Mars Area High School Boys Varsity Basketball Team will take on the Highlands Golden Rams in the quarterfinals of the 2017-2018 PIAA Class 5A Boys Varsity Basketball Championship at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 16, at Gateway High School (Monroeville, Pa.).

The Fightin’ Planets topped the Trinity Area Hillers 49-40 in the second round of the PIAA playoffs on March 13 and defeated the Hampton Talbots 68-47 in the first round on March 9. The team earned its first-ever WPIAL title with a 54-44 win over the Franklin Regional Panthers in the final game of the 2017-2018 WPIAL Class 5A Boys Varsity Basketball Championship on March 2.

The team trounced the Trinity Area Hillers 56-39 in the WPIAL semifinals on Feb. 27 and defeated the Hampton Talbots 70-51 in the quarterfinals on Feb. 23. The Planets ended the 2017-2018 regular season with an overall record of 18-4 and 11-1 in section play, earning Section 2-5A title.

Tickets for all PIAA quarterfinal playoff games are $6 for adults and $3 for students and are available for purchase from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Mars Area High School’s Athletic Office. (Note: No student tickets will be sold at the gate.)

For more information, call (724) 625-9380 or visit www.piaa.org.