Team of the Week -Monessen
The Greyhounds established themselves as prohibitive favorites in Section 3-AA with wins over Wilkinsburg and Steel Valley. Monessen, with a 4-0 section record and a 9-2 overall mark, handed both teams their first section loss.Monessen's only losses were against Class AAAA schools – Norwin and highly regarded North Allegheny.
With head coach Joe Salvino rapidly approaching career win No. 500, Monessen is getting solid production from a strong rotation. At Wilkinsburg, Cam Johnson and Jaisen Irwin came off the bench to combine for 38 points.
Against Steel Valley, point guards Jalen Madison scored 20 points and the Greyhounds defense limited the Ironmen to 18 points in the first half.
Ringgold continued its strong start with a key Section 5-AAA win against Washington and a non-section victory over South Park.
Tanner Huffman, California
Mike Lamberti, South Fayette
Jalen Madison, Monessen
Tyler Pavan, Burgettstown
Andrew Stine, Ringgold
Off the bench
Dylan Berger, Canon-McMillanCoaching milestone – Trinity coach Joe Dunn picked up career win No. 300 Friday night when the Hillers beat McGuffey in a Section 5-AAA game. Dunn joins an exclusive list of coaches from the area to win that many games.
California's Phil Pergola leads all local coaches with 544 victories.
Monessen's Salvino has 498 career wins. Next is long-time Carmichaels coach Don Williams, who has 419 wins. Canon-Mac's Rick Bell has 320.
8 comments:
haven't seen monesson this year yet but i'm not surprised their doing well even without the stepoli boys, i'm a little surprised the johnson boy is coming off the bench.
also, i think the boy from trimity has to be on your list every week, he's probably one of if not the best shooter in the county.
I have been a basketball fan for the past 25 years. Over that time I have watched all of the best players in the district. I am just a fan and do not care who wins, so my comment is from that view. I went to the Ft Cherry burgettstown game tonight to see the Belhy kid, he is a very good player, but I came away with this in mind.At all levels the refs if they admit it or not, let the best players get away with a little more than the average player. The best players go to the line when they get a little bump on offense, and on defense the get away with being more agressive.
I do not remember in the last 25 years a player that got more protection from 2 of the 3 refs, than I saw tonight. Belhy commited at least 10-12 fouls and only got called for 4 and went to the line on calles that if he was on defense would never been called.
The very good players often have more leadway and you cannot blame the kid he was just playing hard, but I wonder if anyone agrees with me that the refs protect the better players.
I'm not sure if I agree with you anon. But I will try and keep an eye out the rest of the regular season.
Anon,
In the game I saw it was just the opposite.
From all of the games I have been to over the years it usually seems that the smaller players get the better end of the calls, not the bigger players.
In last nights game between Fort Cherry and Burgettstown, Nate Belhy was blanketed by two defenders the whole game! They were holding, pushing, impeding his movement every step of the way. It was a case of less skilled players aggressively defending a highly skilled player and getting away with it. That should never be the case. That said, he still had 25 points, 8 assists, and 16 rebounds. There is not a kid around that I have seen play that does more for his team than that boy. He does it all!
Tyler Pavan from BT played a great game too. He is quick, fast, can handle the ball well and can shoot effectively. But when it comes to the complete package of defense, rebounding, passing, dribbling, shooting, taking it to the hoop, and high basketball IQ, along with a 6'6" frame...Belhy is my pick. I will look forward to seeing him play again.
Coach, I agree with you, as I said in my comment Belhy is a very good player I agree the total package, but he bodied Pavin a number of times as Pavin went to the hoop and was not called, that is a fact.As far as the player who does more for his team than anyone it is Velentic from Trinity, I pick him over Belhy as the best player I have seen this year.
Coach
How could you possibily know all Belhy stats in that game unless you are HIS coach, and if so you are BLIND to him committing fouls,and if you are not his coach the only person who would know his ststs would be a realitive of Belhy, and again partial to his play, not objective at all.
Anon,
The stats were in the paper.
Anon 1:
Yes, Valentic is another very good player. Have seen him play, too. Close call...better outside shooter than Belhy, smooth, but not as powerful, defense not as good, rebounding not as good, but a great asset to his team as well. It would be great to see them play against each other. From the games I have seen, Valentic does not get the pressure from defenses as much as Belhy, but nmo question he is a valuable game changer to his team.
Anon 2:
Knowing the stats was simply a matter of reading the sports page, as follows:
"Bellhy scored 25 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and had eight assists. Cloonan followed with 21 points, and Tyreke Brown and Rich Williamson had 10 each."
Not his coach or relative. Just commenting on what I think after seeing many of the top players in the WPIAL compete this year.
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