Lancaster Catholic

Some late-game indecision proved to be the difference in West Catholic's 23-20 loss to Lancaster Catholic in a PIAA Class AA football semifinal Saturday at Coatesville. After seizing its first lead of the game early in the fourth quarter, the Burrs lined up for a fourth and 1 at their own 29-yard line with a little more than a minute remaining. Go for it, gain the yard, and it's to the state final for the second year in a row, with a chance to defend the title. That was the plan - until it wasn't.

West Catholic is a win away from reaching the PIAA Class AA state final for the third time in the last four football seasons. Standing in the way is a Lancaster Catholic squad that ousted the Burrs, 23-21, in a 2009 semifinal. Here is a closer look at Saturday's semifinal, set for noon at Coatesville's Red Raider Stadium. Records. After starting 0-3, West Catholic is 10-3. Lancaster Catholic, the District 3 champ, is 14-0. At stake. A berth in the final against the winner of Saturday's semifinal between District 6's Tyrone and District 7's Aliquippa.

West Catholic is a win away from reaching the PIAA Class AA state final for the third time in the last four football seasons. Standing in the way is a Lancaster Catholic squad that ousted the Burrs, 23-21, in a 2009 semifinal. Here is a closer look at Saturday's semifinal, set for noon at Coatesville's Red Raider Stadium. Records. After starting 0-3, West Catholic is 10-3. Lancaster Catholic, the District 3 champ, is 14-0. At stake. A berth in the final against the winner of Saturday's semifinal between District 6's Tyrone and District 7's Aliquippa.

Three-time returning state champion Archbishop Wood couldn't hold onto a nine-point halftime lead in a loss to Lancaster Catholic in a Class AAA second-round game at Reading. Lancaster Catholic used a 22-point third quarter to come back and win, 54-46. The game was a rematch of last year's state final, when Archbishop Wood won, 52-33. Senior guard Porscha Speller led Lancaster Catholic and all scorers with 24 points. Colleen Young led Archbishop Wood with 11 points. Speller, who didn't score at all in last year's state final, scored 10 of her points in the game's crucial third quarter.

Holy Ghost Prep's enthusiastic boys' basketball fans were joined briefly in the stands by forward Brett Manney. The visit in the third quarter wasn't entirely planned, but it could be expected, the way Manney throws his body around. Not only does the Firebirds' 6-foot-3 senior dive and dash all over the floor, he's willing to go off the court, too. Like an SUV, Manney plowed wherever his wheels would take him. All the hustle served him and his team well last night in a PIAA Class AAA first-round state tournament game against defending state champion Lancaster Catholic.

At this point in the state basketball tournament, when clubs are in the quarterfinal round and achingly close to next weekend's championship games, team personalities come into clearer focus. Villa Maria and Downingtown both have the look of confident winners right now, and confidence is a big part of a successful run at this level. "I think this team has something a little bit special about it," Villa Maria coach Kathy McCartney said in reference to her Hurricanes (24-5), who will play Lancaster Catholic (26-4)

LANDISVILLE, Pa. - Maurice Watson emerged from the locker room, plopped onto the concrete floor, placed his head between his knees and allowed himself a good cry. The session didn't last too long, but the pain was deep. Watson, a 5-9 1/2, 155-pound junior guard, is the leader of Boys' Latin Charter's basketball team, but Friday night that tag could not be spelled with a capital L. "That's why I'm taking this so hard," he said. "I'm supposed to show my guys the way, and I didn't do that tonight.

The pressure will be on Upper Moreland in tonight's PIAA Class AAA second-round state playoff game. And that may not be bad. The Bears face Lancaster Catholic, a team rich in state tournament experience, at 8 o'clock at Wilson High. "They've got speed and will press you," Golden Bears veteran coach Ron Veit said. "They will play man-to-man defense with a lot of pressure, and they have a lot of different presses. This will be more of what we've expected to see but haven't in the playoffs.

Villa Maria could not sustain a valiant second-half rally as the District 1 champion saw its season come to an end in a 55-47 loss to Lancaster Catholic yesterday in the PIAA Class AAA girls' basketball quarterfinals. Lancaster Catholic will play Berwick, an earlier 55-28 winner over Nazareth Academy, for the eastern championship on Tuesday. Villa Maria (24-6) fell behind, 22-9, after one quarter as the Hurricanes had trouble handling the Crusaders' full-court press. Villa turned the ball over seven times in the first eight minutes.

Three-time returning state champion Archbishop Wood couldn't hold onto a nine-point halftime lead in a loss to Lancaster Catholic in a Class AAA second-round game at Reading. Lancaster Catholic used a 22-point third quarter to come back and win, 54-46. The game was a rematch of last year's state final, when Archbishop Wood won, 52-33. Senior guard Porscha Speller led Lancaster Catholic and all scorers with 24 points. Colleen Young led Archbishop Wood with 11 points. Speller, who didn't score at all in last year's state final, scored 10 of her points in the game's crucial third quarter.

Boys' Basketball STATE CLASS AA SECOND ROUND Trinity 74, Sayre 47 Loyalsock 51, Communications Tech 48 Holy Cross (Pa.) 70, Del-Val Charter 54 Constitution 63, Delone Catholic 55 STATE CLASS AAAA SECOND ROUND Great Valley 64, Parkland 61 Coatesville 58, Norristown 52 St. Joseph's Prep 72, York 55 Lower Merion 63, Martin Luther King 50 Chester 67, Williamsport 50 Harrisburg 79, Upper Darby 62...

Kahleah Copper has been at a couple of high schools over the last four years, but she has always had a home on the Pennsylvania sports writers' all-state girls' basketball team. Copper, the 6-foot-2, Rutgers-bound guard-forward, has been on the all-state team every year of her varsity career, first making it in Class A as a freshman and sophomore at Girard College, then making the Class AAA first team after her junior year at Prep Charter. This year, Copper not only made the first team again, but she also was selected the player of the year in her classification in a vote of statewide media after taking her team to the PIAA semifinals for the second consecutive year.

FOR THE SECOND year in a row, Prep Charter fell in the PIAA Class AAA girls' basketball semifinals, this time succumbing to District 3 champion Lancaster Catholic, 90-85, Wednesday night at Spring-Ford High. Just as in 2011, the loss was deflating - devastating even, judging by the swelled eyes on many of the Huskies' faces as the players trickled out of the locker room. Prep Charter is the only Public League girls' team to advance this far in the state tournament. But the loss wasn't just about a program failing to become the Pub's first PIAA finalist in girls' hoops.

After a slow start, Imhotep came alive in the second half on Saturday afternoon behind Brandon Austin's inspired performance and downed Bishop McDevitt, 65-54, in a PIAA Class AA boys' basketball quarterfinal at Germantown. Imhotep trailed by 10 at the half before putting together a 24-8 third quarter led by Austin's five points. The senior guard finished with 10 rebounds, five steals and a game-high 24 points. Nigel Grant chipped in with eight points and eight rebounds and Kamani Jordan dropped in 19 points and four assists.