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WPIAL rules: LH vs. Gateway PIAA clash headlines all District 7 final four

By Rob Burchianti rburchianti@heraldstandard.Com 4 min read
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It’s not the WPIAL playoffs. It just certainly looks that way.

Undefeated Laurel Highlands is one of four teams that will vie for two spots in the PIAA semifinals in two games at Robert Morris University’s UMPC Events Center tonight.

New Castle goes up against Penn Hills at 6 p.m. followed by the Mustangs against Gateway at 8 p.m.

Teams from seven different districts were involved in the west side of the bracket when the state tournament began but only one remains now.

District 7, also known at the WPIAL.

Laurel Highlands is the WPIAL champion, New Castle was the runner-up, Penn Hills fell to Highlands in the quarterfinals and Gateway lost to New Castle in the semifinals.

The Mustangs (27-0) are actually coming a win over yet another WPIAL team as it edged Highlands in overtime, 71-66, in a second-round game at Norwin on Friday. Rodney Gallagher led LH with a game-high 30 points.

“It says a little bit about the relative strength of the WPIAL in 5A this year,” LH coach Rick Hauger said. “In the preseason most felt there were anywhere between five and seven teams that could potentially win the WPIAL championship. So here you are with all these teams from the WPIAL.

“That doesn’t surprise me. I knew our league was strong this year. It seems to me that’s what it’s proven out to be.”

New Castle (25-2) has triumphed over District 3’s Northeastern, 63-50, and District 6 champion Central Mountain, 85-34, to get to the state quarterfinals. Penn Hill (20-5) advanced with a 62-39 win over previously unbeaten District 3 champion Lampeter Strasburg and a 55-44 victory over District 11 runner-up East Stroudsburg South.

Laurel Highlands knocked off District 3’s Elizabethtown in the first round of the PIAA playoffs, 55-33, while Gateway (17-6) beat District 9 champion DuBois, 58-32.

Like the Mustangs, the Gators had to put in some extra work to advance out of the second round as they nipped District 3’s Hershey, 62-59 in overtime.

Hauger expects another strong challenge against Gateway.

“They’re a very good team,” Hauger said. “They have a 6-7 kid (senior Ryan Greggorson) that looks like a pretty nice player, and a 6-3 kid (senior Will Kromka) who works inside and out and their point guard (junior Jaydon Carr) is really quick. The other guys are probably in the 5-10 to 6-foot range and have good speed and quickness and handle the ball.

“They use a lot of dribble-drive. They run some sets. Most of it goes through No. 23 (Kromka) and No. 1 (Carr).”

Other key players for coach Alvis Rogers’ Gators are sophomores Bryson Pavlik and Taili Thompson.

“So far they’ve been predominately man-to-man but you have to be ready for anything, although I would think they would stick with what’s gotten them this far,” Hauger said. “We prepare for multiple defenses so we’ll see how that works.”

Laurel Highlands’ expected starting lineup includes junior stars Gallagher, Brandon Davis and Keondre DeShields along with seniors Joe Chambers and Nico Johns. Key players off the bench are Jayden Pratt, Tahji Hooper and AJ Sumpter.

While Gallagher, Davis and DeShields have proven to be dangerous offensive weapons from anywhere on the court — all three were among the WPIAL scoring leaders — the trio’s long-range shooting hasn’t been as effective lately as it was for most of the regular season.

“It’s definitely a concern,” Hauger said. “We have to take good shots, not settle for the quickest look and try to make it the best shot we can. But we haven’t been shooting the three-ball real well lately.

“Hopefully that will change because we’re going to need to hit some threes. Teams have been doing a better job at the three-point area than we have and we need our fortunes to change in that aspect of the game.”

Hauger is satisfied with the chosen site for tonight’s games.

“We probably have the farthest travel, but it’s obviously a top-notch facility,” Hauger said. “We’ll be playing on a nice Division-1 floor.”

Tonight’s winners will meet at a site and time to be determined on Friday with a spot in the PIAA final on the line.

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