COLLIER TWP — The last time the North Catholic boys basketball team advanced to a WPIAL final was the 2009-10 season.

North Catholic was Class AA then, wasn’t located in Cranberry Township and didn’t have the name Cardinal Wuerl attached to it.

The Trojans’ coach, Dave Long, is also different. Six years ago, he had quadruple bypass surgery during the season, but returned for the championship game — a win over Rochester.

“I thought this game had left me needing another open-heart surgery,” Long deadpanned.

Long’s heart was thumping away because his North Catholic basketball team is going back to play for a WPIAL championship, this time in Class A, after a dramatic 79-77 overtime win over top-seeded Monessen Tuesday night at Chartiers Valley High School.

Kenny Fukon hit the game-winning shot on a running left-handed jumper from the baseline at the buzzer.

Erick Taylor set up Fukon’s heroics with five points in overtime.

Taylor finished with 29 points and 20 rebounds for the Trojans (17-8), who trailed 35-28 at the half, but chipped away at that deficit to force OT.

“They’re very excited,” said Long, who is 64. “I’m very excited to be going back.”

Monessen leads the WPIAL with an average of 92 points per game. Tuesday’s loss snapped a 15-game winning streak. The Greyhounds had won their last six games by margins of 50, 54, 53, 76, 28 and 42 points.

Taylor tweeted his respect for Monessen (21-4), who beat the Trojans on Dec. 16 in another hard-fought game, 75-72.

“Hats off to Monessen,” Taylor tweeted. “They are a great team. It was a (heck) of a game.”

Long, whose team played a very difficult non-section schedule that featured several Quad- and Triple-A teams, said nothing on their slate could have prepared them for Monessen.

“I don’t think we could have played 100 games like that to prepare us for the competitive game showed to us by Monessen,” Long said. “They are a fine basketball team. It was one of those games where it was a shame to see either team lose.”

Cardinal Wuerl will square off against another team that won in stunning fashion Friday in the WPIAL final.

Sewickley Academy rallied from 21 points down against Jeannette to win 69-68.

Sewickley Academy beat Cardinal Wuerl, 55-42, in overtime Jan. 30.

“It should be interesting,” Long said. “We have another loss to avenge and we have a chance to capture another WPIAL title.”

The WPIAL Class A championship game will be played at 7 p.m. Friday in the University of Pittsburgh’s Petersen Events Center.