Team of the Week
McGuffey
Since Montour made 16 three-pointers in a rout of McGuffey on Dec. 20, the Highlanders have not lost.
Last week, McGuffey - playing its best basketball in a decade – ran its win streak to five games with wins over Waynesburg and Washington. Suddenly, the Highlanders are a playoff contender in Section 5-AAA.
McGuffey (8-4, 3-2) caught a break at Waynesburg last Tuesday as the Raiders played without leading scorer Ty Negley (flu). The Highlanders escaped with a 49-46 win as Waynesburg attempt to force overtime with a last-second three-pointer rimmed out.
McG followed that emotional win with a 14-point victory over Washington. The Highlanders led early and never trailed after that.
Runner-up
Bentworth
With all five starters averaging double figures in points, Bentworth boasts one of the premier offenses in Class A. That balanced led to wins over Mapletown and, most importantly, Section 2-A rival Carmichaels last week.
Bentworth is 3-0 in section play and 10-1 overall. The Bearcats can solidify themselves as the section favorites with a win Tuesday at Avella.
Starting five
Jaisen Irwin, Monessen
Kyle Rose, McGuffey
Naz Victoria, California
Josh Wise, Washington
Joe Yamber, Avella
First sub
Jalen Madison, Monessen
Game of the Week
Avella 45, Carmichaels 44
Avella raced to a 13-2 lead at Carmichaels, a gym where most visitors leave reflecting on a loss during a long bus ride home.
Things looked good early for the Eagles, but the Mikes went on a second-quarter run and trailed just 19-18 at halftime.
The second half went back-and-forth before Avella scored the winning point on a Ray Bertovich free throw with 12 seconds remaining to stay unbeaten in section play.
Showing posts with label Avella. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Avella. Show all posts
Monday, January 16, 2012
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Tuesday notebook
Blogger's note: Final thoughts on the local 2011 football season are being formulated and will appear soon.
Two of the area's premier high school baseball players - Nick Riotto and Stephen McCaw - recently made commitments to college programs.
Riotto, a junior from Trinity, will play at Penn State. McCaw, a senior from Waynesburg, will play for Mercyhurst.
Riotto burst onto the high school scene as a freshman with a .500-plus batting average and big-time numbers. The lefty landed a spot on the Observer-Reporter All-District team that year. His batting average dipped during his sophomore season as Trinity missed the playoffs, but Riotto continued to play well in fall and summer leagues.
McCaw was the leading hitter for a Waynesburg team that reached the WPIAL Class AA championship last season, and a standout defensive catcher. He earned WPIAL Class AA Player of the Year honors.
* The Peters Township girls soccer team is one win from reaching the PIAA Class AAA championship for the third time in four years.
That's extraordinary.
Peters Township plays Upper St. Clair in tonight's semifinals. The two split a pair of games, with PT winning during the regular season and USC winning in the WPIAL championship match.
There's no doubt that Peters Township is the WPIAL's premier athletic power in what can be labeled as "non-revenue" sports.
What's the Indians' best fall program?
Over time, it's been boys soccer. Lately, girls soccer, girls tennis and boys golf has joined the conversation.
* Avella's difficulties filling a football roster with able bodies is well-documented. That wasn't always the case at the tiny school in the Western foothills of Washington County.
Avella will host Burgettstown Sunday in an Alumni Football USA event. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. and, with the Steelers on a bye week, a crowd of at least 1,000 is expected.
Players from the 1980s, 90s and 2000s will suit up for the Eagles, who have a roster of 45 players. That's about three times larger than the numbers of players head coach Ryan Cecchini, who will start at linebacker, had for the Eagles' regular season finale at Bentworth.
Two of the area's premier high school baseball players - Nick Riotto and Stephen McCaw - recently made commitments to college programs.
Riotto, a junior from Trinity, will play at Penn State. McCaw, a senior from Waynesburg, will play for Mercyhurst.
Riotto burst onto the high school scene as a freshman with a .500-plus batting average and big-time numbers. The lefty landed a spot on the Observer-Reporter All-District team that year. His batting average dipped during his sophomore season as Trinity missed the playoffs, but Riotto continued to play well in fall and summer leagues.
McCaw was the leading hitter for a Waynesburg team that reached the WPIAL Class AA championship last season, and a standout defensive catcher. He earned WPIAL Class AA Player of the Year honors.
* The Peters Township girls soccer team is one win from reaching the PIAA Class AAA championship for the third time in four years.
That's extraordinary.
Peters Township plays Upper St. Clair in tonight's semifinals. The two split a pair of games, with PT winning during the regular season and USC winning in the WPIAL championship match.
There's no doubt that Peters Township is the WPIAL's premier athletic power in what can be labeled as "non-revenue" sports.
What's the Indians' best fall program?
Over time, it's been boys soccer. Lately, girls soccer, girls tennis and boys golf has joined the conversation.
* Avella's difficulties filling a football roster with able bodies is well-documented. That wasn't always the case at the tiny school in the Western foothills of Washington County.
Avella will host Burgettstown Sunday in an Alumni Football USA event. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. and, with the Steelers on a bye week, a crowd of at least 1,000 is expected.
Players from the 1980s, 90s and 2000s will suit up for the Eagles, who have a roster of 45 players. That's about three times larger than the numbers of players head coach Ryan Cecchini, who will start at linebacker, had for the Eagles' regular season finale at Bentworth.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Quick hits
Trinity's Eric Richards has already had an interesting high school career. He played football at Trinity as a freshman and sophomore before he transferred to Avella.
During baseball season, Richards was the Eagles top player.
Avella was counting on Richards during football season as well, so much so that first-year head coach Ryan Cecchini made Richards the starting quarterback. He spent time there during training camp.
"Then I get a phone call two days before the start of the season, and it's from an administrator," Cecchini said. "They said Richards moved back to Trinity. We had a game in two days and our quarterback was gone. We had to scramble."
