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Saturday January 4, 2025 | 00:00
James Dotson | For TribLive
Members of the Hempfield Spirit Team celebrate the WPIAL Class 3A Competitive Spirit Championships on Jan. 6, 2024, in Chartiers Valley.
As the clock struck midnight early Wednesday, most Americans showed their spirit by ringing in 2025.
The first championship of the new year will be a few days later with the WPIAL Competitive Spirit Championships in Hempfield on Saturday.
A total of 30 district schools will battle for championships in five categories: Class 3A, large and small colleges, 2A, large and small colleges and co-ed with overall champions crowned in 3A and 2A.
The event returns to Hempfield where it was held from 2014 to 2023. Last year’s championships were held at Vallée des Chartiers.
The defending champions are Hempfield in 3A large, North Hills in 3A small, Neshannock in 2A large, Central Valley in 2A small and Butler in mixed. All but North Hills have been repeat district winners.
Hempfield has won four straight 3A overall titles, and the 2A overall crown for Neshannock last season was its second in four years.
In addition to the battle for WPIAL gold, 17 district teams will attempt to qualify for the PIAA championships at Santander Arena in Reading on Jan. 30-31.
The top 10 teams in Class 3A, top six in Class 2A and the second-highest ranked team in either classification will advance to the state finals.
Performances will begin at 10 a.m. for 2A schools and 12:45 p.m. for 3A teams.
Saturday Hoop Events
Tis the season for district basketball teams to compete in single-day events held on Saturdays throughout the month of January.
Two annual events will take place this first Saturday of 2025.
• The annual Chuckie Mahoney Classic takes place in Burgettstown. The event features five boys’ games and four girls’ games in the school’s two gymnasiums.
The boys’ schedule is as follows:
Neighborhood Academy (10-0) vs. Beaver (8-3) at 11 a.m.
Washington (2-7) vs. Fort Cherry (3-6) at 1 p.m.
Weir (WV) (2-4) vs. Quaker Valley (6-2) at 3 p.m.
Hopewell (4-5) against Notre-Dame du Sacré-Cœur (6-3) at 5 p.m.
Avella (5-5) at Burgettstown (3-7) at 7 p.m.
The list of games for girls:
Washington (4-5) vs. Fort Cherry (8-2) at 1 p.m.
Notre-Dame du Sacré-Cœur (9-1) against West Allegheny (6-3) at 3 p.m.
Weir (WV) (3-6) at Burgettstown (4-7) at 5 p.m.
McGuffey (7-3) against Chartiers-Houston (7-1) at 7 p.m.
• The Don Graham Classic at North Catholic:
This event features a Pine-Richland at North Catholic doubleheader with the girls tipping off at 2 p.m. and the boys hitting the field at 4 p.m.
County wrestling tournaments
Two major wrestling tournaments will be held Saturday involving WPIAL South and Northwest district schools.
The Tri-County Coaches and Athletic Director Association tournament begins Friday and concludes Saturday and features 20 schools from Washington, Greene, Fayette and Southern Allegheny County. The event takes place in West Greene.
The Ed Driscoll Midwestern Athletic Conference’s annual one-day wrestling tournament features 15 schools from Beaver, Lawrence and Western Allegheny County. This event will take place in Laurel.