APB, Where Are They Now?

It's back.
The Varsity Letters wants to track down the whereabouts of former standout high school athletes, so we're issuing a pair of All Points Bulletins for two softball pitchers who helped their respective teams to on-field success.
As Canon-McMillan prepares for the PIAA Class AAAA semifinals Monday against Bishop Shanahan at Carlisle High School at 4 p.m., an All Points Bulletin is being issued for Becca Petras.
As Chartiers-Houston readies for a third straight appearance in the PIAA Class A semifinals and a game against familiar foe Fannett-Metal Monday at St. Francis University at noon, an All Points Bulletin is being issued for Danielle Claassen.
Canon-McMillan softball was a regular contender for section championships during the four years Petras pitched for the Big Macs.
Petras went 13-5 with a 0.80 ERA and 198 strikeouts during her senior season in 2006. She finished her Big Macs career with 695 strikeouts and a 0.78 ERA. Petras was headed to Allegheny College upon high school graduation and may have ended up at Duquesne.

Chartiers-Houston won three consecutive WPIAL Class A championships from 2005-2007. Claassen was the winning pitcher in the 2005 and 2006 championship games.

Observer-Reporter WPIAL softball rankings

How nice has the weather been this spring? Well, Chartiers-Houston and Carmichaels, two of the top three teams in Class A, have already played the maximum 20 games. The Bucs and Mikes won't play a meaningful again until the WPIAL playoffs and both teams are candidates for first-round byes. Once the pairing are released by the WPIAL, C-H and Carmichaels are permitted to scrimmage other playoff teams.


Class AAAA
1. Shaler 15-2
2. Canon-McMillan 11-5
3. Franklin Regional 16-2
4. Peters Township 13-4
5. Norwin 14-2

Class AAA
1. Ambridge 15-2
2. Greensburg-Salem 13-2
3. Belle Vernon 15-5
4. Blackhawk 9-4
5. Montour 13-5

Class AA
1. Neshannock 17-0
2. Seton-La Salle 13-0
3. Deer Lakes 14-1
4. Burgettstown 16-2
5. Riverside 13-2

Class A
1. Chartiers-Houston 19-1
2. Sto-Rox 16-0
3. Carmichaels 19-1
4. Leechburg 14-4
5. South Side Beaver 16-3

Observer-Reporter WPIAL softball rankings

Class AAAA
1. Hempfield 8-3
2. Shaler 11-2
3. Peters Township 10-3
4. Canon-McMillan 9-4
5. Baldwin 10-3

Class AAA
1. Blackhawk 8-2
2. West Allegheny 8-1
3. Ambridge 11-2
4. Knoch 9-1
5. Greensburg-Salem 9-2

Class AA
1. Deer Lakes 11-0
2. Neshannock 12-0
3. Burgettstown 13-1
4. Seton-La Salle 8-0
5. Riverside 10-1

Class A
1. Chartiers-Houston 15-1
2. Sto-Rox 12-0
3. Carmichaels 15-1
4. Leechburg 13-4
5. Jefferson-Morgan 12-1

Ones to watch at County Invitational

The Washington-Greene County Track Coaches Invitational takes place Saturday at Canon-McMillan High School starting at 9:30 a.m.

Girls javelin is the premier event at the meet as several of the nation's top throwers will be in attendance led by Fort Cherry senior and Wake Forest signee Jesse Merckle.

According to milesplit.com, Merckle has the third-ranked girls high school javelin throw of the outdoor season at 151-0, which ranks 12th on the WPIAL's all-time list. Canon-McMillan's Mira Carrozza, a South Florida signee, has the second-best throw in Class AAA of 138-10 according to the WPIAL girls track honor roll compiled by Jim Faiella. Carrozza's throw would rank 16th on the milesplit.com list.

Big Macs teammate Anna Lombardo (124-0) ranks seventh in Class AAA. Fort Cherry's Jenna Lucas has the second-best throw (131-1) of any sophomore in the nation. Waynesburg's Richelle Tharp (122-5) and Fort Cherry's Beka Bellhy (118-8) also rank among the WPIAL's best.

* With the emergence of Canon-McMillan senior Shawn Johnson, the boys triple jump will likely draw a wall of spectators around the outside of the fence near the jumping pit.

Johnson has posted the top long jump and triple jump marks of the WPIAL season, and some of the nation's best marks too.

During a meet at Canon-McMillan Tuesday, Johnson triple jumped a school record 48-10 3/4, the eighth best mark in the nation and second best in Pennsylvania to Reading's Imani Brown (49-3 1/4). Johnson's best long jump of 23-5 is the top mark in the state and ranks 40th nationally.

Big Macs teammate Kelvin Parnell should push Johnson in the long jump and Washington's West Jones and Mijerean Witcher are among the top distances in Class AA. Jones jumped 44-5 earlier this season.

