Following a surprising WPIAL playoff run in which they advanced to the title game for the first time in 35 years, the Northgate Flames began Saturday what they hope will be a lengthy run in the PIAA tournament with a big win.
Stephen Goetz scored 31 points to lead WPIAL runner-up Northgate to its first PIAA playoff victory in 16 years courtesy of a 67-42 win against visiting McConnellsburg, the District 5 runner-up, in a Class 2A first-round game.
Northgate (20-7), which coming into this season had not won a postseason game in a decade, captured its first PIAA playoff win since 2007 and its seventh all time.
“I look at it as every time we step on the court, with the support we’re getting from the community, it’s awesome,” Northgate coach Cam Williams said.
Following a slow start in which Williams said his team did not score over the first four minutes of the game, the Flames got hot and eventually took a 42-15 halftime lead against a McConnellsburg team that finished the season with a 22-5 record.
Goetz nailed six 3-pointers for Northgate, while teammate Josh Williams added 22 points.
Next up for Northgate is District 10 champion Erie First Christian (15-10) Wednesday in the second round. Erie First Christian defeated Clairton, 57-37, Saturday. Northgate has advanced past the second round just one time. That came in 1978 when the Flames reached the Class 2A championship.
“They’re very excited,” Cam Williams said of his team. “The whole community is behind us. I think the kids are living in the moment right now.”
Other Class 2A boys
• WPIAL champion Aliquippa (21-6) jumped to a 23-point halftime lead and never looked back on its way to a 65-33 home win against District 9 third-place finisher Karns City (22-6). Qalil Goode paced Aliquippa with 18 points and D.J. Walker had 17.
• Shea Champine poured in 33 points to vault WPIAL fourth-place finisher Bishop Canevin (21-6) to a 70-67 triumph at District 9 winner Clarion-Limestone (25-3). Canevin led, 70-65, before Clarion-Limestone scored to cut its deficit to three with two seconds left. The Crusaders then inbounded and were able to run out the clock.
• Eden Christian (20-6), the WPIAL’s fifth-place team, won a PIAA playoff game for just the second time after winning at District 5 champion Conemaugh Township (19-8), 58-50. Ryan Merrick led Eden Christian with 17 points and David Ryan added 13.
• Isiah Petty scored 19 points and Owen Dumbroski added 17 to lead Serra Catholic (16-11), the No. 7 team from the WPIAL, to a 75-62 win against District 6 champion United (25-3) at Central Cambria. Serra also got 15 points from Joey DeMoss and 13 from Pete Burke.
Class 6A boys
• Isaiah Boice scored 19 points and Jonathan Anderson chipped in 18 to help WPIAL runner-up New Castle (23-3) rebound from its championship loss by defeating District 10 champion Erie (16-10), 60-50. The host Red Hurricanes also got 11 points from Da’Jaun Young and 10 from Ralphie Blundo.
Class 3A boys
• WPIAL runner-up and two-time defending PIAA champion Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (20-6) slipped past District 6 third-place finisher Westmont Hilltop (17-8), 71-69, in overtime at South Fayette. Rocco Coladonato (16), Bryson Kirschner (16), BJ Vaughn (14) and Lucca Grisafi (10) each scored in double figures for the Chargers, who have won 11 consecutive PIAA playoff games.
• Makhai Valentine poured in 42 points and became Steel Valley’s all-time leading scorer while propelling the WPIAL third-place Ironmen (16-10) to a 74-60 victory at District 5 champion Bedford (10-15). Valentine now has 1,751 career points.
• Neshannock (19-7), the WPIAL’s fourth-place finisher, rallied from 12 points down after three quarters to stun District 10 runner-up Oil City (19-7), 61-59. The visiting Lancers outscored Oil City, 26-13, in the final quarter. Jack Glies led Neshannock with 33 points. He connected on four 3-pointers and was 11 of 14 from the free-throw line.
• A week after winning its first WPIAL title, Deer Lakes (18-8) opened the state playoffs with a 75-34 home win against District 10 third-place finisher Seneca (13-13). Bryce Robson scored 24 points and Billy Schaeffer 17 for the Lancers, who led by 16 points after the first quarter.
• Clayton Cook drilled a 3-pointer at the overtime buzzer to give District 9 champion Brookville (23-2) a 46-43 win against Seton LaSalle (14-12). Brookville outscored Seton LaSalle, 5-2, in overtime. Connor Spratt paced the Rebels with 22 points.