No doubt Richards could have greatly helped the Eagles. No doubt he is helping the Hillers.
Richards is seeing considerable time at linebacker and is getting an increased work load on offense. He played a vital role in Trinity's win over West Mifflin.
"Really, the only thing he doesn't have going for him is he's not 6-2," Dalton said. "He's every bit as physical as anyone we've had here."
* Bumped into Burgettstown athletic director Jon Vallina during Wednesday's WPIAL Division I Boys Individual Golf Championship & PIAA Qualifier, he said playing football games on Saturday afternoons this year has negatively affected attendance.
* Washington's Eric Ellis, a senior defensive end, has six sacks the past two games, including four at Keystone Oaks.
Ellis is also the starting right guard for an offensive line that is playing well.
"He's a tough kid, and one defense he's really giving people trouble," Prexies coach Mike Bosnic said.
* Count Chartiers-Houston coach Terry Fetsko among those surprised to see Fort Cherry lose to Brentwood in overtime.
"We didn't know how the game ended, but when we saw the final score, I'd say we were a little surprised," Fetsko said. "When I watched the game on tape, Brentwood is very disciplined and they execute well. They have a good system and they run it well."
The Bucs play at undefeated Brentwood Friday night. The winner has the inside track on finishing second in the Black Hills Conference.
* Waynesburg's Emily Rohanna won the WPIAL Division II Girls Golf Individual Championship Tuesday at Longue Vue Club in Verona. It was Rohanna's second consecutive title, and the fourth for the family.
Her older sister Rachel won two WPIAL titles (when there was one division) and two PIAA championships.
Rachel Rohanna golfs at Ohio State and spent the opening round at this year's U.S. Women's Open on the leaderboard. Emily Rohanna will golf at Youngstown State, where her father Tom played football.
There's a chance the siblings, who both played for the Waynesburg boys golf team, could compete against each other.
"I'm not sure if we do, but there might be one tournament where they might be there with us," Emily Rohanna said. "Hopefully it happens. It'll be different. She's still intimidating."
* Peters Township sophomore Veronica Latsko already has 30 goals this season. Latsko scored 26 as a freshman.
* Penn State linebacker Mike Hull carved out quite a legacy at Canon-McMillan. Hull was an Observer-Reporter Athlete of the Year, Football Player of the Year, two-time first team All-State selection (should have been three), WPIAL team wrestling and team track champion and a PIAA baseball champion.
Now, another Hull is playing football for the Big Macs.
Senior Ashley Hull, Mike's sister, is Canon-McMillan's kicker and she is the first female in Big Macs history to score points in a football game. Hull is also the starting goalie on the soccer team.
* Trinity got sophomore Pat Frey back from injury, and Frey certainly helped the Hillers beat West Mifflin. Did you know that Trinity is 6-0 versus West Mifflin since dropping to Class AAA?
It's not all good news for the Hillers this week.
Standount tailback Tyler Yocca, who has excelled in the Hillers' triple-option offense, suffered a knee injury.
"It's possible that we've lost him for the year," Dalton said. "It's a fast track at West Mifflin and not as giving as turf at most other place. (Yocca) was having such a good season."
The injury could force a switch in offensive philosophy.
"We might go out of our three-back role," Dalton said. "We could become more formation-oriented, more two-back formations."
During baseball season, Richards was the Eagles top player.
Avella was counting on Richards during football season as well, so much so that first-year head coach Ryan Cecchini made Richards the starting quarterback. He spent time there during training camp.
"Then I get a phone call two days before the start of the season, and it's from an administrator," Cecchini said. "They said Richards moved back to Trinity. We had a game in two days and our quarterback was gone. We had to scramble."
No doubt Richards could have greatly helped the Eagles. No doubt he is helping the Hillers.
Richards is seeing considerable time at linebacker and is getting an increased work load on offense. He played a vital role in Trinity's win over West Mifflin.
"Really, the only thing he doesn't have going for him is he's not 6-2," Dalton said. "He's every bit as physical as anyone we've had here."
* Bumped into Burgettstown athletic director Jon Vallina during Wednesday's WPIAL Division I Boys Individual Golf Championship & PIAA Qualifier, he said playing football games on Saturday afternoons this year has negatively affected attendance.
* Washington's Eric Ellis, a senior defensive end, has six sacks the past two games, including four at Keystone Oaks.
Ellis is also the starting right guard for an offensive line that is playing well.
"He's a tough kid, and one defense he's really giving people trouble," Prexies coach Mike Bosnic said.
* Count Chartiers-Houston coach Terry Fetsko among those surprised to see Fort Cherry lose to Brentwood in overtime.
"We didn't know how the game ended, but when we saw the final score, I'd say we were a little surprised," Fetsko said. "When I watched the game on tape, Brentwood is very disciplined and they execute well. They have a good system and they run it well."
The Bucs play at undefeated Brentwood Friday night. The winner has the inside track on finishing second in the Black Hills Conference.
* Waynesburg's Emily Rohanna won the WPIAL Division II Girls Golf Individual Championship Tuesday at Longue Vue Club in Verona. It was Rohanna's second consecutive title, and the fourth for the family.
Her older sister Rachel won two WPIAL titles (when there was one division) and two PIAA championships.
Rachel Rohanna golfs at Ohio State and spent the opening round at this year's U.S. Women's Open on the leaderboard. Emily Rohanna will golf at Youngstown State, where her father Tom played football.
There's a chance the siblings, who both played for the Waynesburg boys golf team, could compete against each other.
"I'm not sure if we do, but there might be one tournament where they might be there with us," Emily Rohanna said. "Hopefully it happens. It'll be different. She's still intimidating."
* Peters Township sophomore Veronica Latsko already has 30 goals this season. Latsko scored 26 as a freshman.
* Penn State linebacker Mike Hull carved out quite a legacy at Canon-McMillan. Hull was an Observer-Reporter Athlete of the Year, Football Player of the Year, two-time first team All-State selection (should have been three), WPIAL team wrestling and team track champion and a PIAA baseball champion.
