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Tuesday, January 2, 2024 | 5:06 p.m
Christopher Horner | Tribune-Assessment
Imani Christian's Avery Wesley shoots a 3-pointer towards Berlin Brothersvalley throughout the PIAA Class A championship sport Thursday, March 23, 2023, on the Large Middle in Hershey.
On the third day of 2024 and simply over a month into the season, defending WPIAL Class A boys basketball champion Imani Christian will lastly play one other district crew.
The Saints marched right here, there and in every single place however the WPIAL throughout the first month of the season.
Imani Christian is 1-4 and has misplaced 4 straight video games. 4 of the Saints' 5 opponents got here from out of state, and their solely opposition in Pennsylvania was Philadelphia powerhouse Neumann-Goretti.
Regardless of their roster adjustments and gradual begin, the Saints are heavy favorites to win Class A within the WPIAL and are ranked No. 1 within the Trib HSSN Class A state rankings as in addition they look to defend their PIAA title.
Imani will host No. 3-ranked Neighborhood Academy in Part 3-A Wednesday.
The Bulldogs are 6-3 this season and have misplaced two straight. All three of their losses had been to 6A or 5A opponents in Central Catholic, Kiski Space and Fox Chapel.
Among the district's prime expertise is predicted to be on show Wednesday, together with juniors RJ Sledge, Nate Brazil and senior Avery Wesley of Imani Christian and junior Courtney Wallace and senior John Wilkins of Neighborhood Academy.
Wallace is without doubt one of the prime scorers within the WPIAL, averaging over 22 factors per sport.
Two dandies in the course of the week
What a distinction a 12 months makes for this women basketball Part 4-5A cat showdown when South Fayette visits Moon.
Final season, South Fayette gained the sectional and second straight WPIAL championship and was runner-up to Archbishop Wooden within the PIAA playoffs.
Moon didn’t win a division sport and completed 7-14 total.
In two head-to-head sectional clashes between the 2 groups a 12 months in the past, the Lions defeated the Tigers by 43 and 42 factors, respectively.
Heading into the sectional opener for each groups on Wednesday, South Fayette is 6-3 and heading into the vacation break with a 2-1 journey to Charleston, SC.
In the meantime, Moon has already matched his win whole from final 12 months, leaping to a 7-1 begin and since shedding to Higher St. Clair has gained three in a row.
• Top-of-the-line sectional races in women basketball a 12 months in the past was in Part 2-3A, the place the highest 4 groups — Avonworth, Our Girl of the Sacred Coronary heart, Keystone Oaks and Seton LaSalle — completed a mixed 72-34.
This season, all 4 of those groups are off to an excellent begin, going 28-6 total.
On Wednesday, OLSH opens the play part at Keystone Oaks.
The Chargers are 7-2 and have gained three straight, whereas the Golden Eagles are 8-1 and have gained seven straight since shedding to Elizabeth Ahead on opening weekend.
Opening duals of the 12 months
The WPIAL crew wrestling season continues with one other busy evening on the mats throughout the district.
Class 3A continues to be within the early phases of sectional duals, however 2A groups are within the midst of sectional motion.
Listed here are a number of the greatest matches:
• In Part 1-3A, Fox Chapel hosts Plum in an early-season battle for first place. The Foxes are 2-0 within the part, whereas the Mustangs are a half-game again at 1-0.
• In Part 3-3A, Franklin Regional is house to Ringgold. The Panthers are off to a 2-0 begin within the part, whereas the Rams are 1-0.
• In Part 4-3A, two groups that gained their sectional openers will battle it out for a spot within the higher part when Hempfield travels to Latrobe.
• In Part 2-2A, Mt. Nice and Frazier are each 2-0 and tied for the part lead. The Vikings go to the Commodores on Wednesday for first place.
• In Part 3-2A, South Allegheny already has three part wins and Keystone Oaks has two. Nevertheless, solely two groups have but to lose a sectional sport and can meet when Montour (1-0) is at house at Quaker Valley (2-0).
• In Part 6-2A, Burrell and Derry are undefeated within the part. The house Buccaneers are 2-0 whereas the Trojans are off to a 3-0 begin to the part.
Tags: Burrell, Derry Space, Fox Chapel, Franklin Regional, Frazier, Hempfield, Imani Christian, Keystone Oaks, Latrobe, Montour, Moon, Mt. Nice, Neighborhood Academy, Plum, Quaker Valley, Ringgold, South Allegheny, South Fayette
