Jan 5, 2015 4 min read

Schools are back in session after the winter recess and that means the holiday tournaments have come to an end. The exciting part of WPIAL basketball season has begun and this week will include a remarkable stretch of games.

One of the most intriguing storylines in Class AAAA is Section 4. The addition of Chartiers Valley (2-1, 7-2) has complicated the playoff picture and the real question is who will reach the playoffs out of the stacked section.

Canon-McMillan (1-1) can certainly make a case for itself over the next seven days. The Big Macs have section games against Mt. Lebanon, Bethel Park and Peters Township over the next seven days. That’s a terrifying stretch for most teams, but C-M is built to handle the rigorous schedule.

Unlike last year when depth was an issue, Canon-Mac is positioned to make a playoff run this season. Sophomore forward RJ Bell is an example of how AAU basketball can help mold a young player. He has brought a presence to the Big Macs’ front court, which is a perfect pairing considering C-M has some of the best guards in the WPIAL.

The trio of Sam Bohn, Alex Hammers and Britton Beachy make Canon-McMillan team to watch during the second half of the season. One of the three seems to have a strong game when the Big Macs need it the most.

The match up with the Blue Devils (3-0, 8-3) tonight is going to be a big one. Mt. Lebanon has a nice mix of size and veteran leadership at the guard spot. They already have wins over Bethel Park and Baldwin, plus an impressive non-section victory over Vincentian.

It looks like Mt. Lebanon, along with Chartiers Valley, are shoe-ins for the WPIAL playoffs. The rest is up in the air, but I do like the Big Macs chances and this week will say a lot about where they stand.

Here’s a look at a few other boys basketball games to watch this week:

Washington at Chartiers-Houston, Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

I don’t know what to make of either of these teams. When the Prexies (2-2, 4-6) defeated Brentwood Dec. 23, it looked like Ron Faust’s project was coming together. Those thoughts of optimism have faded.

Wash High’s players are being asked to take on new roles and outside of Jonathan Spina and Matt Popeck, consistency has been a big problem. The Prexies have the talent inside to be a force in Class AA, but it has been an inconsistent mess so far.

Everyone knows how much Faust preaches defense and we’ll find out how his players respond against the Bucs (1-3, 5-6). Chartiers-Houston has two of the better guards in the O-R’s coverage area, Alec Ferrari and AJ Myers, but the Bucs are vastly inexperienced everywhere else.

They have zero size and rely on those two to be a presence on both sides of the court. Preventing the two from combining for more than 40 points would be a success for Wash High. We’ll see if that happens.

Brownsville at Charleroi, Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

This could very well dictate who walks away with the Section 4-AA title. The Cougars (4-0, 5-5)have yet to lose to a Class AA opponent and their success comes at somewhat of a surprise.

I personally thought that losing Matt Indorante would nullify the growth we have seen from center John Arnold, but Charleroi’s guards have played outstanding this season. Matt Carr, Sam Miceli and Brock Shannon have helped on both ends of the floor.

I’m predicting Charleroi will knock off Brownsville and this could be the year we see the Cougars win a WPIAL playoff game.

Ringgold at West Mifflin, Friday at 7:30 p.m.

The Rams (1-3, 4-5) have to climb out of a slump to reach the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs. After winning three out of four to start the season, Ringgold has lost four out of five. Injuries are partly to blame, while inconsistency has been the main culprit.

When healthy and playing their best, the Rams have potential, but the loss to Yough at the Charleroi Tournament was concerning. Having to rely on beating a very tough West Mifflin team is not a good situation.