* As always, the boys 100 will draw attention, and the field looks particularly crowded. Wash High boasts four of the top 10 times in Class AA in Matt Brower (10.9), Shai McKenzie (10.93), Darius Spinks (11.0) and Chivar Brown (11.1). Trinity's John Lachinsky has run an 11.2 and Canon-McMillan, which hasn't submitted times and distances to the boys honor roll always contends in the event.

Ringgold's outstanding crop of sprinters (Demetrius Louis, Quad Law, Joey Wall and Alfon Cook) are all struggling with injuries. If two or three run, the Rams might be able to push Washington in the 400 relay.

In the girls sprints, Washington sophomore Alyssa Wise is one to watch as is Ringgold's Christina Wills. Wise has the top Class AA time in the 100 (12.1) and 200 (25.4). Wills ranks third in Class AAA at 12.2.

* Dustin Fuller ran his first open 400 dash recently and posted a 49.83, which leads Class AA runners. He'll be pushed by Trinity's Josh Urso, who ranks second in Class AAA at 50.3.

Fuller owns the top times in the 110 high hurdles (14.83) and 300 hurdles (39.8).

* The boys high jump features three of the WPIAL's premier jumpers in Washington's Josh Wise and Jones in addition to Johnson. Wise has cleared 6-6 already this season.

* Prexies senior Joe Phillips had a 49-8 in the shot put Thursday against Waynesburg. The mark ranks second in Class AA.

Observer-Reporter WPIAL softball rankings

Class AAAA
1. Hempfield 7-3
2. Shaler 9-2
3. Peters Township 9-3
4. Canon-McMillan 7-4
5. Baldwin 9-3

Class AAA
1. Blackhawk 6-2
2. West Allegheny 7-1
3. Ambridge 10-2
4. Knoch 8-1
5. Belle Vernon 11-3

Class AA
1. Deer Lakes 9-0
2. Neshannock 9-0
3. Mt. Pleasant 10-1
4. Burgettstown 10-1
5. Seton-La Salle 6-0

Class A
1. Chartiers-Houston 14-1
2. Sto-Rox 11-0
3. Carmichaels 13-1
4. Elderton 8-1
5. Shenango 6-3

WPIAL softball rankings

Most years, teams have only played four or five games at this point. Chartiers-Houston has already played 13.

Class AAAA
1. Baldwin 7-2
2. Canon-McMillan 6-2
3. Hempfield 5-3
4. Shaler 6-2
5. Peters Township 7-3

Class AAA
1. Ambridge 9-1
2. Belle Vernon 7-1
3. Knoch 6-0
4. West Allegheny 6-1
5. McGuffey 6-2

Class AA
1. Deer Lakes 7-0
2. Riverside 7-0
3. Mt. Pleasant 7-1
4. Burgettstown 8-1
5. Seton-La Salle 5-0

Class A
1. Chartiers-Houston 12-1
2. Sto-Rox 6-0
3. Carmichaels 10-1
4. Jefferson-Morgan 9-0
5. Elderton 6-1

Five questions for the spring

1. How will Kayla Briggs adjust to being Chartiers-Houston's full-time pitcher?

Considering Briggs pitches full-time for travel teams and pitched the Bucs out of several tight positions in postseason games, chances are good C-H will once again be among the top teams in Class A.
Briggs batted .646 as a sophomore, but as a relief pitcher during her freshman season Briggs went 1-0 with eight saves and a 0.38 ERA.
Chartiers-Houston ran through WPIAL competition last year, claiming a district title with an undefeated record. The Bucs finished 22-1 but lost their bid to repeat as PIAA champion with a one-run loss to Clarion in the state semifinals.

2. Will relay teams drop the baton or repeat as champions?

Ringgold's 400 relay team won a WPIAL Class AAA championship, while Washington 1,600 relay team won WPIAL Class AA gold and set a championship meet record in the process last May.
Ringgold must wait a month before its regular 4x100 relay team of Quad Law, Alfon Cook, Joey Walls and Demetrius Louis run together as Law is set for knee surgery to remove loose cartilegde from an injury in ninth grade. Louis, who finished second in the 100 dash at the WPIAL championships, is set to return from January shoulder surgery.
The Prexies return Mykhael Kelley, Jordan Thomas, Darius Spinks and Dustin Fuller from a 1,600 relay team that predicted it would set and WPIAL meet record last year and did with a time of 3:26.41. The relay team has established a goal of winning PIAA gold this spring.

