H.S. Sports Central

While most everybody marvels at Chartiers Valley's shooting, West Allegheny coach Josh Bears says it's what happens when the Colts miss that makes them so hard to beat.

"The real secret to them is they get so many offensive rebounds," Bears said after Tuesday's loss to Chartiers Valley, 80-59, in the second round of the PIAA Class AAA playoffs. "They crash so hard from the weak side. You can force them into a tough shot, and they can miss, and here comes T.J. (McConnell) flying in from the weak side to grab the offensive rebound."

Bears knows them as well any opponent.

West Allegheny and Chartiers Valley, members of the same WPIAL section, met four times this season, including twice in the postseason. Chartiers Valley won all four. So, even seeing them often wasn't an advantage.

"You can't simulate what they do in practice," Bears said. "It's a matter of getting used to that type of tempo and getting in a rhythm. You almost have to pick your poison with them because they can hurt you in so many different ways."

Now, the eastern half of the state will take its first attempt at solving Chartiers Valley. York Suburban (24-5) will play the Colts at 7 tonight in Hollidaysburg.

Chartiers Valley (27-1) sprinted through the regular season with only one loss (a December game in San Diego), while averaging a league-best 84 points per game, a remarkable run that has continued through the WPIAL and into the PIAA playoffs. Their star senior, T.J. McConnell, has averaged 34 points while setting the WPIAL's career 3-point record. Without doubt, the Colts have been the best Class AAA boys basketball team in Western Pennsylvania this season.

But that doesn't mean the PIAA will hand them the state championship trophy.

The opposite half of the Class AAA bracket has four high-caliber teams from eastern Pennsylvania, including District 12 champion Neumann-Goretti (27-1), District 3 champion Eastern York (30-0), District 2 champion Abington Heights (29-2) and defending PIAA champion Archbishop Carrol (24-4).

Neumann-Goretti has four Division I college recruits, including senior Tony Chennault, who was named Thursday as the Gatorade Pennsylvania boys basketball player of the year. The 6-foot-2 guard, who signed with Wake Forest, has averaged 19 points. His teammates have committed to LaSalle, Hartford and Rider.

Rutgers recruit Andrew Nicholas leads Eastern York, the only undefeated team in Class AAA. The 6-foot-6 junior scored 33 points in the second round.

Any of those four teams could be awaiting Chartiers Valley in State College on March 27 for the 8 p.m. championship game at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center.

And, of course, the Colts still have to get there.

"We can't worry about the other half of the bracket," Chartiers Valley coach Tim McConnell said. "We've got to worry about our half of the bracket. They're good, but what good does it do to look ahead when you've still got some business to take care of here?"

Their next opponent, York Suburban, the sixth seed from District 3, reached the PIAA semifinals in 2009. Thomas McInerney, a 6-foot-5 senior who averages 16 points, was the only returning starter from last year's York Suburban team.

A Chartiers Valley win would bring about a third meeting with either Hampton (23-3) or West Mifflin (16-8) on Tuesday in the semifinals. Hampton lost its first two meetings 87-68 and 63-50, with the second coming in the WPIAL championship game. West Mifflin lost 85-47 and 81-48, both during the regular season.

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