Now, another Hull is playing football for the Big Macs.
Senior Ashley Hull, Mike's sister, is Canon-McMillan's kicker and she is the first female in Big Macs history to score points in a football game. Hull is also the starting goalie on the soccer team.
* Trinity got sophomore Pat Frey back from injury, and Frey certainly helped the Hillers beat West Mifflin. Did you know that Trinity is 6-0 versus West Mifflin since dropping to Class AAA?
It's not all good news for the Hillers this week.
Standount tailback Tyler Yocca, who has excelled in the Hillers' triple-option offense, suffered a knee injury.
"It's possible that we've lost him for the year," Dalton said. "It's a fast track at West Mifflin and not as giving as turf at most other place. (Yocca) was having such a good season."
The injury could force a switch in offensive philosophy.
"We might go out of our three-back role," Dalton said. "We could become more formation-oriented, more two-back formations."
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Week 5 thoughts
Clairton 84, Avella 0.
Only to be outdone by Gateway 85, Norwin 0.
According to reports, Avella head coach Ryan Cecchini placed no blame on Clairton for the final score. Instead, Cecchini said a series of Avella mistakes, particularly on botched punts, continually gave the Bears prime field position.
The final score makes me think several things.
1. It's time for Clairton to move up to Class AA. Aliquippa does it. Jeannette does it. Monessen does it in basketball; and all are very successful. How much fun can it be knowing you will not face competition until the WPIAL championship game at the earliest?
2. Even before Cecchini disclosed some details of the game, I found it hard to place blame on Clairton. Seriously.
It's not Clairton's fault it is that much better.
Also, the Bears have been criticized for many things. They've taken knees after halftime (a move that still baffles me). They've acted unsportsmanlike after games, but if the starters were pulled and they weren't throwing the football, you can't put blame on them for the final score against Avella.
3. There needs to be mergers.
* Weather can be a great equalizer, and it certainly helped Brentwood during the Spartans' 20-19 overtime win at Fort Cherry. For the Rangers, it's a crippling loss with Clairton and Chartiers-Houston remaining on the schedule.
Brentwood did a better job at the line of scrimmage than Fort Cherry, and the Rangers hurt themselves with a myriad of mistakes - fumbled snaps, poor punts, missed extra points and missed assignments.
I covered the last two Fort Cherry-Brentwood games and thought both times the Rangers were the more talented team. Yet, the Spartans won both games. As stated many times on this blog, it takes a lot more than talent to win at the varsity level.
* Speaking of talent, Washington sure looks like its coming into its own.
The Prexies notched a second consecutive impressive victory, the latest a 41-16 romp at Keystone Oaks.
Shai McKenzie, a sophomore, is emerging as Washington's top runner and, with Jaylin Kelly, that's a dynamic one-two punch. Quarterback Josh Wise and receiver Ethan Gordon are bringing balance to an offense that is emerging as a big-play bunch.
A win against Steel Valley should lock up second place in the Century Conference for Washington. Considering the reaction following losses to Clairton and Seton-La Salle, not sure the Prexies faithful saw this coming.
* Beth-Center continues to get things done, and senior Sal Faieta is in the midst of his best season.
Faieta is a workout warrior, intelligent football player with a high motor, and he's a proven winner. Now, Faieta and Beth-Center face a difficult test in Monessen.
The Greyhounds aren't happy after being shutout at North Catholic, a game where quarterback Chavas Rawlins suffered a broken hand but continued to play. Monessen has also beat Beth-Center the past two seasons.
There isn't a bigger game in the area this Friday than Monessen at Beth-Center. The winner will win the Tri-County South Conference and should earn a top five seed in the WPIAL Class A playoffs.
* Waynesburg's Nick Zupper is in the midst of a monster season. He's already pushing 1,000 yards rushing.
* If the season ended today, Ringgold's Quad Law would be the Observer-Reporter Player of the Year.
Follow me on Twitter @TheMikeKovak
Only to be outdone by Gateway 85, Norwin 0.
According to reports, Avella head coach Ryan Cecchini placed no blame on Clairton for the final score. Instead, Cecchini said a series of Avella mistakes, particularly on botched punts, continually gave the Bears prime field position.
The final score makes me think several things.
1. It's time for Clairton to move up to Class AA. Aliquippa does it. Jeannette does it. Monessen does it in basketball; and all are very successful. How much fun can it be knowing you will not face competition until the WPIAL championship game at the earliest?
2. Even before Cecchini disclosed some details of the game, I found it hard to place blame on Clairton. Seriously.
It's not Clairton's fault it is that much better.
Also, the Bears have been criticized for many things. They've taken knees after halftime (a move that still baffles me). They've acted unsportsmanlike after games, but if the starters were pulled and they weren't throwing the football, you can't put blame on them for the final score against Avella.
3. There needs to be mergers.
* Weather can be a great equalizer, and it certainly helped Brentwood during the Spartans' 20-19 overtime win at Fort Cherry. For the Rangers, it's a crippling loss with Clairton and Chartiers-Houston remaining on the schedule.
Brentwood did a better job at the line of scrimmage than Fort Cherry, and the Rangers hurt themselves with a myriad of mistakes - fumbled snaps, poor punts, missed extra points and missed assignments.
I covered the last two Fort Cherry-Brentwood games and thought both times the Rangers were the more talented team. Yet, the Spartans won both games. As stated many times on this blog, it takes a lot more than talent to win at the varsity level.
* Speaking of talent, Washington sure looks like its coming into its own.
The Prexies notched a second consecutive impressive victory, the latest a 41-16 romp at Keystone Oaks.
Shai McKenzie, a sophomore, is emerging as Washington's top runner and, with Jaylin Kelly, that's a dynamic one-two punch. Quarterback Josh Wise and receiver Ethan Gordon are bringing balance to an offense that is emerging as a big-play bunch.
