After a good showing last year...

[the cricket]

Which local teams have a chance to win a PIAA state game?

Which team can make it through a couple rounds of action?

d5/d6 a/aa boys/girls Comments please

[Tussey Mt. fan]

Bishop Guilfoyle girls have a chance to win a first round game.

[Crimson09Crazy]

and second and third and semifinals and at Penn State.....Theyre like the UConn women, It would be a huge upset if they dont win it all.

Who ya takin.....Guilfoyle or the field.....Give me the Marauders

[zonebreaker]

UCONN has won 71 straight games without one being in single-digits. BG was losing most of their last game to NC.

Having said that, BG is by far the favorite in the state to win Class A.

[Crimson09Crazy]

Yet they won.

By far the favorites.


What's this? Alli Williams 3rd State Championship?

[ladyhoopsters2007]

None of the boys teams have a chance to advance -- maybe one at most will win first round game. Boys hoops is so sad in D6.

Girls have a better chance although the talent level is much lower than previous years. FACT: This year saw the lowest number of Division 1 signees ever from western PA.

BG will roll as there is no competition in class A ball outside of NC. Too bad they are both in the west -- at least we would see a competitive state final. As it stands BG will probably play a grade school skill level team in the class A state final like they did last year. That game was the worst state championship game anyone can ever remember seeing.

In AA MC and SH will roll till they hit Villa -- the only legit team in West AA. Then its lights out. WPIAL should present no problem for these teams.

AAA and AAAA have little chance to advance beyond first round. Forest Hills has a slight chance...slight.

[WPIAL~Titan]

Let's be brutally honest about girls' class A hoops:

The quality of girls' class A hoops is awful STATEWIDE. What do you think Mount Lebanon, New Castle, or Hopewell would do to BG?

Boys' D6 hoops is beyond awful...Always has been, always will be. Sure, you get an occasional State College, Altoona, or Johnstown team who's competitive, but that's it.

End of discussion.

[zonebreaker]

pittfan, what is a AAAA power supposed to do to a A power?

The quality of girls' class A hoops is awful STATEWIDE. What do you think Mount Lebanon, New Castle, or Hopewell would do to BG?

I haven't seen the 3 teams you mentioned but know Indiana is a top 3 wpial AAA team, a step below the other AAA teams you mentioned. i'd take bg over indiana and i think most people would as well. i don't think the new castle-bg or hopewell-bg games would be that bad considering indiana has shot against them. now mount lebanon is on a different level, which they should be, being one of the top AAAA teams in the state.

In prior years, BG has had big wins against Altoona when they were very good (people forget that they were top 4 just several years ago. wpial used to have some very good small school teams (monessean (allen), serra, etc) but quality has dropped off in that district. i actually think that the difference in girls bball between top class and bottom class is closer than most other sports. this is because in girls bball you only need a few players to be great. when you consider how small private schools can accomplish this, it isn't surprising that there are some very good small school girls basketball teams. you see the same trend in AA. small schools but able to beat up on bigger competition. villa maria is one of the best teams in any classification. other aa powers are out there as well. westmont never won a state title in AA but beat up on wpial larger class competition.

[ladyhoopsters2007]

Can't compare BG with the top teams of the past. There is no comparison. This year they are the top A team in a very down year for talent. This may be the worst it has ever been on the girls side. Indiana is no power. A good team but not overpowering. WPIAL hoops is BAD at every level except for a few teams. Wait till the tiurnament starts to see what happens to their A and AA teams. As far as beating Altoona is concerned, heck Mccort beat them 2 years in a row before this year.

What's impressive is when a small public school (A or AA) can put together a group to contend on a statewide basis. Northern Cambria a couple years ago was good example but the best all time was probably Westmont back about 4-5 years. Unlike NC who played nobody, Westmont had loads of talent in talent laden years for girls hoops, beat up on some big schools and played the best teams that would play them. BG would not have competed with that team. But then we are comaring apples to oranges aren't we. So here's to BG winning it all and representing D6 well in the state tournament.

[DoCoogie]

Don't forget Sam Pollino-led Conemaugh Valley. WH, NC and CV all represented D6 well in their respective title games. WH losing to YC after leading 34-15 is still sickening to think about. This motivates me to see how Duquesne is doing with Pollino and Britcher.