The Dribbler hopes to not be hungover this weekend, and it has nothing to do with consuming too many beverages.
Have you heard of the “championship hangover?” It’s when a team experiences the high of winning a district championship and then is sluggish in its first game in the state tournament.
The Dribbler gets it. Something similar afflicted him about a decade ago. After correctly picking all the winners of the WPIAL championship games, he went out the following week and served his readers a goose egg. That’s right, he didn’t even pick one game right.
That explains why The Dribbler is slightly concerned about how this weekend might turn out, not only for him, but for all of the WPIAL champions. The Dribbler went a solid 7-2 in his championship picks last week. Chances are he will be on top of his game this week, but no matter how much water he drinks or how much greasy food he eats, a hangover is always a possibility.
The Dribbler’s championship effort improved his season record to 67-27 (.712).
Here are his thoughts on this weekend’s top PIAA first-round games:
Boys
Hampton vs. Mars, 6 p.m. Friday at North Allegheny — If the WPIAL held a 3-point shooting contest, who would win? The Dribbler might put his money on Hampton’s Antonio Ionadi. Getting the ball to this A.I. is the perfect answer when Hampton needs a big bucket. He has helped the Talbots win two of three against rival Mars this season. Ionadi will get his points in this one, but Mars will even the season series behind the play of its star guard, Robby Carmody. Winner: Mars.
Allderdice vs. North Hills, 4 p.m. Saturday at Obama — The Dice just never stops rolling. Five starters graduate from a team that went to the state final? No big deal. This is a scrappy group, definitely not the Dunk City crew of the past few years. Few expected the Dragons to win another City League title and make it back to the PIAA playoffs. However, this is a game where Allderdice’s youth will be exposed. Nick Smith and his fellow seniors move on. Winner: North Hills.
Pine-Richland vs. Latrobe, 6 p.m. Saturday at Baldwin — The previous time these teams met, Pine-Richland slipped past Latrobe by two points in last year’s WPIAL semifinals. Pine-Richland’s Andrew Kristofic, then a freshman, scored the winning points off a tip-in and free throw in the closing seconds of the second overtime. Latrobe’s Austin Butler might score 35 points, but WPIAL 6A champion Pine-Richland is like butter right now … it’s on a roll. Winner: Pine-Richland.
Beaver Falls vs. Martinsburg Central, 5:30 p.m Saturday at Hollidaysburg — Can the vaunted Beaver Falls defense keep Martinsburg Central’s star running back in check? Wait, wrong sport. These schools played in the PIAA 2A football semifinals in the fall. Beaver Falls edged the Dragons, 14-7, before going on to win the title in Hershey. Speaking of sweets, this is “Sweet 16” for Beaver Falls, which is making its 16th consecutive PIAA playoff appearance. Winner: Beaver Falls.
Girls
Bethel Park vs. Penn Hills, 7:30 p.m. Friday at North Allegheny — Like the Hampton-Mars boys game, this is a rematch of a WPIAL 6A semifinal played just 10 days ago. It was another stop on Bethel Park’s upset tour. After upsetting No. 2 Pine-Richland in the quarterfinals, No. 7 Bethel Park stunned No. 3 Penn Hills to reach the championship game. Bethel Park’s defense gave Penn Hills fits that game. That defense will be the difference yet again. Winner: Bethel Park.
South Park vs. Villa Maria, 6 p.m. Friday at Edinboro University — When South Park and Villa Maria last met, a berth in the PIAA 3A championship was on the line. That was just last season, a game in which Villa Maria, a powerhouse out of District 10, handed South Park a 19-point loss. Villa Maria is awfully tough to score on — it held Mercyhurst Prep to 24 points in the district championship. The Victors will grab another, umm, victory. Winner: Villa Maria.
Obama Academy vs. South Fayette, 4 p.m. Saturday at Allderdice — Obama has not won a PIAA playoff game since, well, it never has. This is a veteran team, though, one that has won four consecutive City League titles and features Cincinnati recruit Michaela Porter. The Eagles lost in the first round of the PIAA tournament each of the past three seasons. South Fayette might have lost in the WPIAL 5A quarterfinals, but this is still a very good team. Winner: South Fayette.
East Allegheny vs. Tyrone, 4 p.m. Saturday at Altoona — East Allegheny is in a position it hasn’t been in all season. The Wildcats are coming off a loss. A perfect season ended their previous time out when they were ousted from the WPIAL 3A semifinals by one point against Neshannock. Instead of playing for a championship and staying close to home for a first-round PIAA game, the Wildcats must make a two-hour drive to try to get their mojo back. Winner: East Allegheny.
First Published: March 10, 2017, 5:00 a.m.