Varsity Xtra: Step up by AAA powers ups the ante
(Photo: Guess who's moving to Quad-A? The best two teams in Triple-A. New Castle and Hampton met in the WPIAL AAA title game and now are members of Class AAAA Section 3. They enter the season ranked No. 1 and 2 in the classification. Post-Gazette photo illustration.)
"Look who has moved into the WPIAL Class AAAA neighborhood -- and is living in the two penthouses at the top of the hill.
The New Castle and Hampton boys basketball teams are movin' on up this season, going from Class AAA to AAAA. Since Class AAAA was formed in the 1983-84 season, there has never been such a significant move of two teams from Class AAA.
New Castle beat Hampton in last year's WPIAL Class AAA championship game. With a total of eight starters returning between the two teams and with both having plenty of talent, their move up in class is the talk of WPIAL basketball this season.
In the Class AAAA 'hood this season, New Castle and Hampton reside in the two swankiest places. New Castle is the Post-Gazette's preseason No. 1 team and Hampton No. 2. And get this: Both will play in Section 3.
"No doubt they should be 1-2. They're that good," said Seneca Valley coach Victor Giannotta, whose team also competes in Section 3."
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