A win against Steel Valley should lock up second place in the Century Conference for Washington. Considering the reaction following losses to Clairton and Seton-La Salle, not sure the Prexies faithful saw this coming.
* Beth-Center continues to get things done, and senior Sal Faieta is in the midst of his best season.
Faieta is a workout warrior, intelligent football player with a high motor, and he's a proven winner. Now, Faieta and Beth-Center face a difficult test in Monessen.
The Greyhounds aren't happy after being shutout at North Catholic, a game where quarterback Chavas Rawlins suffered a broken hand but continued to play. Monessen has also beat Beth-Center the past two seasons.
There isn't a bigger game in the area this Friday than Monessen at Beth-Center. The winner will win the Tri-County South Conference and should earn a top five seed in the WPIAL Class A playoffs.
* Waynesburg's Nick Zupper is in the midst of a monster season. He's already pushing 1,000 yards rushing.
* If the season ended today, Ringgold's Quad Law would be the Observer-Reporter Player of the Year.
Follow me on Twitter @TheMikeKovak
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Avella hires Cecchini as football coach
Football will be played at Avella High School in 2011 as the school board approved the hiring of Ryan Cecchini Wednesday night as the Eagles' next coach.
Cecchini, 30, served as Avella's junior high coach in 2010, and was also the junior high wrestling coach. Cecchini is a 1999 graduate of Avella, where he played football and wrestled. He went on to play football at Hiram College.
Cecchini originally interviewed for the position in March and his name appeared on April's agenda, but the board opted to table the hiring for two months. That helped fuel rumors that the football program might disband in favor of soccer.
Cecchini replaced Frank Gray, who resigned in March after compiling a 3-24 record in three years. Gray's efforts in 2008 helped save football at Avella.
Cecchini, 30, served as Avella's junior high coach in 2010, and was also the junior high wrestling coach. Cecchini is a 1999 graduate of Avella, where he played football and wrestled. He went on to play football at Hiram College.
Cecchini originally interviewed for the position in March and his name appeared on April's agenda, but the board opted to table the hiring for two months. That helped fuel rumors that the football program might disband in favor of soccer.
Cecchini replaced Frank Gray, who resigned in March after compiling a 3-24 record in three years. Gray's efforts in 2008 helped save football at Avella.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Avella tables football hire
Avella football remains without a head coach after the school board tabled a decision to fill the position during Wednesday night's meeting.
It marks the second time the decision has been tabled.
Previously, Avella graduate Ryan Cecchini's name was on the agenda to be hired. Several current players are rallying for an assistant coach.
Frank Gray spent the past three seasons as the Eagles football coach, and he helped keep the program afloat during some difficult times. More of those could be on the horizon as rumors of dropping the football program in favor of soccer have swirled for months.
Follow me on Twitter @TheMikeKovak
It marks the second time the decision has been tabled.
Previously, Avella graduate Ryan Cecchini's name was on the agenda to be hired. Several current players are rallying for an assistant coach.
Frank Gray spent the past three seasons as the Eagles football coach, and he helped keep the program afloat during some difficult times. More of those could be on the horizon as rumors of dropping the football program in favor of soccer have swirled for months.
Follow me on Twitter @TheMikeKovak
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Putting a bowtie on basketball season
One great run came to an end in the PIAA basketball playoffs, while two other teams leave their respective followings wondering about potential greatness next season.
South Fayette, coming of a Class AA state title, dominated Class AAA competition throughout the regular season and entered the postseason as a prohibitive favorite to win a WPIAL title, the school's first.
The Lions, led by eight seniors and a defensive-minded attitude, cruised into the championship game before Montour - a team that lost to South Fayette twice during the regular season - dominated the pace of the title game and won by 11 points.
South Fayette bumped into Montour once again in the PIAA semifinals. This time, the Lions got off to a strong start before Montour exerted its will, got hot from three-point range and pulled away in the second half.
It was a bitter end for South Fayette, a competitive and talented group that wanted to add more hardware to its collection.
Still, the Lions go down as one great team.
South Fayette played in one WPIAL championship game and reached the semifinals two other times, in year's where the Class AA bracket was absolutely loaded. The Lions won a state title, reached the semifinals the following year in a higher classification. They won more than 90 games in a four-year stretch, including eight WPIAL playoff games and nine state playoff games, including eight consecutive before the loss to Montour.
It's the type of run that schools like Washington and Monessen know about.
Speaking of Monessen, the Greyhounds
provided one great story in winning the WPIAL Class AA championship - their fourth under head coach Joe Salvino.
After a 20-point win over Greensburg Central Catholic in the championship, Salvino said this title was the sweetest.
Part of that reasoning had to do with Monessen winning with an outstanding team work ethic. The Greyhounds got through the bracket without leading scorer Jaisen Irwin, who returned for the state playoffs and helped the Greyhounds reach the semifinals before GCC gained a measure of revenge.
Monessen returns several key figures, including Irwin and Jalen Madison. The Greyhounds could factor into the championship picture again
next year.
So could the Fort Cherry girls.
The Rangers, with four junior starters and a freshman as the first player off the bench, dominated Section 3-A before reaching their first WPIAL championship game.
The most encouraging sign for Fort Cherry is it played its best basketball during the postseason and reached the PIAA quarterfinals before it lost to perennial power Bishop Guilfoyle - the state runner-up.
Fort Cherry had that game tied in the fourth quarter.
* Trinity's Josh Valentic became the first player from a Washington County school to average 30-plus points in 13 years. One reason why was Valentic's ability to get to the basket.
Anyone who thinks Valentic is strictly a jump shooter must not have watched him play his senior season.
* Avella's Amanda Temple led the WPIAL in girls scoring with a 22.0 average.
Does anyone remember the last time a player from Washington or Greene led the district in scoring?
Anyone?
If so, let us know.
