5 Somerset County basketball teams continue pursuit of PIAA's ultimate prize
Five Somerset County teams punched tickets to the PIAA basketball playoffs. First-round action is set for Friday and Saturday.
Here is a look at the matchups for all five Somerset County squads.
PIAA basketball first round
Class 1A
Boys
Berlin Brothersvalley (24-2) vs. Conemaugh Valley (20-5)
7:30 p.m. Friday at Pitt-Johnstown
About the Mountaineers: Berlin trounced Turkeyfoot Valley 81-43 to earn its fifth straight District 5 championship. The Mountaineers finished PIAA Class 1A runner-up last season, falling to Imani Christian. Senior Pace Prosser surpassed 2,000 career points this season while fellow senior Craig Jarvis eclipsed 1,500 points. First-year starters Haydon Hutzell and Mac Foor have made significant contributions as well.
5 in a row Berlin captures 5th straight District 5-1A title with commanding win over Turkeyfoot
About the Blue Jays: Conemaugh Valley bested Bishop McCort 69-60 in the District 6 consolation game. Junior Jeremy Dietz (484) and senior Landon Percinsky (443) lead the team in points. The Blue Jays are balanced behind those two in scoring.
Turkeyfoot Valley (19-6) vs. Union Area (15-11)
6 p.m. Friday at Pitt-Johnstown
About the Rams: Turkeyfoot suffered an 81-43 setback to Berlin in the District 5 title game. The Rams are ahead of schedule with only one senior on the roster and the majority of the production coming from juniors. Turkeyfoot is led by Bryce Nicholson, who surpassed 1,000 points this season. Zack Ryan, Daniel Younkin and Colt Rugg have solidified the lineup.
About the Scotties: After falling to Imani Christian in the semifinals, Union bounced back with a 62-59 win over Rochester to finish as the District 7 No. 3 seed. The Scotties go behind 6-foot-2 junior Lucas Stanley, who has netted 541 points. Braylon Thomas (377 points) is another player to watch.
Class 1A
Girls
Berlin Brothersvalley (21-5) vs. Clarion Area (15-12)
4 p.m. Saturday at Pitt-Johnstown
About the Mountaineers: Berlin blistered Northern Bedford County 51-18 to earn its second straight District 5 title. Seniors Regan Lauer and Taylor Hillegass along with freshman Coral Prosser have been the catalysts this season. However, it can be a different person on any given night for coach Rachel Prosser's Mountaineers. Senior Ashley Brant and sophomore Mercy Sechler each play stout defense and deliver offensively. Elsie Barna, Elena Ritchey and Lexi Foor are talented role players off the bench.
Back-to-back Berlin Brothersvalley wins 2nd straight District 5-1A championship in convincing fashion
About the Bobcats: Clarion dropped a 39-28 setback to Dubois Central Catholic in the District 9 consolation game. Taylor Alston, a 5-foot-8 senior, leads the way for Clarion. Marley Kline is another offensive threat for the Bobcats.
Class 2A
Boys
Conemaugh Township (21-5) vs. Bishop Canevin (15-11)
4 p.m. Saturday at Conemaugh Township High School
About Conemaugh Township: Conemaugh Township rallied for a thrilling 37-35 victory over rival Windber in the District 5 championship game. Lone senior Jon Updyke paces the team with 526 points. Sophomores Colin Dinyar (404 points) and Ethan Matera (306) have stepped into starting roles and excelled. Fellow sophomores Brennan Lohr and Stephen Stango round out the starting five which played every minute of the game against Windber. Lacking depth, Conemaugh Township will have to get the most out of its starters throughout the postseason.
Thriller Conemaugh Township earns 4th straight D5-2A title with come-from-behind win over Windber
About the Crusaders: Bishop Canevin bested Jeannette 52-46 to secure the No. 5 seed out of District 7. Freshman Jackson Maddix is having a breakout season. He tallied 20 points in the win over Jeannette. Sophomore Drew Allen also delivered 20 points. Michael Vaughn is the only senior who sees significant time, much like Updyke for Conemaugh Township.
Windber (15-9) vs. Greensburg Central Catholic (23-3)
2 p.m. Saturday at Greensburg Central Catholic High School
About the Ramblers: Windber was the hottest team in the district playoffs after upsets of North Star and top-seeded McConnellsburg. The Ramblers had second-seeded Conemaugh Township on the ropes but dropped a heartbreaker 37-35. Junior Grady Klosky leads the way, but coach Steve Slatcoff is receiving production from all five starters, including Evan Brady, Tanner Barkley, Andrew Scalia and Logan Serenko. Slatcoff relies heavily on those five guys due to a lack of bench scoring.
About the Centurions: Greensburg Central Catholic was boat raced 69-32 by Aliquippa in the District 7 title game. Senior Tyree Turner makes the engine go for the Centurions. Franco Alvarez, a 6-foot-5 senior, along with 6-foot-4 junior Brady O'Rourke will be tough matchups for the Ramblers. Greensburg Central Catholic won 14 straight before falling to Aliquippa.
Adam Ripple is the Daily American sports editor. He can be reached at 814-444-5926. Follow him on X (Twitter) @ARipple_DAsport. Follow Daily American Sports on Facebook and @dailyamericanmedia on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: 5 Somerset County basketball teams continue quests for PIAA gold
