Warren senior Riley Childress drives to the hoop in a D10 finals win over Slippery Rock on Saturday at Meadville High School. At 7 p.m. tonight, Childress, senior teammate Emma Ruhlman (screening) and the rest of the Dragons will host Oakland Catholic, District 7’s sixth seed, at Warren Area High School in the first round of the PIAA 5A playoffs. Photo courtesy of Mark Evans

What a place it would be for the Warren girls basketball team’s first-ever PIAA playoff win.

At 7 p.m. tonight, Warren Area High School will host the first-round PIAA Class 5A playoff game between the District 10 champion Dragons (19-6) and WPIAL’s Oakland Catholic (14-10).

Warren is back in the state playoffs after back-to-back D10 titles over Slippery Rock, and three district championships in four seasons.

The Dragons lost to PIAA runner-up Chartiers Valley in last year’s PIAA 5A quarterfinals, and last played Oakland Catholic in the first round of the 2019 PIAA playoffs. In a 60-45 loss to Oakland Catholic that year, Warren’s Riley Childress and Emma Ruhlman combined for 14 points. They were freshmen.

Four seasons later, Childress and Ruhlman have combined for 80 wins, 2,765 career points and three District 10 championships.

Both are going on to play Division II women’s college basketball, and both will leave Warren with capable teammates to carry the torch.

But first …

Lisa LaVan’s Dragons have accumulated 229 wins in her 14 seasons as head coach, yet she continues to preach about reaching the next level. This is the next level for this team.

The Dragons are winless in eight trips to the state tournament, including seven losses in the first round (1992, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2016, 2019 and 2020) and a quarterfinal loss at Chartiers Valley last winter.

With a fourth straight trip to states, most of the roster has experienced this level.

“Our ladies will come ready to execute our game plan, because that is what we do,” said LaVan. “We have established a tradition here and the state tournament is nothing new for them. Just another game.

“The girls came in Monday ready to go,” she said. “They definitely have a focus about them. They will be ready to go (tonight).

“Oakland Catholic comes out of the strongest section in the WPIAL with Char Valley, South Fayette, and Moon. They have 10 losses, but can’t be taken lightly. They are a quick team with a very good junior class.”

A junior class that has never met The Flannel Panel, Warren Area High School’s student cheering section.

“(We) are pumped to be at home,” said LaVan. “What an amazing accomplishment for our team/program to get a state playoff game at home. This group has worked so hard and deserves the opportunity play a home playoff game. Definitely will be a night to remember.”