Scouting Timothy Christian vs. Providence-St. Mel

Class 2A Plano sectional championship

Timothy Christian (23-6) vs. Providence-St. Mel (16-11)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Outlook: The last time Timothy Christian reached a sectional semifinal was at Lisle in 2006. The Trojans lost to North Lawndale. Now barring the way to Timothy's first sectional title since 1980 is another household name. The Providence-St. Mel Knights, who beat Timothy's familiar nemesis Walther Lutheran 62-57 behind 18 points from guard Torry Walker, are a tad removed from their championship heyday of the mid-1980s but still pack a punch. St. Mel offers 6-foot-4 junior forward Tevin Harris, surrounded by quick guards Walker, Keyshawn Adkins and Lazarus Gray. Timothy Christian coach Jack LeGrand predicts a solid matchup: "We will need to handle their pressure and defend their quickness on the defensive end," he noted. That's where Reggie Greenwood comes in. The 5-foot-9 senior guard seems to almost willingly get trapped only so he can split the defense, penetrate the lane and either go in for the layup or pass to pals Mike Pizzello, Justin Peeples, Mark Penczak or Rob Stein, the 6-foot-3 bruiser who'll battle Harris. But it took a half for the Trojans to lose the turnovers and get on track in their 51-36 win over Northridge Prep. St. Mel, seeking its first sectional title since 2002, won't be as forgiving though with Tuesday's sectional semifinal victory Timothy is now 11-1 at neutral sites.