Feb 11, 2015 7 min read

South Fayette head coach Rich Bonnaure has every right to be upset. He’s been around long enough to know that strengthening your non-section schedule and winning your section should earn your team respect in the WPIAL playoffs.

The Lions (17-4) easily handled their competition in Section 5-AAA, which included South Park and several other competitive teams. They also got solid non-section victories over Vincentian Academy, Norwin and defeated Steel Valley twice.

South Fayette’s four losses this season came against playoff teams (Butler, Seton-LaSalle, Washington and Chartiers Valley) and the average margin of defeat was seven points.

Despite averaging 57.5 points per game and doing everything the right way, the Lions were punished for playing in what some perceived as a weak section. South Fayette was handed the seventh seed and will face No. 11 Steel Valley (14-7) Tuesday at a site and time to be determined.

Though South Fayette defeated the Ironmen twice in the regular season, it’s a tough match up and the winner will likely face second-seeded Beaver Falls. I guess winning your section does not mean much anymore.

The Lions defeated Steel Valley behind strong defense and the play of their guard tandem: Jack Relihan and Nick McKee. It’s surprising that they prevailed twice because when I saw the Ironmen beat Wash High, I thought they were extremely athletic and possess everything you need to go deep into the postseason.

Dominique Keyes, a 6-7 force inside, is averaging 19.3 points per game and limits opponents second chances with his rebounding.

This is a winnable game for South Fayette, but it’s a shame that the Lions were punished for the inconsistent play of their section rivals. I’m predicting South Fayette to win this one.

Here’s a look at the other WPIAL playoff games for local teams. I’ll have Part Two online sometime tomorrow, which will look at the games for the 11 girls teams.

Chartiers-Houston (12-10) vs. Avonworth (12-10) Saturday at Chartiers Valley. 2:30 p.m. tip-off

The winner of this one will face No. 2 Lincoln Park next Wednesday at a site and time to be determined, and your guess is as good as mine as to who will face the Leopards. C-H has the best guard tandem I’ve seen this season (Alec Ferrari and AJ Myers), but the Bucs lack depth and size down low.

In comparison, the Antelopes, who took fourth place in Section 5-AA, have a balanced scoring attack featuring eight seniors and five players standing at least 6-2. Avonworth averages 60.7 points per game and its defense is comparable to the Bucs.

This is a very tough matchup for C-H. The only size the Buc have is inexperienced, but Ferrari and Myers have the ability to take over a game.

Prediction: Chartiers-Houston wins

No. 11 Charleroi (12-9) vs. No. 6 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (14-7) Wednesday at TBA

The Cougars shared the Section 4-AA title with Brownsville and the Chargers took third place in Section 5-AA. Charleroi’s inconsistency is perplexing. Six of the Cougars’ losses came against teams that did not reach the WPIAL playoffs. When I saw them defeat Waynesburg last month, the potential was there.

John Arnold, a 6-7 junior center, dominated down low and is a nightmare for teams to stop, but Charleroi’s guards are inexperienced.

On the other side, OLSH picked up three solid non-section wins against Laurel, Quaker Valley and Ford City, but the Chargers have lost three of their last five games. The loss total can be attributed to the strength of Section 5-AA. Though OLSH lacks size, its depth should make the difference in this one.

Prediction: OLSH wins

No. 5 Washington (15-7) vs. No. 12 Neshannock (15-6) Wednesday at TBA

Despite finishing second in Section 3-AA, the Prexies earned the fifth seed with victories over Seton-LaSalle and South Fayette. Outside of the loss to Steel Valley in the regular-season finale, their progress has been nothing short of remarkable.

After early losses to Canon-McMillan, Seton, Bishop Canevin, Morgantown, Frankfort and Laurel, Wash High rattled off 11 consecutive victories.

The opposite can be said for the Lancers. They won seven of their first eight before dropping off a bit. Neshannock lost to Hopewell, Beaver, Laurel, Riverside and to Lincoln Park twice. I’ve been told a 12 seed is a bit low for them, but it does create an intriguing game.

With DeQuay Isbell returning and the improvement made by Matt Popeck, I see Wash High’s defense propelling them to the quarterfinals.

Prediction: Wash High wins

Waynesburg (14-7) vs. Laurel (15-7) Saturday at Peters Township. Tip-off at 2:30 p.m.

The winner will face Greensburg Central Catholic next Wednesday at a site and time to be determined. What the Raiders lack in size they make up for in effort. Dom Sarra is one of the better guards I’ve seen this season. I like the combination of Jason Zeleny and Mitch Warman, but some of Waynesburg’s losses are concerning.

They lost to Laurel Highlands by 30 points, Ringgold by 10 and California by 23 points. The Raiders are extremely well-coached, but Laurel has an impressive offense led by Scott Siddall. The Spartans have a lot of depth and average 69.6 points per game, but they are also allowing 63.4 per game.

Their victories over Wash High, Neshannock and Union are impressive, and the section schedule is impressive.

Prediction: Laurel wins

No. 2 Monessen (16-6) vs. No. 15 St. Joseph (10-12) Tuesday at TBA

The argument of the playoffs being too large will be magnified after this game. The Spartans’ only impressive wins came over North Catholic and Clairton, but they have lost four of their last seven and are allowing almost 60 points per game.

In comparison, Monessen is averaging 76.9 points per game and dominated its section schedule. The Greyhounds’ losses came against perennial powers Upper St. Clair, Chartiers Valley, Franklin Regional, North Allegheny, New Castle and Aliquippa.

Class A is fairly thin this season. I’m all-in on the Greyhounds winning the WPIAL title with an extremely athletic lineup that will press the competition into turnovers for 32 minutes.

Prediction: Monessen wins

No. 7 Union (11-10) vs. California (16-5) Tuesday at TBA

Union, the third-place team in Section 1-A, defeated Eden Christian twice and beat Cornell by 10, but did have two bad losses to Ellwood City and Summit Academy.

The Scotties are not the best defensive team, but they can score in a hurry. This is one of the more difficult games to pick because California has only allowed 43.5 points per game, the best in Class A.

Plus, the Trojans have a great duo in Kass Taylor and Tray Matthews. What concerns me about Cal is depth and they don’t have a true point guard to allow Matthews and Taylor to excel.

Predition: Union wins

No. 6 Cornell (12-9) vs. No. 11 Jefferson-Morgan (12-9) Friday at Baldwin. Tip-off at 6:30 p.m.

This will be a battle of two of the WPIAL’s most prolific scorers: Cornell’s Dane Jackson and Jeff-Morgan’s Rece Henneman. Jackson, a Pitt football recruit, is averaging 29 points per game and Henneman is at 25.6.

Though the teams have the same overall record, the Raiders play in a tough section with wins over Union and Eden Christian. Their offense is averaging 63.7 points per game and they seem to have some nice depth.

The Rockets are tough to figure out. Their offense has been inconsistent and they seem to rely too much on the three-point shot.

Prediction: Cornell wins