WPIAL 3A Finals Friday Players To Watch

Alex Fydryszewski

March 3, 2023 @ 10:36 AM

Day one is in the books from the Pete with Imani defeating Union Area in the Class A final and Penn Hills topping Peters Twp in the 5A Final. Today's matchups feature the 3A and 4A Classes and we feature some players to watch in each game. We begin with the 3A contest.     [player_tooltip player_id='1186067' first='Rocco' last='Spadafora'] | G | Our Lady Of Sacred Heart   A quick 6'0" guard who can create his own shot off the dribble, Spadafora is a threat to score from anywhere on the floor. He has a nice step back jumper and can pull up from three. He's also careful with the ball and can facilitate the halfcourt offense for the Chargers. Good court vision to find seams to create easy buckets and limits the turnovers while maximizing opportunities to pick up assists. He's going to be a key piece for the Chargers if they're going to win the 3A title and keep their fantastic run from the last few seasons going.   [player_tooltip player_id='1186068' first='Bryson' last='Kirschner'] | F | Our Lady Of Sacred Heart   The 6'4" forward has been a great support player for OLSH over the last several years but with big graduation losses in the backcourt last year, he and several other teammates have stepped up. He's a tough defensive player in the post who battles for rebounds. Keeps a nice defensive posture and low center of gravity. His offensive skillset has expanded from last year and he'll have to have a solid game under the basket tonight.   [player_tooltip player_id='1186442' first='BJ' last='Vaughn'] | G | Our Lady of Sacred Heart   A multi sport athlete who also was a key performer on the football team, Vaughn is a rugged and physical player on the basketball team who can play inside the post or on the perimeter. The 6'2" 225 future college football player had his biggest moment in HS hoops just a few days ago. He camped himself on the wing as time was winding down and with Spadafora dragging defenders all over the floor, Vaughn took an open look to hit a 3 pointer to beat the clock in a 53-50 win over Neshannock to get back to the title game.   [player_tooltip player_id='1284794' first='Bryce' last='Robson'] | G | Deer Lakes   A 6'0" guard who is an on floor leader. He makes the hustle plays, he's a vocal and emotional leader for his teammates. Offensively, he's a shooter and is especially effective coming off of screens. He went over 1,000 points in January and has led a team that is on a mission. They broke OLSH winning streak and then downed [player_tooltip player_id='1395834' first='Makhai' last='Valentine'] and Steel Valley in the semis. He'll have to replicate his performance from the regular season win over OLSH to put Deer Lakes in a position to take home the title.   Nate Litrun | F | Deer Lakes   The 6'5" bruiser will be the biggest player on the floor and could be a key piece to the game. He's an effective presence in the post to re-direct and block shots and can also run the floor pretty well. He's also got active hands on defense to create turnovers. The battle between he and Kirschner could decide the game. It's the first appearance for Deer Lakes in the hoops finals but [player_tooltip player_id='1395893' first='Michael' last='Butler'], Litrun and Collin Rodgers all were part of a soccer team that made it to the WPIAL finals, so they've played under the bright lights before.

Day one is in the books from the Pete with Imani defeating Union Area in the Class A final and Penn Hills topping Peters Twp in the 5A Final. Today's matchups feature the 3A and 4A Classes and we feature some players to watch in each game. We begin with the 3A contest.