Class 6A Quarterfinal

#8 Norwin (14-8) vs. #1 New Castle (20-2) Friday, Feb 24 7 p.m. at New Castle

About the Matchup: The Knights tied for third with Baldwin in Section 2. Norwin opened the season with six straight wins, and concluded the regular campaign with three consecutive victories. Knights’ senior Adam Bilinsky recently reached the 1,000-point milestone. The Red Hurricane claimed the title in Section 1, and ended the regular season on a nine-game winning surge.

Up Next: The winner moves on to the semifinals on Tuesday, Feb. 28 to play either fourth-seeded Mount Lebanon or #5 Butler Area.

Class 5A First Round

#14 Kiski Area (11-11) vs. #3 North Hills (17-5) Friday, Feb. 17 8 p.m. at North Hills

About the Matchup: The Cavaliers took third place in Section 3. Head coach Corey Smith has guided Kiski Area to the postseason in each of his first two seasons. The Indians finished in first from Section 4 and boast the second-best scoring offense in Class 5A, averaging 70.8 points per game.

Up Next: The victorious team advances to the quarterfinals on Wednesday, Feb. 22 against either sixth seed Thomas Jefferson or #11 Fox Chapel Area.

Coach Interview: Corey Smith

#16 Penn-Trafford (7-15) vs. #1 Peters Township (19-3) Friday, Feb. 17 7 p.m. at Peters Township

About the Matchup: The Warriors bested Kiski Area 61-51 in the final game of the season to secure a playoff berth, finishing fourth in Section 3. At 53.0 points per game, Penn-Trafford has the lowest scoring average of 5A playoff squads. The Indians claimed the Section 1 title, notching 12 wins in a row to conclude the regular season.

Up Next: The winning squad will battle either #8 South Fayette or #9 Shaler Area in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

Class 4A First Round

#10 Belle Vernon Area (10-11) vs. #7 Quaker Valley (14-6) Monday, Feb. 20 7 p.m. at Quaker Valley

About the Matchup: The Leopards placed third in Section 3, but lost four of their last five tilts. BVA head coach Joe Salvino has surpassed 700 career wins. The Quakers shared the Section 4 title with South Allegheny. Quaker Valley head coach Mike Mastroianni has surpassed 550 career victories.

Up Next: The winner moves on to the quarterfinals on Thursday, Feb. 23 against either second-seeded Laurel Highlands or #15 Freeport Area.

Class 3A First Round

#7 Yough (15-7) vs. #10 Burrell (13-9) Monday, Feb. 20 7 p.m. at Yough

About the Matchup: The Cougars tied for first with Washington in Section 4, winning their final 10 contests of the regular-season slate. Yough also suffered through a five-game skid earlier this season. Yough’s Terek Crosby, a junior, reached the 1,000-point mark earlier this season. The Cougars have the best scoring defense in Class 3A. The Buccaneers placed third in Section 3. Burrell compiled a five-game winning streak earlier in the campaign.

Up Next: The team that advances to the quarterfinals on Thursday, Feb. 23 will square off against either second seed Neshannock or #15 Keystone Oaks.

Coach Interview: Jim Nesser

Coach Interview: Mike Fantuzzo

13 Derry Area (11-9) vs #4 Mohawk (19-3) Monday, Feb. 20 7 p.m. at Mohawk

About the Matchup: The Trojans placed fourth in Section 3. Derry Area posted a four-game winning surge before a loss to conclude the regular season. The Warriors tied with Neshannock atop Section 1. Mohawk compiled winning streaks of 10 and nine games, but dropped the last two games of the regular season.

Up Next: The winning team advances to the quarterfinals on Thursday, Feb. 23 against #5 Deer Lakes or #12 Ellwood City.

Coach Interview: Tom Esposito

Class 2A First Round

#4 Greensburg Central Catholic (15-5) vs. #13 Propel Braddock Hills (10-12) Tuesday, Feb. 21 6 p.m. at Penn-Trafford

About the Matchup: The Centurions were the champs of Section 3, winning the final eight games of the regular season. GCC outscores its opponents by an average of 11.5 points per contest. The Lions placed fourth in Section 2.

Up Next: The team that prevails will move on to the quarterfinals on Friday, Feb. 24 against either fifth-seeded Eden Christian Academy or #12 Burgettstown.

Coach Interview: Christian Hyland

#11 Jeannette (13-7) vs #6 Northgate (16-6) Tuesday, Feb. 21 7 p.m. at Northgate

About the Matchup: The Jayhawks finished third in Section 3. Earlier in the campaign, Jeannette claimed five straight wins. Allowing 49.3 points per game, Jeannette had the best scoring defense in its section. The Flames tied with Shenango for second in Section 1. At 68.5 points per contest, Northgate has the second-best offense in Class 2A.

Up Next: The winner moves on to the quarterfinals on Friday, Feb. 24 against the winner of #3 Fort Cherry and #14 Clairton.

Coach Interview: Adrian Batts

Class 1A First Round

#6 Monessen (20-2) vs. #11 Western Beaver (10-12) Friday, Feb. 17 7 p.m. at Monessen High School