It's that time of year.

Pop in the tapes, study film, educate yourself about your next opponent.

Blairsville and Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic are doing exactly that as they prepare to meet in a PIAA Class A girls basketball quarterfinal at 3 p.m. Saturday at Plum High School.

“Play someone familiar or someone you don't know, it doesn't matter,” CWNC coach Molly Rottmann said. “We're just happy to still be playing.

“We always gather up enough information. We'll be prepared come Saturday.”

What the Trojanettes (22-6) are preparing for is a high-pressure defense that has annihilated most of the teams in its path. The District 6 champion Bobcats (25-2) have won 20 games by a margin of 30 or more points.

They've beaten 11 teams by 40 or more, five by 50 or more. Blairsville will bring a 14-game winning streak into the game.

“They're going to press us coming off the bus and they're going to do it all day,” Rottmann said. “We know that.

“Except for Vincentian — where we didn't do it so well — we've been able to handle pressure defenses pretty effectively. And I'm not too concerned about those Vincentian games because that's a pretty special team.”

Vincentian (27-1) owns three wins over the Trojanettes this season — 72-44 and 61-48 in the regular season, 74-35 in the WPIAL Finals — and plays District 10 champion Kennedy Catholic (24-1) Saturday.

That winner meets the CWNC-Blairsville survivor in the PIAA Western Final next week.

But in terms of being a “special team,” Blairsville's not too bad in its own right.

The Bobcats are 106-19 over the last five years, have won 55 straight Heritage Conference games and ended Bishop Guilfoyle's eight-year reign as District 6 champion this season.

Blairsville had never won a state playoff game before this year. Ralph McGinnis is in the third year of his second stint as the Bobcats' coach.

“I think the nice thing about this group is they are senior-oriented group that loves a challenge,” McGinnis said. “They enjoy these games more than playing against a team they can handle. They're a fun bunch and love challenges.”

Leading scorer Chelsey Koren, a 5-foot-11 senior center headed to Colgate University, is averaging 18.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.3 blocked shots per game.

Senior point guard Laurel O'Barto, headed to Pitt-Johnstown, is netting 15.3 points and 3.8 assists per contest.

A third player — 5-6 freshman forward Rena Enterline — averages in double figures at 10.8 points per game. She's averaging 5.7 rebounds as well.

“We're not the biggest team,” McGinnis said. “Our tallest player is 5-11, most of our girls are 5-9 and 5-6. We only give up 37 points per game and that's where we've been in the playoffs.”

The Trojanettes counter with sophomore center Sam Breen at 23.5 points and 12 rebounds per game, junior forward Abby Goetz at 12.3 points per game and freshman forward Mary Cassamassa, who led the team with 16 points in Wednesday's 36-26 win over California.

“We finally hit some outside shots and that's what got them (Cal) to loosen its defense a little bit,” Rottmann said.

Cassamassa sank two treys in that contest. Breen, who scored 15 points, added a 3-pointer as well.

“The fact we're still playing pretty much makes our freshmen sophomores now,” Rottmann said. “They've been tested enough. It's a long season.”

Rottmann said there's a “fine line” between relying on a star player in key situations and forcing her the ball.

“Our girls have been good at seeing that line,” the coach said. “Sam really is an outstanding player and we should rely on her a lot. But if other things open up as teams try taking her away, we need to take advantage of those situations, too.”

Staff writer Josh Rizzo contributed to this report