* The Monessen girls didn't reach the WPIAL or PIAA Class A championship games but, like Fort Cherry, the Greyhounds return so many top players that winning both titles will be goals set before next season starts.
* The Chartiers-Houston girls could be very good in 2011-12.
* So could the Wash High boys, especially if the highly hyped freshman class lives up to the billing when they join the varsity as sophomores.
* One player that looks intriguing as a possible college prospect is Fort Cherry junior Carolena Gasbarro.
Her game isn't as polished as teammate Beka Bellhy and she's not as explosive quick as Jessie Merckle, but Gasbarro has some qualities college coaches like. At 5-10, she has the length to play at the next level and her defense is top-notch. Gasbarro is also an effective interior offensive player.
Wouldn't be surprised if Gasbarro ends up being the most heavily recruited girls player from the area next year.
* After watching South Fayette lose to Montour in the PIAA Class AAA semifinals and Washington lose to North Catholic two years ago in the Class AA semis, the thought here is that losing that game may be the toughest one to drop.
Losing a WPIAL championship is tough, but unless it's football, the season continues. Losing a PIAA championship stinks, but the experience is amazing.
* Early predictions for 2012 players of the year - Fort Cherry's Beka Bellhy and Washington's Josh Wise.
* Canon-McMillan senior Dylan Berger said his three finalists are Millersville, Lycoming and Bethany. If Berger, a 6-8 forward who can play outside, chooses Millersville that would give this area four Division II players.
That's almost unheard of and certainly has not happened in my time at this newspaper.
* The Tri-County Athletic Directors Association selects boys and girls basketball coaches of the year. Every coach in the Tri-CADA area, which runs from South Fayette to Fayette County, votes for the top three choices (not including himself/herself). The Observer-Reporter sports staff also gets one vote and the winner is honored at the annual Coach of the Year Banquet.
The guess here is the boys winner will be Monessen's Joe Salvino, who led the Greyhounds to the WPIAL Class AA championship and PIAA semifinals in addition to picking up his 500th career victory.
The girls winner could be Fort Cherry's Bob Miles.
* If the selection process were limited to Washington and Greene counties, a strong candidate for boys coach would be Ringgold's Pete Logan.
The Rams won two games last year in Class AAAA, but finished tied for third with Trinity in Section 5-AAA, which should be considered the best in the state considering South Fayette and Montour played in the state semifinals and for the WPIAL championship.
Ringgold also won its first playoff game since the 1990s.
* I'm in the process of compiling the boys and girls all-district teams.
The boys team has a heavy senior flavor. Real heavy.
Makes me wonder if 2011-12 will be a rebuilding process for many of the area's more competitive teams.
* Speaking of next year, will someone please play some semblance of defense in next year's Washington-Greene all-star game?
South Fayette, coming of a Class AA state title, dominated Class AAA competition throughout the regular season and entered the postseason as a prohibitive favorite to win a WPIAL title, the school's first.
The Lions, led by eight seniors and a defensive-minded attitude, cruised into the championship game before Montour - a team that lost to South Fayette twice during the regular season - dominated the pace of the title game and won by 11 points.South Fayette bumped into Montour once again in the PIAA semifinals. This time, the Lions got off to a strong start before Montour exerted its will, got hot from three-point range and pulled away in the second half.
It was a bitter end for South Fayette, a competitive and talented group that wanted to add more hardware to its collection.
Still, the Lions go down as one great team.
South Fayette played in one WPIAL championship game and reached the semifinals two other times, in year's where the Class AA bracket was absolutely loaded. The Lions won a state title, reached the semifinals the following year in a higher classification. They won more than 90 games in a four-year stretch, including eight WPIAL playoff games and nine state playoff games, including eight consecutive before the loss to Montour.
It's the type of run that schools like Washington and Monessen know about.
Speaking of Monessen, the Greyhounds
provided one great story in winning the WPIAL Class AA championship - their fourth under head coach Joe Salvino.After a 20-point win over Greensburg Central Catholic in the championship, Salvino said this title was the sweetest.
Part of that reasoning had to do with Monessen winning with an outstanding team work ethic. The Greyhounds got through the bracket without leading scorer Jaisen Irwin, who returned for the state playoffs and helped the Greyhounds reach the semifinals before GCC gained a measure of revenge.
Monessen returns several key figures, including Irwin and Jalen Madison. The Greyhounds could factor into the championship picture again
next year.So could the Fort Cherry girls.
The Rangers, with four junior starters and a freshman as the first player off the bench, dominated Section 3-A before reaching their first WPIAL championship game.
The most encouraging sign for Fort Cherry is it played its best basketball during the postseason and reached the PIAA quarterfinals before it lost to perennial power Bishop Guilfoyle - the state runner-up.
Fort Cherry had that game tied in the fourth quarter.
* Trinity's Josh Valentic became the first player from a Washington County school to average 30-plus points in 13 years. One reason why was Valentic's ability to get to the basket.
Anyone who thinks Valentic is strictly a jump shooter must not have watched him play his senior season.
* Avella's Amanda Temple led the WPIAL in girls scoring with a 22.0 average.
Does anyone remember the last time a player from Washington or Greene led the district in scoring?
Anyone?
If so, let us know.
* The Monessen girls didn't reach the WPIAL or PIAA Class A championship games but, like Fort Cherry, the Greyhounds return so many top players that winning both titles will be goals set before next season starts.
* The Chartiers-Houston girls could be very good in 2011-12.
* So could the Wash High boys, especially if the highly hyped freshman class lives up to the billing when they join the varsity as sophomores.
* One player that looks intriguing as a possible college prospect is Fort Cherry junior Carolena Gasbarro.
Her game isn't as polished as teammate Beka Bellhy and she's not as explosive quick as Jessie Merckle, but Gasbarro has some qualities college coaches like. At 5-10, she has the length to play at the next level and her defense is top-notch. Gasbarro is also an effective interior offensive player.
