Funny how sometimes the WPIAL respects the record – and sometimes it does not.
A year ago, during the WPIAL basketball pairings meeting when Sewickley Academy, who at 21-1 was seeded No. 1 over eventual champion Monessen, Executive Director Tim O'Malley said that you had to respect the record of SA when explaining the Greyhounds getting the No. 2 seed, even though Monessen's record was built against a lot of AAAA and AAA teams.
This year, going into the WPIAL pairings meeting in Green Tree, Big 10 Conference Belle Vernon Area (9-0) is the only undefeated team in Class AAA and has its top-ranked scoring defense (6.3 ppg).
Yet, the No. 1 seed in AAA did not go to the team with the best record. Instead, it went to defending champion Central Valley (8-1), the champions of the Parkway Conference.
As the second seed, BVA drew the wild card team in the playoffs, Chartiers Valley (4-5), the sixth-place team from the Parkway.
The entire scenario played out like BVA coach Matt Humbert envisioned.
“It's pretty much how I had it worked out and I thought we'd get Char Valley,” Humbert said.
As for being No. 2, Humbert just shrugged.
“I'm not disappointed at all,” he said. “I'm sure the kids want to be No. 1, but you can't waste time fretting over stuff like that. There is nothing to gain from it.”
Humbert said he doesn't know a great deal about Chartiers Valley, other than they have a talented quarterback. But he added, “I'm sure I'll know a lot more tonight (after watching tape).”
Humbert added that it was nice to walk into the meeting expecting to be one of the top seeds, and not as expected playoff fodder like in past years.
“I'm happy for the kids and the community,” he said. “It certainly made the drive down here a little easier.”
Ringgold No. 5 in AAA
Ringgold (8-1), the runner-up in the Big 10, got the No. 5 seed and a game against Ambridge (6-3), the third-place team from the Greater Allegheny Conference.
“I'm satisfied,” Ringgold coach Nick Milchovich said. “I expected us to be somewhere around No. 5 and Ambridge is one of the three teams I expected us to get.
“We're excited. This is why you practice and bust your tail all summer and all season long,” he said. “Like I told my kids, all the work you did, your reward is to be 0-0 like everyone else. We just want to get to work.”
Last year, Ringgold went into the playoffs 8-1 and reached the semifinals, losing to Central Valley, 41-13.
Milchovich feels his team knows what to expect this year.
“We think we can play with anybody and we're looking forward to the opportunity to prove it,” he said.
The top four seeds in AAA are Central Valley, BVA, West Allegheny and Mars.
Frazier gets rematch
In Class A, Frazier (9-0) is seeded fourth and earned a rematch of last year's playoff meeting against South Side Beaver (6-3), the third-place team from the Big Seven Conference.
“They were one of the teams I had figured,” said Frazier coach Mike Steeber. “I'm comfortable with where we are.
“It's nice to play a team you are familiar with,” Steeber said of SSB. “They have pretty much the same coaches, but they don't have (running back) Nathan Block, who had over 1,600 yards last year. I'm glad he's gone.”
Bentworth (6-3), in the playoffs for the first time in a decade, drew No. 6 seed Neshannock (8-1), the runner-up from the Big Seven.
The Bearcats will be carrying a two-game losing streak into the playoffs, but more important have given up 120 points the last two weeks after giving up just 97 the first six games.
The top four seeds in Class A are Clairton, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, Jeannette and Frazier.
Jeff Oliver is a sports editor for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-684-2666 or joliver@tribweb.com.
