BY CORY ISENBERG
Five area basketball squads remain in the hunt for a state basketball title when the PIAA playoffs continue this week.
The North Star girls and Conemaugh Valley boys play on Tuesday while the girls of Forest Hills, Conemaugh Valley and Northern Cambria are slated for Wednesday contests.
The District 5 champion Cougars, who came from behind to defeat Sto-Rox 42-37 in the first round, will face defending state champion Villa Maria Academy, the District 10 champs, in a Class AA contest at 6 p.m. at Butler High School. This game is a rematch from last season when the two squads met at Butler in the second round. The Victors won 60-24 against District 7-8 Bishop Canevin in the first round.
The District 6 champion Blue Jays will take on District 7-5 finisher Neshannock in a 7:30 Class A game at North Hills High School. Conemaugh Valley crushed District 10-2 Linesville 67-33 in the first round while the Lancers downed District 9 champ Dubois Central Catholic 63-50.
The Rangers, District 6 Class AAA champs, are hoping that their first-time foray into the PIAA playoffs continues and they hit the road for a 7 p.m. matchup at Chambersburg High School against District
3-2 West York. Forest Hills downed District 3-6 finisher Manheim Central 48-42 in the first round while the Bulldogs beat District 1-3 Mount St. Joseph 42-38.
The upstart Conemaugh Valley girls, the 6-3 seed, will stay relatively local with a 6 p.m. Class A clash against District 5 champ Tussey Mountain at Hollidaysburg High School.
The Blue Jays surprised District 7 runner-up North Catholic 54-49 while the Titans defeated a youthful 7-4 Monessen team, 60-43.
The Colts, the District 6-2 team, have become accustomed to bus rides to faraway places and will play District 11-2 Nativity BVM in a Class A game at 7 p.m. at Lewistown High School. The Colts handled District 3-3 Camp Hill
59-37 in the first round while the Golden Girls won 58-43 over District 4 champion Lourdes Regional.
Overall, in addition to the area teams, there are still eight other teams from districts 5 and 6 that will play in the second round including the boys from Tussey Mountain, Southern Fulton and Hollidaysburg along with the girls from Tussey Mountain, Bishop Guilfoyle, Marion Center, Southern Huntingdon and State College.
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Much ado: Just as I finished sending my second story Saturday evening from North Allegheny High School in Wexford, the fire alarm went off.
A janitor raced past me and I saw smoke in the hallway near to where I was working.
I immediately grabbed my gear and headed toward the nearest door.
Then, another man told me not to panic.
Apparently he and several of his cronies were trying out the fog machine for Sunday’s wrestling tournament Parade of Champions that was scheduled to be held.
He chuckled, saying at least they found out a day ahead with a lot fewer people in the building rather than when the gymnasium was filled with spectators.
I’m not sure the fire department would be very amused (that’s apparently where the janitor was sprinting to, to try to call off the alarm).
Cory Isenberg is a sports writer for The Tribune-Democrat
