ESPN used to have Big Monday in college basketball. Tomorrow night in WPIAL basketball, it will be Terrific Tuesday.
Five games tomorrow night match teams that are undefeated in section play. On top of that, Gateway at McKeesport is another top game. Gateway is undefeated in section and McKeesport has one loss. It is the final night of section play in the first half of the season.
Here is a look at the five games matching teams that are undefeated in section play:
South Fayette at Chartiers Valley - South Fayette proved something by beating Montour last week. Chartiers Valley center Spencer Casson could be the difference in this game, if he exerts himself offensively. Winner: Chartiers Valley.
West Mifflin at Thomas Jefferson - Both teams have some talented guards, but I like West Mifflin on the road in a nailbiter. Winner: West Mifflin.
Greensburg Central Catholic at Jeannette - Greensburg Central Catholic's Brian Graytock and Zach Herman are a most potent one-two scoring punch. They are one of only two tandems in the WPIAL averaging over 20 points a game. But Jeannette has the better overall team. Winner: Jeannette.
Charleroi at California - California's Brian Fisher and Tanner Huffman are the other tandem averaging more than 20 points a game. Winner: California.
Union at Lincoln Park - Union is the Post-Gazette's No. 1-ranked Class A team. But with 6-8 Elijah Minnie eligible, Lincoln Park might be the No. 1 team. I still think Union is good enough to make a WPIAL title run, but the Scotties won't sweep Lincoln Park this year. They will only win at home against Lincoln Park. Winner: Lincoln Park.
Valley Forge to join PIAA
I found this news a little surprising today. Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, Pa. (eastern Pennsylvania) will join the PIAA for the 2013-14 school year.
I don't know all the particulars except that Valley Forge is an all-male military prep school. Obviously, to play in the PIAA the school can NOT use fifth-year players. They will be a Class AA school in football. Valley Forge will be in the PIAA in football, basketball, cross country, baseball, swimming, lacrosse, soccer, wrestling and track and field.
It will be interesting to see what kind of impact the school will have in sports. I'm going to say it will be a noticeable impact.
State rankings
Here are the Harrisburg Patriot-News boys basketball state rankings for this week:
CLASS AAAA District, Record, Previous rank
1. Chester* (1) 9-3 1
2. Lower Merion (1) 12-1 2
3. St. Joseph’s Prep (12) 10-2 3
4. Harrisburg (3) 12-1 4
5. McCaskey (3) 12-2 5
6. New Castle (7) 13-0 6
7. Cathedral Prep (10) 11-1 7
8. Abington (1) 10-2 NR
9. Williamsport (4) 11-2 10
10. Parkland (11) 11-1 NR
Honorable mention: Council Rock North (1) 11-1, Gateway (7) 9-1, Hampton (7) 11-2, La Salle College (12) 8-4, Martin Luther King (12) 13-0, Norristown (1) 9-3, North Allegheny (7) 11-1, Penn Wood (1) 8-2, Pennsbury (1) 8-3, Pocono Mountain West (11) 9-2, Ridley (1) 12-1, Roman Catholic (12) 9-4, Seneca Valley (7) 9-3, State College (6) 10-3, York (3) 11-2
CLASS AAA Rec Pvs
1. Imhotep Charter# (12) 11-3 2
2. Neumann-Goretti* (12) 8-4 1
3. Allentown C.C. (11) 11-2 7
4. Mars (7) 11-2 6
5. Beaver Area (7) 12-0 8
6. Chartiers Valley (7) 11-1 3
7. Archbishop Carroll (12) 9-3 4
8. Susquehanna Twp (3) 14-1 10
9. Abington Heights (2) 9-2 5
10. Berks Catholic (3) 11-3 NR
Honorable mention: Archbishop Wood (12) 8-4, Bishop McDevitt (3) 9-4, Donegal (3) 14-0, General McLane (10) 8-3, Glen Mills (1) 7-4, Greencastle-Antrim (3) 11-2, Hickory (10) 8-2, Holy Ghost Prep (1) 8-3, Meadville (10) 9-2, Montour (7) 8-4, Palmyra (3) 10-5, Philly Electrical (12) 8-7, South Fayette (7) 9-2, Steel-High (3) 11-2, Thomas Jefferson (7) 9-3, Uniontown (7) 11-1, West Mifflin (7) 9-2, Wilson Area (11) 13-1.
CLASS AA Rec Pvs
1. Meyers (2) 10-1 1
2. Beaver Falls (7) 10-3 3
3. Jeannette (7) 12-1 7
4. Greensburg C.C. (7) 13-1 8
5. Holy Cross (2) 8-3 5
6. Trinity (3) 9-3 2
7. Communications Tech (12) 8-3 4
8. West Middlesex (10) 8-3 9
9. Loyalsock (4) 8-2 10
10. Lewisburg (4) 10-0 NR
Honorable mention: Bald Eagle Area (6) 11-0, Bishop McCort (6) 7-3, Constitution (12) 8-5, Delone Catholic (3) 8-4, Del-Val Charter (12) 6-7, Dunmore (2) 7-4, Freire Charter (12) 9-5, Lakeview (10) 10-2, Mercyhurst Prep (10) 7-5, Mid Valley (2) 10-2, Quaker Valley (7) 10-3, Riverside (2) 9-3, Serra Catholic (7) 10-2, Seton-La Salle (7) 11-2, Washington (7) 11-2, Wellsboro (4) 13-1.
CLASS A Rec Pvs
1. Math, Civics & Sciences (12) 12-0 1
2. Vaux (12) 74-5 2
3. Lincoln Park (7) 8-4 4
4. Church Farm (1) 9-4 3
5. Johnsonburg (9) 10-1 5
6. Bishop Carroll (6) 9-2 NR
7. Vincentian (7) 11-1 7
8. Ridgway (9) 11-2 8
9. Shade (5) 11-0 9
10. St. John Neumann (4) 10-0 NR
Honorable mention: A-C Valley (9) 11-1, Bishop Guilfoyle (6) 7-2, Delco Christian (1) 8-3, Elk County Catholic (9) 8-3, Greenwood (3) 12-2, Kennedy Catholic (10) 6-3, Lebanon Catholic (3) 11-3, Lourdes Regional (4) 9-3, Mahanoy Area (11) 10-3, Marian Catholic (11) 10-3, Muncy (4) 7-2, New Hope Academy (3) 8-2, North Catholic (7) 8-4, North Clarion (9) 11-1, Old Forge (2) 8-4, OLSH (7) 9-3, Pius X (11) 10-2, Shanksville-Stonycreek (5) 9-1, Shenandoah Valley (11) 9-3, Smethport (9) 10-1, Sullivan County (4) 11-1, Union (7) 11-1
*- defending PIAA champion. #- 2012 PIAA champ in Class AA, but bumped up. $-2012 PIAA champ in Class A, but bumped up. Number in parentheses is PIAA district.