Five things to watch this weekend in the Beaver Valley

Each week of the high school sports season comes with numerous entertaining storylines.

Here are five things to watch for this weekend in the Beaver Valley:

1. OLSH aims to break WPIAL record

South Side Area High School could be a location where WPIAL history is made on Friday evening. The Rams will host OLSH in a matchup that has far more on the line than just first place in Section 1-2A. Winners of 52 straight, the Chargers (12-0, 4-0) can secure the record for the WPIAL's longest win streak.

The first time these two teams met, the Rams (6-9, 3-1) fell to OLSH 78-38. Since that game, South Side has been perfect against section opponents.

Meanwhile, the Chargers have dominated every team they've played this year, winning their 12 contests by an average margin of 32.4 points. The closest any team has come to giving OLSH a game was Franklin Regional, a Class 5A program, who lost to the Chargers by 11 in the season opener.

OLSH currently sits tied with Uniontown (1963-65) and Washington (1983-85) for the District 7 record. South Side will look to pull off one of the biggest upsets in WPIAL history to prevent an update in the record books taking place on its home court.

2. Cat fight for the postseason

In the loaded WPIAL Section 2-4A, which features title threats like Quaker Valley, Lincoln Park and Montour, there are a few programs in the middle of the pack that are in a fight for their postseason lives.

Blackhawk (9-6, 5-4), which currently sits in fourth place, will host fifth-place Beaver Area (7-9, 3-6) on Friday night in a matchup that could determine who moves on to the playoffs and who shifts their focus toward the spring season.

While the Cougars have a two-game lead over the Bobcats, a victory could shake things up in a major way. Not only do both have a tough stretch of games over the next few weeks, but sixth place Central Valley also looks to be getting hot at the right time, having won three of its past four.

Blackhawk won the first matchup against Beaver Area, on the road by a final of 52-37. Another victory for the Cougars will give them a bigger cushion as we head into February. A loss could lead to chaos.

3. Quips, Tigers fight to stay in second

Aliquippa and Beaver Falls are a pair of athletic programs that don't enjoy second place. Both have a chance to remain in the fight for a section title with victories on Friday night.

After losing back-to-back games against WPIAL Class 5A opponents (South Fayette and New Castle) the Quips will play at Avonworth, the team that sits a spot beneath them in the Section 2-3A standings. Aliquippa won the first matchup at home last month, 60-47.

Coming off a nail-biting victory over New Brighton, Beaver Falls will look to stay in second place of Section 1-3A with a win over Neshannock. The first time the Tigers and Lancers met, Beaver Falls was able to snag a 55-53 win on the road.

Both Aliquippa and Beaver Falls will get another shot at the teams that are currently at the top of their respective sections (Seton LaSalle and Ellwood City) on Feb. 8. If they both can avoid an upset until then, their hopes for a section title are still very much alive.

4. Battle of desperation in Section 1-1A

Now that we're in the back half of the 2021-22 high school basketball season, it's safe to say that one of the biggest surprises in the Beaver Valley has been the slow start of the Rochester boys basketball team.

Returning all but one player from last year's squad, which reached the WPIAL Class 1A title game, the Rams were viewed by many as a lock to make a deep run in the WPIAL and PIAA postseason this winter. Yet, with February around the corner, Rochester is still looking to hit its stride.

Losses to Union and Eden Christian have the Rams in third place of Section 1-1A. While it's safe to assume Sean Keaton's team is hungry for payback, it can't lose focus in the short term. Games like Friday's road matchup against Western Beaver are key for Rochester.

The Golden Beavers are a team playing with nothing to lose, aiming to make a return to the postseason. After being eliminated by the Rams last year in the playoffs, there's nothing Western Beaver would like to do more than make Rochester's season even more complicated.

5. PCB Hall of Fame Classic, Part 2

If Friday night's loaded high school basketball slate isn't enough for you, be sure to head over to Montour High School on Saturday or Sunday for the PBC Hall of Fame Classic. Last weekend, Aliquippa hosted the girls portion of the event. This weekend, it's the boys' turn.

The two-day showcase features 13 games, which includes five defending WPIAL champions and 10 teams from the Times' coverage area. The full schedule of the event can be found below:

Saturday, Jan. 29

• Ambridge vs. Nazareth Prep, 10:30 a.m.

• Moon vs. Hopewell, noon

• Baldwin vs. Blackhawk, 1:30 p.m.

• Quaker Valley vs. Highlands, 3:00 p.m.

• Shady Side Academy vs. OLSH, 4:30 p.m.

• Uniontown vs. Montour, 6:00 p.m.

• North Allegheny vs. Penn Hills, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 30

• Canon-McMillan vs. Beaver Falls, 11:00 a.m.

• Aliquippa vs. Mars, 12:30 p.m.

• Sto-Rox vs. Ellwood City, 2:00 p.m.

• Upper St. Clair vs. North Hills, 3:30 p.m.

• Chartiers Valley vs. Shaler, 5:00 p.m.

• Lincoln Park vs. Bishop Canevin, 6:30 p.m.

Contact Noah Hiles at nhiles@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter @_NoahHiles.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Five things to watch this weekend in the Beaver Valley