Wouldn't be surprised if Gasbarro ends up being the most heavily recruited girls player from the area next year.
* After watching South Fayette lose to Montour in the PIAA Class AAA semifinals and Washington lose to North Catholic two years ago in the Class AA semis, the thought here is that losing that game may be the toughest one to drop.
Losing a WPIAL championship is tough, but unless it's football, the season continues. Losing a PIAA championship stinks, but the experience is amazing.
* Early predictions for 2012 players of the year - Fort Cherry's Beka Bellhy and Washington's Josh Wise.
* Canon-McMillan senior Dylan Berger said his three finalists are Millersville, Lycoming and Bethany. If Berger, a 6-8 forward who can play outside, chooses Millersville that would give this area four Division II players.
That's almost unheard of and certainly has not happened in my time at this newspaper.
* The Tri-County Athletic Directors Association selects boys and girls basketball coaches of the year. Every coach in the Tri-CADA area, which runs from South Fayette to Fayette County, votes for the top three choices (not including himself/herself). The Observer-Reporter sports staff also gets one vote and the winner is honored at the annual Coach of the Year Banquet.
The guess here is the boys winner will be Monessen's Joe Salvino, who led the Greyhounds to the WPIAL Class AA championship and PIAA semifinals in addition to picking up his 500th career victory.
The girls winner could be Fort Cherry's Bob Miles.
* If the selection process were limited to Washington and Greene counties, a strong candidate for boys coach would be Ringgold's Pete Logan.
The Rams won two games last year in Class AAAA, but finished tied for third with Trinity in Section 5-AAA, which should be considered the best in the state considering South Fayette and Montour played in the state semifinals and for the WPIAL championship.
Ringgold also won its first playoff game since the 1990s.
* I'm in the process of compiling the boys and girls all-district teams.
The boys team has a heavy senior flavor. Real heavy.
Makes me wonder if 2011-12 will be a rebuilding process for many of the area's more competitive teams.
* Speaking of next year, will someone please play some semblance of defense in next year's Washington-Greene all-star game?
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Gray resigns as Avella football coach
It might be hard to believe but Avella football was once a WPIAL small-school powerhouse. The Eagles tradition pre-1980 ranked right up there with any from the area. There were multiple WPIAL championships, several other championship game appearances, NFL players and Division I talent.
Things changed drastically.
If Avella isn't the graveyard of WPIAL football these days, it's awfully close. Avella's football plight is well-documented in recent years as the Observer-Reporter, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and even the New York Times did multiple stories on the Eagles.
A couple years ago, it seemed the only logical solution was to drop football. Frank Gray changed that opinion.
Gray worked hard to restore numbers and some sense of competitiveness to Avella football, and Gray also did his best to keep the Eagles in the news. He pushed for players to earn all-district, and even all-state mention.
In three years, Gray went 3-24 but he and Avella earned the respect of playoff regulars like Clairton and Fort Cherry along the way.
Gray recently resigned from his position as Avella's football coach, stating that certain people in the community who were close to the football program were making the situation too difficult to handle. For a coach who once dressed a female cheerleader to put 11 player on the field in hopes of not forfeiting a season and the likely end of Avella football, those people must have been awfully overbearing.
For more on Gray's resignation, read today's story in the O-R by clicking http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/localsports/03-05-2011-Gray-resigns-at-Avella.
Gray's resignation leaves Avella as the lone local school without a football coach heading toward the spring. The story states Avella hopes to fill the vacancy next month. That leads to this question, who wants the job?
Monday, January 31, 2011
Boys basketball, week in review
Team of the Week – Avella
The Eagles remained one game behind Section 3-A leader Bentworth, but it wasn't without one wild comeback at home against Carmichaels.
One day after Avella (5-1 section, 9-7 overall) – the only team in 3-A with a winning record – dispatched Mapletown, the Mikes forced overtime when Seth Krall hit a three-pointer with six seconds remaining.
Carmichaels got 26 points apiece from Jonathan Krall and Seth Krall and the Mikes surged to an eight-point lead in overtime.
Avella rallied in the final 90 seconds and took the lead for good an a Damon Cupp layup with 18 seconds remaining. A pair of free throws from Cameron Geresti iced the game.
Runner-up – Ringgold
The Rams solidified their playoff position in Section 5-AAA with a pair of wins; the first over Waynesburg and the second at Washington Friday night. Andrew Stine scored a combined 66 points in the two games, including a school record 42 against Waynesburg.
Starting five
Jonathan Krall, Carmichaels
Tyler Pavan, Burgettstown
Andrew Stine, Ringgold
John Tyler, California
Josh Valentic, Trinity
Off the bench
Tyler Corbitt, Charleroi
Pavan-ing the way – As Burgettstown clings to fourth place in Section 5-AA, there's little doubt the Blue Devils playoff chances rest on the scoring touch of Pavan, a senior guard who is nearing 1,000 career points.
Pavan, an all-section selection last year, has been on an offensive tear since a one-point loss to Washington. Over his last six games, Pavan is averaging 27.2 points per game. He is averaging 21.5 points on the season.
The Eagles remained one game behind Section 3-A leader Bentworth, but it wasn't without one wild comeback at home against Carmichaels.
One day after Avella (5-1 section, 9-7 overall) – the only team in 3-A with a winning record – dispatched Mapletown, the Mikes forced overtime when Seth Krall hit a three-pointer with six seconds remaining.
Carmichaels got 26 points apiece from Jonathan Krall and Seth Krall and the Mikes surged to an eight-point lead in overtime.
Avella rallied in the final 90 seconds and took the lead for good an a Damon Cupp layup with 18 seconds remaining. A pair of free throws from Cameron Geresti iced the game.
Runner-up – Ringgold
The Rams solidified their playoff position in Section 5-AAA with a pair of wins; the first over Waynesburg and the second at Washington Friday night. Andrew Stine scored a combined 66 points in the two games, including a school record 42 against Waynesburg.
