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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Three teams from District 9 or District 10 are playing in the PIAA softball semifinals Monday, and D9and10Sports.com was curious as to how the two districts have faired in PIAA semifinal action.
With two District 9 teams qualifying for the semifinals – DuBois Central Catholic (1A vs. West Greene, noon at Slippery Rock University) and Punxsutawney (3A vs. Mt. Pleasant, 1 p.m. at St. Francis University) – it will mark the 17th and 18th semifinal-game appearances for District 9 squads. D9 teams are 8-8 in semifinal appearances.
With Union City qualifying in Class 2A (vs. Ligonier Valley, 2:30 p.m. at Slippery Rock University), it marks the 38th semifinal appearance for a District 10 squad. District 10 teams are 17-20 in semifinal appearance with one of those years – 1991 Class 2A – featuring a pair of D10 teams squaring off with Iroquois beating Fort LeBoeuf, 3-2, on its way to the state title.
District 9’s success in reaching the semifinals has been recent success with all but one of the 18 appearances happening since 2004 and 10 happening since 2011.
This marks the second consecutive season and the third time in five seasons District 9 has put at least two teams into the semifinals.
In 2019, the last time there was a season, District 9 had three squads make the semifinals with DCC winning in 1A and Cranberry (2A) and Clearfield (3A) both coming up short.
In 2016, Moniteau advanced to the title game in 2A with DCC falling short in Class 1A.
District 10, on the other hand, saw a lot of its success prior to the PIAA expanding to three classifications in 1999.
Twenty-two of the 38 semifinal appearances came between 1981 and 1996.
Since the expansion to four classifications in 2005 (in 2017 it went to six classifications), DIstrict 10 had 12 teams advance to the PIAA semifinals. Union City is the first team to do so since Cochranton and Cambridge Springs both lost in 2015, and the Lady Bears are just the fourth D10 softball team to make the PIAA semifinals since 2011 and are looking to become the first D10 team to advance to the PIAA title game since Fort LeBoeuf in 2013.
Of the 17 wins by District 10 teams in PIAA semifinal appearances, nine came prior to 1990.
In case anyone is interested, District 9 and District 10 teams have met in the semifinals five times with District 9 teams winning in 2015 (Elk County Catholic 2-1 over Cochranton in Class 1A), 2007 (Curwensville 4-0 over Cambridge Springs in Class 1A), and 2006 (Punxsutawney 10-0 over Corry in 5 innings in Class 3A), while District 10 teams victories came in 2006 (Iroquois 1-0 over Smethport in Class 1A) and 1988 (Linesville 1-0 over Brockway in Class 2A).
Iroquois and Harbor Creek are the standard-bearer for both Districts in reaching the semifinals having each done so eight times.
Iroquois is 6-2 with its wins coming in 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1991, and 2006, and its losses coming in 1990 and 2008, while Harbor Creek is 5-3 with wins in 1981, 1985, 1991, 1993, and 2006, and losses in 1983, 1984, and 1990.
Corry has made five appearances going 1-4 with the win coming in 1996 and losses in 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2007.
Northwestern (1-3), Cambridge Springs (0-3), and Linesville (1-1) are the only other D10 teams to make multiple appearances.
In District 9, DCC has made the most appearances with Monday’s game being the Lady Cardinals’ fourth trip to the semifinals, all against Monday’s opponent West Greene. DCC is 1-2 having won in 2019 and losing in 2016 and 2017.
Punxsutawney is making its third trip to the semifinals having won its first two in 2006 and 2018.
Curwensville is also 2-0 in PIAA semifinal appearances winning in both 2007 and 2009 on its way to state titles.
Smethport is the only other D9 team to make multiple appearances losing in 2004 and 2006 (to Iroquois).
Between District 9 and District 10 there are eight PIAA titles, four from each district.
District 9 has won the last four titles with Punxsutawney taking home the 4A title in 2018, Elk County Catholic the 1A title in 2015, and Curwensville the 1A titles in 2007 and 2009.
Harbor Creek won the 2006 title in Class 2A and Iroquois won 2A titles in 1982, 1983, and 1991.
HISTORY OF DISTRICT 9 AND DISTRICT 10 IN PIAA SEMIFINALS
DISTRICT 9
2019
1A: DuBois Central Catholic 3, West Greene 2
2A: Frazier 5, Cranberry 4
3A: Bald Eagle Area 1, Clearfield 0
2018
4A: Punxsutawney 3, Mt. Pleasant 1 (Punxsutawney won the PIAA title)
2017
1A: West Greene 9, DuBois Central Catholic 5
2016
1A: West Greene 5, DuBois Central Catholic 2
2A: Moniteau 3, South Park 0
2015
1A: Elk County Catholic 2, Cochranton 1 (ECC won the PIAA title)
2014
1A: Souderton 2, DuBois 0
2011
1A: Clarion 3, Charities-Houston 2
2009
1A: Curwensville 4, Vincentian 0 (Curwensville won the PIAA title)
2007
1A: Curwensville 4, Cambridge Springs 0 (Curwensville won the PIAA title)
2006
1A: Iroquois 1, Smethport 0
3A: Punxsutawney 10, Corry 0, 5 innings
2004
1A: Sto-Rox 8, Smethport 0
1988
2A: Linesville 1, Brockway 0
DISTRICT 10
2015
1A: Elk County Catholic 2, Cochranton 1
2A: Deer Lakes 4, Cambridge Springs 3, 8 innings
2013
3A: Fort LeBoeuf 4, Ambridge 1
2010
2A: Philipsburg Osceola 10, Wilmington 0
2008
2A: Bald Eagle Area 4, Iroquois 1
2007
1A: Curwensville 4, Cambridge Springs 0
3A: Susquehannock 3, Corry 0
2006
1A: Iroquois 1, Smethport 0
2A: Harbor Creek 5, Sto-Rox 0 (Harbor Creek won the PIAA title)
3A: Punxsutawney 10, Corry 0, 5 innings
2005
3A: Ambridge 3, Corry 1
2004
2A: Bald Eagle Area 5, Northwestern 4
2003
2A: Center 2, Corry 0
2002
2A: Bellefonte 4, Northwestern 1
2000
3A: Warren 5, North Hills 0
1996
2A: Riverside 4, Northwestern 0
3A: Corry 2, Allederice 0
1994
2A: Riverside 10, Cambridge Springs 0, 5 innings
3A: Titusville 3, Philipsburg-Osceola 1
1993
3A: Harbor Creek 2, Philipsburg-Osceola 1
1991
2A: Iroquois 3, Fort LeBoeuf 2 (Iroquois won the PIAA title)
3A: Harbor Creek 3, Baldwin 2
1990
2A: Canevin 2, Iroquois 1
3A: Baldwin 7, Harbor Creek 6
1989
2A: Sto-Rox 6, Conneaut Lake 4
1988
2A: Linesville 1, Brockway 0
1987
2A: Chartiers-Houston 6, Linesville 2
3A: Bethel Park 2, Villa Maria 1
1986
2A: Northwestern 2, Sto-Rox 0
1985
3A: Harbor Creek 1, Baldwin 0
1984
2A: Iroquois 8, Turtle Creek 4
3A: State College 5, Harbor Creek 3
1983
2A: Iroquois 6, Seton LaSalle 3 (Iroquois won the PIAA title)
3A: State College 3, Harbor Creek 1
1982
2A: Iroquois 10, Swissvale 0 (Iroquois won the PIAA title)
1981
2A: Iroquois beat Swissvale (No score available)
3A: Harbor Creek beat North Hills (No score available)