Class 5A girls
• Maddie Webber (21 points) and Erica Hall (20 points) helped vault WPIAL champion South Fayette (25-2) to a 75-33 rout of visiting District 3 eight-place finisher West York (13-14). South Fayette outscored West York, 27-10, in the first quarter. Ava Leroux added 13 points for the Lions.
• Rachel Manfredo scored 16 of her 19 points in the second half to help McKeesport (22-5) rally for a 54-40 home win against District 3 fourth-place finisher Northern (21-5). Kaylee Charles pumped in 18 points for McKeesport, the No. 3 team out of the WPIAL which trailed Northern, 25-19, at the half.
• Hope Hawkins scored a game-high 16 points, including a bucket in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime, but WPIAL fourth-place finisher Woodland Hills (13-14) saw its season end after a 47-44 loss at District 3 third-place finisher Mechanicsburg (20-7).
• Mars (18-8), the No. 6 team out of the WPIAL, scored the first 13 points of the game before going on to defeat District 3 runner-up York Suburban (18-10), 49-40. The visiting Planets got 13 points from Vita Vargo and nine apiece from Olivia Donnelly and Lauren Atwell.
• WPIAL fifth-place finisher Trinity (18-8) saw its season come to a close after a 48-30 loss at District 10 champion Erie Cathedral Prep (22-1). Eden Williams scored a team-best 12 points for the Hillers, who trailed, 28-8, at the half.
Class 4A girls
• WPIAL champion North Catholic (23-3) scored 51 first-half points on its way to a 70-44 home win against District 10 fourth-place finisher Conneaut (15-11). Dacia Lewandowski (22), Alayna Rocco (21) and Anna Waskiewicz (15) all scored in double figures for North Catholic. Rocco knocked down five 3-pointers.
• Georgia Weber nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift District 10 runner-up Harbor Creek (20-6) to a 43-40 home triumph against WPIAL third-place finisher Quaker Valley (17-9). Freshman Mimi Thiero led Quaker Valley with 19 points and Nora Johns added 12.
• Blackhawk (22-4), the WPIAL runner-up, used a strong start to the second half to create some breathing room and went on to claim a 51-32 home win against District 10 third-place finisher Warren (18-8). Alena Fusetti scored 14 points and Cassie Potts and Aubree Hupp each added 10 for Blackhawk, which used a 6-0 run to start the third quarter to take a double-digit lead.
• Knoch (18-9), the WPIAL’s fifth-place team, handed District 9 champion Punxsutawney (22-2) just its second loss, 53-44. The visiting Knights made 11 3-pointers, including four from Nina Shaw, who finished with a game-high 18 points. Cece Kosecki added 12.
• In what was quite the low-scoring affair, District 10 champion Fairview (20-8) slipped past visiting Beaver (15-11), 26-23. Sarah Genusso’s three free throws with 0.1 seconds remaining were the difference. Chloe List led Beaver, the No. 6 team from the WPIAL, with 13 points.
• Playing in the PIAA playoffs for the first time, WPIAL fourth-place finisher Highlands (16-10) saw its season end after a 50-42 loss at District 6 winner Penn Cambria (13-12). Katelyn Myers paced Highlands with 16 points and Kalleigh Nerone chipped in with 13.
Class 1A girls
• Emily Fisher scored 22 points and Violet Johnson added 20 to help WPIAL runner-up Aquinas Academy (17-9) notch its first PIAA win by defeating District 3 third-place finisher Juniata Valley (16-9), 59-45, at Deer Lakes. The Crusaders outscored Juniata Valley, 31-23, in the second half.
• WPIAL champion Union (19-6) raced to a 12-0 lead and never looked back on its way to a dominant 47-9 win against District 9 fifth-place finisher Clarion (11-15). Clarion scored a combined three points in the first, third and fourth quarters. Kylie Fruehstorfer paced Union with 22 points and Kelly Cleaver had 13.
• Monessen (17-7), which made headlines this week due to its bus saga, fell behind, 10-1, after one quarter and went on to suffer a 57-30 loss at District 9 champion Otto-Eldred (24-2). Katie Sheeler poured in 30 points for Otto-Eldred. Monessen was the WPIAL’s fifth-place team.
