by Darren Shultz, Tournament Director

The Nemacolin Woodlands Polo Field, near Uniontown, PA held host to the UPA Pennsylvania High School State Championship. A total of 8 teams showed up to compete, which included 6 from Pittsburgh and 2 from Philadelphia.

On day 1, teams were split up into two pools of four. The first pool had tournament favorite, Pennsbury, along with Allderdice, Fox Chapel, and North Allegheny. This pool had some tight games from the middle seeded teams, but no team was able to give Pennsbury a real challenge on day 1, and they ended up with a 3-0 record. Behind them were Allderdice (2-1), Fox Chapel (1-2), and North Allegheny (0-3).

The second pool had Cheltenham (one of only two Philly teams attending) along with defending state champions Mt. Lebanon, Central Catholic, and Shadyside Academy. This pool proved to have some of the more exciting games. Among them were a third round battle between Cheltenham and Mt. Lebanon, which Cheltenham pulled out on universe point despite hard defensive efforts from Mt. Lebanon. Shadyside Academy and Central Catholic also played a very tight game in the third round, which also was decided on universe point. Shadyside Academy pulled out this game, winning 10-9. When all was said and done, Cheltenham won the pool with a 3-0 record, followed by Mt. Lebanon (2-1), Shadyside Academy (1-2), and Central Catholic (3-0).

The fourth round on Saturday and all of Sunday were devoted to a double elimination format. The fourth round of Saturday ended up with no upsets, and although there was a close game between Mt. Lebanon and Fox Chapel, Mt. Lebanon was still able to hold seed. Sunday in the championship bracket pitted Mt. Lebanon against Pennsbury and Allderdice against Cheltenham. Both of these semis were Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia, so these games were set to be matches both for a spot in the finals as well as for pride. In the end, both Philly teams handily defeated their Pittsburgh opponents, and Pennsbury and Cheltenham were set to meet in the finals.

Finals was an exciting game to watch. Between a solid offensive showing by both teams and many hard fought points, this game was among the most exciting States finals in its 3 year history. In the end, though, Pennsbury was able to pull away and leave with the 13-11 victory, and their first ever State Championship.