South Fayette takes down a giant, beats four-time defending champion Archbishop Wood to win PIAA 5A title
The girls' basketball team from South Fayette High School are state champions for the first time ever -- and they took down a giant in the process, beating four-time defending champions from Archbishop Wood.
When the Lady Lions went to the Giant Center in Hershey over the weekend, they had a tall task ahead of them as their opponent had finished as the top team in the state in their classification for four straight years.
Archbishop Wood, a perennial power from the Philadelphia Catholic League, was eyeing the history books, hoping to become the first-ever girls' team to win five straight, but South Fayette had other things in mind.
South Fayette (29-2) won the 5A PIAA Championship, their first in school history, beating Archbishop Wood by a score of 45-37.
The successful trip to Hershey brought a bit of sweet revenge for South Fayette, who lost to Archbishop Wood in the state title game in 2023.
When the Lady Lions returned back home on Sunday afternoon, they were greeted by supporters and welcomed with a surprise rally at the high school.
"They work so hard," said South Fayette head coach Bryan Bennett. "Didn't know that we'd be, that our journey this year would take us to this point. The togetherness of our group was the big key to our success."
The Lady Lions will have a solid chance to defend their PIAA 5A title next season as they will only have two seniors graduating with a number of key players returning next year.
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