Starting five
Jonathan Krall, Carmichaels
Tyler Pavan, Burgettstown
Andrew Stine, Ringgold
John Tyler, California
Josh Valentic, Trinity
Off the bench
Tyler Corbitt, Charleroi
Pavan-ing the way – As Burgettstown clings to fourth place in Section 5-AA, there's little doubt the Blue Devils playoff chances rest on the scoring touch of Pavan, a senior guard who is nearing 1,000 career points.
Pavan, an all-section selection last year, has been on an offensive tear since a one-point loss to Washington. Over his last six games, Pavan is averaging 27.2 points per game. He is averaging 21.5 points on the season.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Boys basketball AA-A team capsules
Class AA
California
The Trojans are one of the smaller teams playing in Class AA but that didn't stop them from qualifying for the postseason a year ago. California beat Apollo-Ridge in an entertaining, back-and-forth preliminary round game before being ousted by Greensburg Central Catholic.
Thanks to realignment, California and Greensburg Central Catholic are both in Section 4-AA. The Centurions are tabbed as preseason favorites to win the section and the WPIAL. California figures to be one of the teams GCC must contend with to win the section title.
Leading scorer John Tyler, a 6-0 shooting guard who suffered a season-ending foot injury before last postseason, returns.
So do sophomores Tanner Huffman and Brian Fisher.
Huffman was California's point guard and Fisher came off the bench to provide energy, rebounding and defense.
Beth-Center
The Bulldogs have made three WPIAL playoff appearances during the 10-year coaching tenure of Barry Niemiec. If you know anything about the history of Beth-Center basketball, that's a successful run.
Making the playoffs from Section 4-AA, which includes preseason favorite Greensburg Central Catholic and Jeannette, won't be easy but Beth-Center returns three starters and eight lettermen, including Lucas Diethorn, to give Niemiec one of his more experienced teams.
Charleroi
The Cougars opened the season with a win at Belle Vernon. The Leopards played Ringgold earlier in the day after a scheduling mishap forced Elizabeth Forward to withdrawl from the Belle Vernon Tipoff Tournament.
Charleroi won't wow many in the point total but the Cougars play defense and rebound, plus have several key returning lettermen including Vinnie Scirotto.
Fort Cherry
Heading into tonight's non-section game at South Fayette, Fort Cherry senior Nate Bellhy needs 17 points to reach 1,000 for his varsity career. A 6-5 scoring a,d rebounding machine, Bellhy averaged nearly 29 points per game as a junior and he committed to Division II Seton Hill during the fall.
The Rangers will go as Bellhy goes and an improved defense could work wonder. Fort Cherry yielded 69.5 points per game. Only three WPIAL teams, one being Ringgold, allowed a higher average.
Burgettstown
The Blue Devils are 0-2 after playing a pair of Class AAA schools in Washington and Trinity at the Canon-McMillan Tournament. Point guard Tyler Pavan was one of the top players in Section 5 last year, and that was with Washington in the league.
Chartiers-Houston
The Bucs return only two lettermen and no returning starters from last year's senior-filled lineup. First-year coach Eugene Briggs, the former head coach at Fort Cherry, will rely on Josh Counihan and Kevin Welsh and hope the sophomores and freshmen develop quickly.
Monessen
The Greyhounds opted to remain in Class AA, they've been playing up for several cycles, but lost some natural rivalries when they were shipped to Section 3. Instead of playing Washington, Burgettstown or even teams from Section 4, Monessen draws Bishop Canevin, Seton-La Salle, Steel Valley and others.
It wasn't a popular move in Monessen, but it shouldn't keep the Greyhounds from contedning for a section title and a possible deep postseason run.
Monessen is 1-1 after playing in Franklin Regional's tipoff tournament and the loss was a 94-90 setback to Class AAA Norwin. With point guard Jalen Madison, athletic swingman Jaisen Irwin and big man Cam Johnson, the Greyhounds are on of Class AA's more talented teams.
Class A
Avella
The Eagles haven't won a section championship since 1970 and there are only two in team history. According to coaches in Section 3, Avella could add to that number this year.
Head coach Joseph Hough has four starters back and a nice mix of height and experience.
Junior guard Joe Yamber averaged 15 points per game last year and he'll be complemented by 6-7 senior Neil Gossett and 6-5 senior Damon Cupp.
Avella, already 2-0 on the year, returns nine of its top 10 from a year ago, including Cameron Geresti and Jed Fernbaugh.
Carmichaels
The Mikes lost leading scorer Bill Musgrove but returned the other four starters and six lettermen, which makes them a contender in Section 3 for head coach Don Williams, who has won 415 games in 35 years with the team.
Jon Krall, Seth Krall and Jordan Kennedy are three of the top returnees in a lineup that will rely on speed and defense to win games.
Jefferson-Morgan
The Rockets will be guided by first-year head coach Chris Niemiec, brother of Beth-Center coach Barry Niemiec. Jefferson-Morgan will be one of the younger teams in Class A with no seniors and only six juniors.
Bentworth
The Bearcats' non-section schedule isn't made with ready-made victories in mind. It's designed by veteran head coach Joe Kennedy (pictured) to prepare Bentworth for the playoffs. That's why there's always games against the likes of Clairton, Burgettstown and OLSH.
The defending Section 3 champs return all-district guard John Barker (14.9 ppg) and forward Gannon Walls-Mitchell (12.1) and they should anchor a lineup that is expected to contend for another title.
Bentworth returns eight lettermen.
Mapletown
Junior Marcus Cumpston could be one of th top players in Section 3 for a Mapletown team that qualified for the postseason last year despite numbers problems. Head coach Bo Garnek has a few more bodies on the bench this year as Mapletown fields an 11-player roster.
