And then there were 2 Red Raiders, Fillies last ones standing as PIAA tourney hits second round
Uniontown came into the season with high expectations so it’s not a surprise that coach Rob Kezmarsky’s squad is the sole area boys basketball team still alive as the second round of the PIAA tournament looms.
Laurel Highlands, on the other hand, would’ve been a long shot had one posted odds on which girls basketball team would be the last one standing among local teams. Yet that’s exactly the position coach Stewart Davis’ squad is in.
The Red Raiders and Fillies are the last two standing but both face stiff challenges as they seek to reach the Class AAAA state quarterfinals.
Uniontown (23-4) will face Lincoln Park (24-3), the same team that defeated it last year in the PIAA semifinals, 85-64, and this year in the WPIAL semifinals, 74-63.
The two will meet at Canon-McMillan High School tonight at 7. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals on Friday.
The second meeting was much closer than the final score indicated and Kezmarsky is confident his team can play another strong game against the Leopards, who are the defending state champions.
“Our goal isn’t to just be one game from Hershey,” Kezmarsky said. “We’re playing Lincoln Park and we’re excited for the opportunity. You don’t get many chances in life to repeat a game we felt we had a chance to win. We’re not the only ones that thought the game should’ve been at The Pete.”
The Red Raiders were seeded fourth in the WPIAL playoffs where a No. 3 seed would’ve meant they wouldn’t have faced a possible meeting with Lincoln Park until the district final at the Petersen Events Center.
“That last Lincoln Park game sat with us. Our kids cried, we hurt. I want it for these players as bad as they do. We know what we want to do.”
Kezmarsky expects a large crowd to back his team.
“I think the whole community is going,” Kezmarsky said.
The Red Raiders rolled past visiting Grove City, 67-33, in the first round of the state playoffs on Friday while the Leopards beat Montour, 73-56.
A day later, on Saturday afternoon, Laurel Highlands (21-4) recorded its program’s first ever PIAA win, knocking off host Greater Johnstown, the District 6 champion, 51-48, in a gutsy performance.
Next up for the Fillies, who were 1-19 two years ago before Davis took over, is District 10 champion Fairview (21-5) on Wednesday at North Allegheny High School. Tip-off is slated for 6:30 p.m.
Davis acknowledged after Saturday’s win that he expects a low-scoring game against the Lady Tigers, who eliminated Knoch, 33-26, in the first round.
“I haven’t watched film on them yet but if you look at their scores and the points they’ve allowed you know they have to play great defense,” Davis said. “I’m going to check them out, see what they have as far as personnel and see what they run and we’ll try to counter it.”
The winner will move on to the quarterfinals on Saturday.