburg (5) 6-0, Millville (4) 7-1, North Penn-Mansfield (4) 5-2, Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg (11) 4-3, Old Forge (2) 4-1, Paul Robeson (12) 8-3, Phil-Mont Christian (1) 7-1, Portage (6) 5-1, Ridgway (9) 6-0, Saltsburg (6) 8-0, Shanksville-Stonycreek (5) 9-0, Shenandoah Valley (11) 6-1, Southern Fulton (5) 5-1, Sullivan County (4) 8-0, Union-Rimersburg (9) 7-1, Vincentian (7) 6-1, West Shore Christian (3) 6-1.