The Road to Hershey concludes this weekend at the GIANT Center with the 2006 PIAA Basketball Championships. Here is a look at the eight title games as the best from the west battle the beasts of the east.

BOYS CLASS AAAA - Saturday at 8:00pm:
Schenley Spartans (30-1) vs Lower Merion Aces (27-6)
* Spartans are the Pittsburgh City League (D-8) champions
* Aces finished second in District 1 behind the team they beat in the state Semifinals, the Chester Clippers
* Both teams are coming off impressive Semifinal victories with Schenley bombing favorite Harrisburg 66-46 while Lower Merion upended defending champion Chester 70-65
* Lower Merion is led by 6-2 Ryan Brooks who has scored 51 points in victories over Lancaster McCaskey and Chester
* Schenley's DuJuan Blair had only 19 points combined in the two previous games before scoring 18 in the rout of Harrisburg
* Lower Merion won the PIAA Class AAAA title in 1996
* Schenley last on a state title when they captured the Class AAA crown in 1978

BOYS CLASS AAA - Friday at 8:00pm:
Franklin Knights (26-5) vs Community Technology Phoenix (29-2)
* Knights lost to General McLane in District 10 championship game, and then rebounded to beat the Lancers in the PIAA Semifinals
* Phoenix were District 12 Philadelphia City champions
* Each team won by 6 points in the Semifinals as Franklin beat General McLane 58-52 and Community Technology knocked off West Perry 66-60
* Pitt football recruit Nate Byham has scored 36 points for the Knights in their past two victories
* Shawn Francis led the Phoenix with 17 points in their win over West Perry
* Franklin won the PIAA Class AAA state championship in 2001
* Community Technology joins Class AA Philadelphia Prep Charter as the first two District 12 boys teams to play for a basketball title

BOYS CLASS AA - Saturday at 2:00pm on msasports.net:
Beaver Falls Tigers (27-4) vs Philadelphia Prep Charter Huskies (27-5)
* Tigers lost to Bishop Canevin in WPIAL Semifinals and ended up as the fourth-seed out of District 7
* Huskies also lost in the Philadelphia public school Semifinals and ended up as the third-seed out of District 12
* Each team won tight contests earlier this week in the Semifinals as Beaver Falls squeaked past Quaker Valley 71-70 while Philadelphia Prep edged York Catholic 56-53
* The Tigers Lance Jeter is averaging over 20 points per-game after a huge 31-point effort against the Quakers
* LaSalle recruit Rodney Green led the Huskies with 15 points in the Semifinals victory over the Fighting Irish
* Beaver Falls in the defending PIAA Class AA champion
* Philadelphia Prep Charter joins Class AAA Community Technology as the first two District 12 boy’s teams to play for a basketball title

BOYS CLASS A - Friday at 2:00pm:
Elk County Catholic Crusaders (32-0) vs Bishop Hannan Golden Lancers (27-5)
* Crusaders are the District 9 champions
* Golden Lancers lost to Bishop O'Reilly in the District 2 finals
* Both teams won going away in the Semifinals with Elk County knocking off Blairsville 77-62 while Bishop Hannan crushed Greenwood 82-56
* Jesse Bosnik enjoyed one of the biggest nights in the state playoffs when he pumped in 39 points in the Crusaders victory over the Bobcats
* The Golden Lancers had three players score 17 points on Tuesday - Nico Frishione, Chris Osbourne and Brian Siemion
* Both schools are looking for their first ever PIAA state championship

GIRLS CLASS AAAA - Friday at 6:00pm:
Parkland Trojans (30-3) vs Council Rock North Indians (31-2)
* The Trojans lost to Bethlehem Freedom in the District 11 title game
* The Indians were the District 1 champions
* Parkland had to go overtime in the Semifinals to beat defending champion Oakland Catholic while Council Rock North had an easier time, knocking off Cheltenham 52-40
* Laura Baranek had 15 points to lead the Trojans to their first ever-state Semifinals victory
* The Indians 1,000 point trio of Aly Hinton, Erin Gold and Addie Micir were each in double digit scoring in the win over the Panthers
* Parkland is making it's first ever trip to a girls state championship game
* Council Rock North is also shooting for it's first ever girls basketball crown

GIRLS CLASS AAA - Saturday at 6:00pm on msasports.net:
Hopewell Vikings (29-3) vs Allentown Central Catholic Vikings (28-5)
* Hopewell is the WPIAL champion
* Allentown Central Catholic is the District 11 champion
* Hopewell beat defending champion Moon for a fourth time this year in the Semifinals 47-40 while Allentown C.C. defeated Oxford 57-42
* Becky Novacek had 13 points in the win over Moon giving her 1,012 for her career. Her twin sister Joyce chipped in 10 points in the victory over the Tigers
* Allentown Central Catholic had two players, Amy Gulyas and Shavaun Fisher, led the way with 17 points each in the victory over the Hornets
* Hopewell is making its first trip to the girl’s basketball finals
* In contrast, Allentown Central Catholic won the PIAA Class AAA girls state title in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004

GIRLS CLASS AA - Friday at 12:00pm:
Westmont-Hilltop Hilltoppers (31-1) vs York Catholic Fighting Irish (33-1)
* The Hilltoppers are the District 6 champion
* The Fighting Irish are the District 3 champion
* Westmont-Hilltop beat Greensburg Central Catholic for a second straight year in the Semifinals 49-46 while York Catholic pulled away from Delone Catholic 58-47
* Kelly Britcher, Wesmont-Hilltop's all-time leading scorer, was the lone Hilltopper in double figures with 13 points against the Centurions
* Amanda Weaver had 17 points and Danielle Colombo had 16 points in York Catholic's Semifinals victory over Delone Catholic, the second win of the year for the Irish over the three-time defending champion Squires
* Westmont-Hilltop has never won a girls state basketball championship title after losing in the finals last year to Delone Catholic 47-43
* York Catholic, which was 0-23 only three years ago, is trying to win it's second ever PIAA girls basketball crown. The Fighting Irish captured the Class A title in 1979

GIRLS CLASS A - Friday at 12:00pm:
Conemaugh Valley Blue Jays (30-2) vs Pottsville Nativity BVM Hilltoppers (26-6)
* The Blue Jays are the District 6 champions
* The Hilltoppers are the District 11 champions
* Conemaugh Valley upset Union-Rimersburg in the Semifinals 46-44 while Pottsville Nativity BVM advanced with a tight 31-28 victory over Marian Catholic
* Duquesne recruit Samantha Pollino scored 23 points in the Semifinals win over the Golden Damsels
* The Hilltoppers did not have anybody in double figures on Wednesday (Angela Altemose and Megan Witman with 9 each) and nearly scored as many points in the fourth quarter (15) as they had the first three quarters (16)
* Conemaugh Valley will be playing in it's first ever PIAA state championship game
* Pottsville Nativity Blessed Virgin Mary is playing in the Class A Girls title game for the fifth time in the last eight years. The Hilltoppers won back-to-back championships in 1999 and 2000 while they lost in the finals in 2002 and 2004