Seeds
| 1. Oakland Catholic 2. Beaver 3. Mars 4. Thomas Jefferson 5. Hampton 6. Greensburg Salem 7. Chartiers Valley 8. Indiana 9. South Fayette |
10. Freeport 11. Trinity 12. Laurel Highlands 13. Central Valley 14. Belle Vernon 15. Ringgold 16. Derry 17. Franklin Regional 18. Blackhawk |
Our First Impressions
Oakland Catholic and Beaver were easy calls for the top two seeds — they’ve been on a collision course all year. The bracket has some quirks, though: two section teams matched up in the 16/17 prelim (Derry vs. Franklin Regional), and the right side of the bracket looks much deeper overall.
There are several first-round matchups that jump off the page. Indiana vs. South Fayette could go either way, and Chartiers Valley vs. Freeport feels like one of the most balanced draws of the opening round. Meanwhile, Beaver and Mars are staring at a possible semifinal rematch of last year’s championship — but both have to work to do to get there.
Who Actually Has a Chance to Hoist the Trophy
Oakland Catholic and Beaver have separated themselves from the field and look destined to meet in the finals — but nothing is guaranteed in this bracket.
Who Could Make a Cinderella Run to the Semis
Trinity and Freeport. Trinity has shown flashes of being able to hang with the top teams, and Freeport’s postseason pedigree always makes them dangerous. Either could pull off a surprise and sneak into the final four.
Our Picks
Preliminary Round
- Franklin Regional over Derry
- Ringgold over Blackhawk
Round 1
- Oakland Catholic over Franklin Regional
- South Fayette over Indiana
- Thomas Jefferson over Central Valley
- Hampton over Laurel Highlands
- Beaver over Ringgold
- Freeport over Chartiers Valley
- Mars over Belle Vernon
- Trinity over Greensburg Salem
Quarterfinals
- Oakland Catholic over South Fayette
- Hampton over Thomas Jefferson
- Beaver over Freeport
- Trinity over Mars (major upset)
Semifinals
- Oakland Catholic over Hampton
- Beaver over Trinity
Championship
Oakland Catholic def. Beaver in four close sets
