PIAA basketball playoffs 2026: Breaking down Knoch, North Catholic, Seneca Valley boys’ Round 1 matchups
The PIAA boys basketball tournaments are nearing, allowing local teams to demonstrate their strength against foes they don’t normally meet up with.
Let’s take a look at the matchups Butler County’s teams have this weekend and how they size up.
Livestream: Many games will be livestreamed on the NFHS Network ($13.99 for a monthly subscription), but some will be broadcast by local or regional media outlets. This will be updated as streaming information for each game is made available.
Tickets: According to the PIAA, tickets can be purchased for $9 in advance on hometownticketing.com and for $10 at the door
Brackets: See the latest PIAA tournament brackets for all classifications here
Site/time: Red Lion High School, 2 p.m. Saturday
Up next: Winner of 7-1 Upper St. Clair vs. 3-8 Cedar Crest
Raiders’ key player: Senior center Owen Congdon is versatile — as evidenced by his late success from beyond the arc in the Raiders’ WPIAL Class 6A semifinal loss to eventual champion Upper St. Clair.
Seneca Valley coach Kevin Trost has said he prefers for his team’s offense to run through Congdon, who nailed two 3-pointers to keep the Raiders in it late against the Panthers.
Lions’ key player: According to his X profile, junior guard Isaiah Ogurcak was averaging 19.1 points and 7.3 assists per game midway through the season. Ogurcak is a 1,000-point scorer who posted 38 points against William Penn on Jan. 23.
Seneca Valley wins if ... the Raiders find an offensive groove. Defense doesn’t seem to be an issue for Seneca Valley, but the Lions have pinned up at least 70 points on 10 occasions. However, the Raiders haven’t put up 50 since Jan. 30.
Site/time: Knoch High School, 7 p.m. Friday
Up next: Winner of 10-2 Sharon vs. 7-3 North Catholic
Knights’ key player: Senior Teegan Finucan stakes claim to being Knoch’s all-time leading scorer. He didn’t fill the scoreboard in his team’s WPIAL Class 4A title game win, but said after a semifinal victory of North Catholic he’s fine with that as long as his teammates get it going.
Yellowjackets’ key player: Senior guard Kenny Godoy is a lethal scorer, averaging 28.1 points. He had 51 points — you read that right — in a win over North East on Feb. 3.
Knoch wins if ... it can stop Godoy.
“No. 1, you have to keep fresh bodies on them,” Knights coach Joe Lafko said of scorers of Godoy’s pedigree. “So sometimes you have to rotate who’s guarding a player like that, because they’re gonna stretch you. They’re gonna create shots for themselves, but they’re also gonna put people in foul jeopardy.”
Site/time: Sharon High School, 7 p.m. Friday
Up next: Winner of 7-1 Knoch vs. 10-5 Girard
Trojans’ key player: Seniors Jason Fredericks and Jude Rottmann are proven scorers. Freshman Brandon Pickett has become an important cog, and even if he doesn’t pour in 20 points, he can at least take some attention away from the other two.
Tigers’ key player: Sophomore forward Cedrick Boyd has averaged 16.1 points, an output that has come mainly from within the arc. He’s recorded seven 20-point efforts, including a season-high of 27 against Grove City on Feb. 3.
North Catholic wins if ... its top three scorers produce. Fredericks, Rottmann and Pickett were limited for part of a WPIAL quarterfinal scare against Elizabeth Forward and in their semifinal setback against Knoch. The Trojans need their guys to be on their game.
