After his fearless (and much maligned) forecasts of the quarterfinal games, our very own Chris Rossetti takes a stab at who will win Monday’s and Tuesday’s semifinal games.
Chris was 7-1 in the last round by sheer luck alone as it is just purely a guess at this time of year.
Two games are set for Monday with Kennedy Catholic taking on Greensburg Central Catholic in Class 2A girls and Mercyhurst Prep battling Westmont Hilltop in Class 3A girls.
Two games are also on tap for Tuesday with Catheral Prep taking on McKeesport in Class 5A girls and an all-D10 matchup in Class 3A boys with Girard battling Franklin.
CLASS 2A GIRLS: Kennedy Catholic vs. Greensburg Central Catholic, 6 p.m. at North Allegheny High School
This is a rematch of last year’s game won by Kennedy Catholic by 12 on its way to the PIAA championship.
The Golden Eagles are rolling right now coming off a Mercy Rule victory over a tough Bishop McCort squad.
GCC also Mercy Ruled its way to the semifinals with a win over Everett.
The Centurions have been talking about wanting this rematch for a year.
They should wonder what they were wishing for. All that talk is going to make Kennedy Catholic super focused. A super-focused Golden Eagle squad is tough to beat
Predicition: Kennedy Catholic 62, Greensburg Central Catholic 46
CLASS 3A GIRLS: Mercyhurst Prep vs. Westmont Hilltop, 7 p.m. at PennWest Clarion’s Tippin Gym
The Lakers surprised our fearless prognostacator with a quick start against Avonworth leading to his only wrong pick in the quarterfinals.
Olivia Kulyk has been a beast, and its hard to pick against her and and the rest of this squad looking for its first PIAA title-game appearance since 2011.
But District 6 girls’ basketball has been dominate this season. Westmont Hilltop has just four losses, three ot the same team – Forest Hills. Forest Hills, though, lost to Avonworth in the second round. The same Avonworth that Mercyhurst Prep beat in the quarterfinals.
Is that enough to propel the Lakers to victory? They will need another quick start, but it looks like the eastern Erie school is headed to Hershey in a close one.
Predicition: Mercyhurst Prep 48, Westmont Hilltop 44
CLASS 5A GIRLS: Cathedral Prep vs. McKeesport, 6 p.m. at Morrow Field House, Slippery Rock University
Cathedral Prep has gotten defense in the postseason. As in other teams are finding it hard to score on the Ramblers.
McKeesport is sort of a Cinderall story. Its coach quit midseason. It lost in the WPIAL semifinals before knocking off Oakland Catholic in the third-place games.
The Tigers have an Edinboro recruit in Rachael Manfredo, who has led the way.
The thing is, Cathedral Prep has a pair of D1 recruits in Jayden McBride (Georgetown) and Lena Walz (St. Bonaventure).
The betting man always goes with D1 athletes over D2 athletes.
Predicition: Cathedral Prep 41, McKeesport 29
CLASS 3A BOYS: Girard vs. Franklin, 7 p.m. PennWest Edinboro’s McComb Fieldhouse
This is a rematch of the District 10 title game won by Girard, 60-50.
That kept Franklin from its fourth straight D10 title.
It also helped refocus the Knights who have looked a like a machine throughout the PIAA playoffs.
Girard has been tested a bit more than Franklin in the postseason, but is that enought to get the Yellow Jackets to Hershey?
This is going to be a dandy, one that is talked about for years to come in District 10.
But in the end, Franklin is headed back to Hershey for the first time under Jason Fulmer.
Predicition: Franklin 58, Girard 57, overtime