Boys scores
Class 6A first round
Archbishop Wood 61, Central Bucks East 37
Central Catholic 50, West Lawn Wilson 28
Chambersburg 68, Plymouth Whitemarsh 56
Coatesville 68, Scranton 58
Downingtown West 64, Waynesboro 60
Garnet Valley 46, Cumberland Valley 45
Landisville Hempfield 62, Emmaus 59
Lower Merion 66, Williamsport 58
New Castle 60, Erie 50
North Penn 64, Philadelphia Central 52
Parkland 56, West Chester Henderson 39
Reading 74, Haverford 43
Roman Catholic 70, Perkiomen Valley 31
Spring-Ford 56, Central York 46
State College 72, Upper St. Clair 42
Upper Darby 66, Bethlehem Liberty 64 (2 OT)
Class 3A first round
Brookville 46, Seton LaSalle 43
Camp Hill Trinity 72, Vaux Big Picture 45
Deer Lakes 75, Seneca 34
Devon Prep 77, Saucon Valley 50
Executive Education 69, String Theory 49
Franklin 75, Shady Side Academy 43
Holy Redeemer 74, SLA Beeber 71
Loyalsock Township 59, Bishop Guilfoyle 57
Math, Civics & Sciences 82, Palmerton 71
Mid Valley 62, Troy 42
Neshannock 61, Oil City 59
North Penn-Mansfield 68, Delone Catholic 65
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 71, Westmont Hilltop 69 (OT)
Penn Cambria 61, Yough 53
Philadelphia West Catholic 79, Columbia 43
Steel Valley 74, Bedford 60
Class 2A first round
Aliquippa 65, Karns City 33
Bishop Canevin 70, Clarion-Limestone 67
Constitution 63, Delaware County Christian 53
Dock Mennonite 59, Antietam 40
Eden Christian 58, Conemaugh Township 50
Erie First Christian 57, Clairton 37
Holy Cross 47, Minersville 32
Lancaster Mennonite 62, St. John Neumann 61
Mahanoy Area 62, Northwest 53
Mercer 63, Southern Huntingdon 42
Muncy 73, Mount Union 58
Northgate 67, McConnellsburg 42
Otto-Eldred 66, Greensburg Central Catholic 54
Sankofa Freedom 65, Tri-Valley 59
Serra Catholic 75, United 62
West Branch 67, Cambridge Springs 39
Girls Scores
Class 5A first round
Abington Heights 59, Archbishop Ryan 36
Archbishop Wood 62, Mount St. Joseph 47
Bethlehem Catholic 46, Upper Moreland 36
Bishop Shanahan 68, Bangor 36
Erie Cathedral Prep 48, Trinity 30
Gwynedd Mercy 59, Freire Charter 34
Hollidaysburg 64, Lower Dauphin 44
Malvern Villa Maria 48, Scranton 32
Mars 49, York Suburban 40
McKeesport 54, Northern York 40
Mechanicsburg 47, Woodland Hills 44
Oakland Catholic 65, Manheim Central 39
Penn-Trafford 40, Greencastle-Antrim 39
Pittston 51, Samuel Fels 18
South Fayette 75, West York 33
West Chester Rustin 62, Susquehannock 34
Class 4A first round
Allentown Central Catholic 55, Eastern York 46
Audenried 59, Berks Catholic 54
Blackhawk 51, Warren 32
Camp Hill Trinity 46, Central Columbia 45 (OT)
Delone Catholic 57, MaST Charter 27
Fairview 26, Beaver 23
Harbor Creek 43, Quaker Valley 40
Jersey Shore 52, Wyoming Area 39
Knoch 53, Punxsutawney 44
Lansdale Catholic 64, Bishop McDevitt 52
Nazareth Academy 55, E & S Carver 25
Neumann-Goretti 66, North Schuylkill 63
North Catholic 70, Conneaut 44
Penn Cambria 50, Highlands 42
Scranton Prep 68, Lewisburg 35
Wyomissing 69, Parkway Center City 24
Class 1A first round
Aquinas Academy 59, Juniata Valley 45
Berlin Brothersvalley 46, North Clarion 22
Bishop Guilfoyle 56, Bishop Canevin 43
Christian School of York 32, Jenkintown 19
DuBois Central Catholic 64, Jamestown 21
Elk County Catholic 50, Northern Bedford 27
Linville advances by forfeit
Lourdes 38, Nativity BVM 22
Meadowbrook Christian 41, Harrisburg Academy 18
Mountain View 49, Harrisburg Christian 33
Otto-Eldred 57, Monessen 30
St. John Neumann 57, Weatherly 24
Shade 48, Mount Calvary 38
The Christian Academy 55, High Point 33
Union 47, Clarion 9
Williamsburg 86, St. Joseph 40
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.