West Greene
The Pioneers won only one game and ranked last in the WPIAL in offense at 23.9 points per game last year. Curtis Jones is West Greene's top returning player.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Boys basketball preseason watch list
Preseason Player of the Year
Mike Lamberti, South Fayette, Sr., F
Preseason all-stars
John Barker, Bentworth, Sr., G
Zach Barnes, Washington, Sr., F
Nate Bellhy, Fort Cherry, Sr., F
Kiontae Davis, Canon-McMillan, Sr., G
Tanner Huffman, California, Soph., G
Jaisen Irwin, Monessen, Jr., F
Tyler Pavan, Burgettstown, Sr., G
Pat Zedreck, South Fayette, Sr., G
Josh Valentic, Trinity, Sr., G
Joe Yamber, Avella, Jr., G/F
Watch out for
Brian Fisher, California, Soph., F
Brett Haney, Canon-McMillan, Soph., G
Josh Wise, Washington, Soph., F
Did you know?
Fort Cherry's Bellhy averaged 28.9 ppg as a junior, which ranked second in the WPIAL. Bellhy made a commitment to Division II Seton Hill this fall. ... Valentic, who averaged 22.3 last year, has 958 career points. Trinity's career scoring leader is Mike Deegan with 1,296 points. ... South Fayette, the reigning PIAA Class AA champions, can't defend the title because the Lions, along with Wash High, moved up to Section 5-AAA. ... Washington reached the PIAA Class AA quarterfinals (2010) and semifinals (2009) the past two seasons. ... Avella returns seven of its top eight players from last year.
Mike Lamberti, South Fayette, Sr., F
Preseason all-stars
John Barker, Bentworth, Sr., G
Zach Barnes, Washington, Sr., F
Nate Bellhy, Fort Cherry, Sr., F
Kiontae Davis, Canon-McMillan, Sr., G
Tanner Huffman, California, Soph., G
Jaisen Irwin, Monessen, Jr., F
Tyler Pavan, Burgettstown, Sr., G
Pat Zedreck, South Fayette, Sr., G
Josh Valentic, Trinity, Sr., G
Joe Yamber, Avella, Jr., G/F
Watch out for
Brian Fisher, California, Soph., F
Brett Haney, Canon-McMillan, Soph., G
Josh Wise, Washington, Soph., F
Did you know?
Fort Cherry's Bellhy averaged 28.9 ppg as a junior, which ranked second in the WPIAL. Bellhy made a commitment to Division II Seton Hill this fall. ... Valentic, who averaged 22.3 last year, has 958 career points. Trinity's career scoring leader is Mike Deegan with 1,296 points. ... South Fayette, the reigning PIAA Class AA champions, can't defend the title because the Lions, along with Wash High, moved up to Section 5-AAA. ... Washington reached the PIAA Class AA quarterfinals (2010) and semifinals (2009) the past two seasons. ... Avella returns seven of its top eight players from last year.
Girls basketball preseason watch list
Preseason Player of the Year
Emily Hansen, Canon-McMillan, Sr., G
Preseason all-stars
Beka Bellhy, Fort Cherry, Jr., F
Morgan Berardi, Carmichaels, Soph., G
Morgan Iacovino, Charleroi, Sr., F
Lizzy King, South Fayette, Sr., G
Aujuwa Moore, Washington, Sr., F
Merissa Morgan, Peters Township, Jr., G
Anna Shashura, Beth-Center, Sr., G
Geena Shrader, Monessen, Sr., G
Amanda Temple, Avella, Sr., G/F
Mariah Ward, Monessen, Soph., G/F
Watch out for
Olivia English, Avella, Soph., G
Tori Foster, Chartiers-Houston, Soph., G
Breanna Hollick, Trinity, Sr., G
Jessie Merckle, Fort Cherry, Jr., G
Melissa Phillis, Burgettstown, Jr., G
Did you know?
Hansen, one of the top scorers in Class AAAA the past two seasons, is being recruited by Division II schools, including members of the WVIAC. ... Washington had its nine-year reign as champions of Section 5-AA snapped last year by Beth-Center. Section coaches believe the Prexies will again challenge for section supremacy but be pushed by Brownsville. ... Fort Cherry and Monessen played last year in the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals, a game won by the Greyhounds. Both teams return the majority of those rosters making the Rangers the favorite to win Section 3 and Monessen the pick in Section 4. ... Fort Cherry and Monessen should be strong, but so should several other Class A teams. Carmichaels returns four starters. So does Chartiers-Houston and Avella.
Emily Hansen, Canon-McMillan, Sr., G
Preseason all-stars
Beka Bellhy, Fort Cherry, Jr., F
Morgan Berardi, Carmichaels, Soph., G
Morgan Iacovino, Charleroi, Sr., F
Lizzy King, South Fayette, Sr., G
Aujuwa Moore, Washington, Sr., F
Merissa Morgan, Peters Township, Jr., G
Anna Shashura, Beth-Center, Sr., G
Geena Shrader, Monessen, Sr., G
Amanda Temple, Avella, Sr., G/F
Mariah Ward, Monessen, Soph., G/F
Watch out for
Olivia English, Avella, Soph., G
Tori Foster, Chartiers-Houston, Soph., G
Breanna Hollick, Trinity, Sr., G
Jessie Merckle, Fort Cherry, Jr., G
Melissa Phillis, Burgettstown, Jr., G
Did you know?
Hansen, one of the top scorers in Class AAAA the past two seasons, is being recruited by Division II schools, including members of the WVIAC. ... Washington had its nine-year reign as champions of Section 5-AA snapped last year by Beth-Center. Section coaches believe the Prexies will again challenge for section supremacy but be pushed by Brownsville. ... Fort Cherry and Monessen played last year in the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals, a game won by the Greyhounds. Both teams return the majority of those rosters making the Rangers the favorite to win Section 3 and Monessen the pick in Section 4. ... Fort Cherry and Monessen should be strong, but so should several other Class A teams. Carmichaels returns four starters. So does Chartiers-Houston and Avella.
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