Fort Cherry hasn’t been to the WPIAL Basketball Final since shortly after John F. Kennedy was inaugurated. That changes Saturday when the Rangers travel to the Petersen Events Center to face defending WPIAL/PIAA champion Our Lady of the Sacred Heart with the Class 2A title on the line. To make that happen, Ft. Cherry downed Section 2 foe Carlynton for the second time in less than a month, beating the Cougars, 46-36, the widest margin in the teams’ three meetings this year.
Sophomore Derek Erret, who averages 4.1 points a game, led the way with 16 as Carlynton locked down Fort Cherry’s leading scorers. Owen Norman (18.8 ave.) was held to 14, Dylan Rogers (16.8) managed 10 while Maddox Truschel (10.1) was shutout. Coach Eugene Briggs challenged Erret to take advantage of the situation, and the 5-9 point guard did just that, including hit four straight free throws down the stretch. The Rangers’ defense held the Cougars off the board over the final 2:45 of the game to seal the win, Fort Cherry’s 14th straight, clinching a spot in the WPIAL Final for the first time in 61 years. The Rangers had already clinched a spot in the PIAA playoffs but will now host a first-round game on Wednesday.
Wash High boys, Waynesburg and West Greene girls are also in the PIAA playoffs but will open on the road. The two remaining bubble teams from Washington County await WPIAL championship games in their classifications to see if their seasons are extended. The Burgettstown girls qualify if #2 Neshannock beats #1 OLSH Friday afternoon in the WPIAL 2A title game. The Trinity girls get a spot if #2 South Fayette tops three-time defending WPIAL champion Chartiers Valley in Saturday evening’s WPIAL 5A final. We’ll have three WPIAL championship games on WJPA-FM (95.3) over the weekend. Click for WPIAL brackets.
WPIAL Basketball Championships — WJPA-FM (95.3) or Listen Here
Friday, Mar. 4
6:45 pm 6A Girls #1 Mt. Lebanon vs. #3 Upper St. Clair S
Saturday, Mar. 5
12:45 pm 2A Boys #2 Fort Cherry vs. #1 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
4:45 pm 5A Girls #1 Chartiers Valley vs. #2 South Fayette