Spring has sprung: New seasons start as others still in postseason
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Spring sports get underway today in the WPIAL, and for South Fayette softball coach Olet Stasko it’s just another addition to a busy schedule for her and a few of her players.
South Fayette has three athletes, Alisa Dufort, Kendall Welhorsky and Kylie Rumberger, who are on the Lions’ girls basketball team that’s playing in the PIAA quarterfinals on Saturday and the softball team and Stasko is an assistant basketball coach.
If the basketball team wins Saturday, then the semifinals are not until the following Saturday.
The PIAA basketball championships are a week later than normal this year because the Giant Center is hosting Cirque du Soleil next weekend. That means if South Fayette plays in the state championship it won’t be until March 29.
Stasko said a good balance has been in place for the girls when it comes to practice.
“We’ve been splitting time with the girls,” Stasko said. “(Lions basketball coach) Bryan (Bennett) gets them for what he needs them for. I don’t want to take away from what he needs. I want to set him up for success and at the same time I get them when I need them. We kind of rotate back and forth when I need them more and when he does.”
South Fayette is in Class 5A Section 3, while Peters Township and Trinity are in Section 4. Trinity and South Fayette both made the playoffs last year.
Defending WPIAL Class A champion Chartiers-Houston has moved up to Class 2A in the WPIAL’s new two-year realignment cycle and will not play rival Carmichaels.
The Bucs and Mikes played four times last year, including a 17-inning affair in the regular season and a PIAA semifinal game, which Carmichaels won 5-4.
The Mikes figure to be one of the favorites in Class A. West Greene and Jefferson-Morgan return teams that made the playoffs and Beth-Center drops down from 2A to A after making the postseason in 2024.
Bentworth made the WPIAL 2A championship and lost to three-time defending champion Neshannock. The Bearcats also made the PIAA quarterfinals. Chartiers-Houston and Bentworth are not in the same section in 2A.
Bentworth is in Section 4 with Washington, Waynesburg, Brownsville, California and Frazier. Chartiers-Houston is in Section 3 with Burgettstown, Carlynton, Fort Cherry, OLSH and Seton LaSalle.
Canon-McMillan is in the lone Class 6A section and will look to build on a run to the WPIAL semifinals. The Big Macs upset North Allegheny, 3-1, in the first round before falling to WPIAL champ Seneca Valley.
McGuffey returns to Class 3A and finished second in Section 4. There are only three sections in 3A this season and the Highlanders are in Section 3 with Charleroi, which moved up from Class 2A and was a playoff team.
Belle Vernon placed second in Class 4A Section 2 and is in there again with Ringgold.
Baseball
No local team made it to a WPIAL championship last year, but several got close.
Avella and Carmichaels made it to the semifinals in Class A and Avella won the consolation game against the Mikes to qualify for the state tournament.
It was quite a run for the Eagles after finishing tied for third with West Greene in Section 1.
Fort Cherry won the section, but lost to Avella in the WPIAL quarterfinals.
Avella, Carmichaels and West Greene return to Class A, while Fort Cherry moved up to Class 2A. Avella and Carmichaels are in with traditional power Greensburg Central Catholic, Jeannette, Jefferson-Morgan and Mapletown.
Fort Cherry is Class 2A Section 1 in with Burgettstown, Beth-Center, Bentworth, California, Chartiers-Houston and Frazier.
Burgettstown won a section championship in 2024 and made it to the Class 2A semifinals and won the consolation game, 8-2, over OLSH to earn a spot in the state tournament. The Blue Devils lost to District 9 champ Redbank Valley, 5-4, in the first round.
McGuffey, Waynesburg, Washington and Charleroi are in Class 3A Section 4 with Brownsville, Keystone Oaks and Seton LaSalle. Waynesburg and McGuffey made the playoffs in 3A last season, while Washington and Charleroi did so in 2A.
Belle Vernon won a section title in 4A in 2024, and earned the top seed in the WPIAL tournament, but was upset by No. 16 seed Blackhawk, 7-3, in the first round.
The Leopards are back in Section 4 with Ringgold, a returning playoff team. A newcomer to the section is perennial contender West Mifflin.
Peters Township, South Fayette and Trinity are all together in Class 5A, Section 2 again. South Fayette and Trinity both made the playoffs last season.
Canon-McMillan is in Class 6A Section 2 with Hempfield, Mt. Lebanon, Norwin and Woodland Hills. With the limited number of teams, 6A will play a three-game series against each section opponent again compared to two games for other classes.
Track and field
Two of the four members of Fort Cherry’s PIAA Class 2A championship 400-relay team return in Matt Sieg and Shane Cornali. The other two, Dylan Wudkwych and Tegan Henke, graduated.
The Fort Cherry girls 3,200 relay team placed seventh at states. Seniors Emily Frankovich and Jazlyn Martino, and junior Bella Bianchini return.
Returning WPIAL medalists include: Burgettstown senior Peyton Mermon; California senior Ella Neil, Trinity sophomore Ella Sammel Fort Cherry senior Jonah Pfender and Charleroi sophomore Braedin Lunger.