3. Can Washington County really be the nation's premier area for girls javelin?

With Fort Cherry's Jessie Merckle and the Canon-McMillan duo of Mira Carrozza and Anna Lombardo, it may well be.
Merckle is a two-time WPIAL Class AA champion, a PIAA silver medalist and a Wake Forest recruit. Carrozza was a WPIAL Class AAA silver medalist last spring and signed with South Florida. Both are considered among the top 10 high school female javelin throwers in the nation.
Lomardo, also a senior, is just outside the top 10 rankings. Lombardo placed 12th at the USATF National Junior Olympics Outdoor Track & Field Championships last July. Merckle PR'd at the event and placed second. Carrozza was 23rd, while Peters Township graduate Kaitlyn Brace (Purdue University) was third.

4. Is Peters Township baseball rebuilding or reloading?

A senior-heavy lineup put runs up in bunched for Peters Township, which lost to Seneca Valley in the WPIAL Class AAAA championship game and the PIAA quarterfinals. Observer-Reporter Player of the Year Justin Bianco was drafted in the third round by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Brady Sheetz, Austin Hancock and Will McClure put up big numbers and Ryan Minteer pitched in nearly every big game.
All five have graduated, but the Indians return Andrew Erenberg. He batted .434 with 28 runs and 20 RBI as a junior. Pitcher Mike Bittel, a Seton Hill recruit, will take on an increased load as the Indians will have to win more low-scoring games than it did the past two years.

5. Can the baseball teams at Waynesburg and Chartiers-Houston duplicate last year's success?

Waynesburg reached the WPIAL Class AA championship game last spring and Chartiers-Houston was the surprise of Class A as it reached the championship game at Consol Energy Park.
Both the Raiders and Bucs return a bulk of talent from last year's teams, which were upended in the first round of the state playoffs. Both also have new coaches.
Kevin Pincavitch. a Mapletown graduate and former member of the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system, is in his first season as Raiders coach. Adam Petras is the new coach at C-H.
Waynesburg will be among the favorites in Class AA with a group of returners which includes Stephen McCaw, Joe Monica and Alex Swauger. Chartiers-Houston won't surprise anyone this year as it returns top pitchers Dylan Pounds and Josh Counihan.

Week in review, boys basketball

Team of the Week
McGuffey
The Highlanders put together their best week since Ed Goetz coached there in the late 1990s.
McGuffey knocked off Trinity, 47-41, to pick up its biggest section win in years and followed one day later with a one-point win (42-41) over Chartiers-Houston Saturday at the Chuckie Mahoney Classic.
Highlanders coach Greg Papson, who has logged countless hours trying to get McGuffey to respectability, called the win over Trinity, "Our biggest in years. Who knows how long it's been since we had a better one?"
McGuffey is 1-2 in Section 5-AAA with the losses coming to the top two teams - Montour and South Fayette. The Highlanders are 6-4 overall.

Runner-up
Canon-McMillan
The Big Macs started last week with a loss, but there's little shame in a 73-58 setback to top-ranked Chartiers Valley, which may have its most talented team in recent years.
The Big Macs followed with a 60-59 win at Baldwin in a Section 4-AAAA game, and won on Kenyadda Brown's buzzer-beater. On Saturday, Canon-McMillan beat Hopewell by 20 at the Chuckie Mahoney Classic.

Starting five
Zach Challingsworth, South Fayette
Gabe Pritz, Peters Township
Gannon Walls-Mitchell, Bentworth
Doug Wilson, Canon-McMillan
Josh Wise, Washington
First sub
Shayne Murphy, Chartiers-Houston

Game of the Week
Can't remember a week with more one-point games or buzzer beaters, but none of those are the top choice.
Peters Township 55, Upper St. Clair 52
Peters Township looked like it losing streak was nearing five games - with a game at Chartiers Valley looming - when it trailed Upper St. Clair at home by 11 points entering the fourth quarter.
The up-and-down Indians opened the fourth on a 6-0 run. By the end of the fourth quarter, PT outscored USC 25-11 for its first section victory.
Pritz scored 24 points, with 13 coming in the fourth. Dakota Norton finished with 14.

Boys basketball weekend in review

Team of the Week
Peters Township
Very difficult not taking Monessen here since the Greyhounds routed Class AAA power Blackhawk (more on that in a few), but Peters Township played more than one game and the Indians, who missed the postseason last year, got a pair of wins over quality opponents.
PT opened its season with wins over West Mifflin and Allderdice to win the Peters Township Tipoff Tournament.
Last year, the Indians shot a lot of three-pointers - a whole lot. PT got things done defensively in its first two games, as teams averaged 46 points against them.

Runner-up
Monessen
The Greyhounds opened defense of their WPIAL Class AA championship impressively with a 68-50 win Saturday over Blackhawk.
There's plenty to like about Monessen, which plays up in classification. The Greyhounds are deep. Their eighth man would start for most teams. They also take on, and usually beat, all comers. Said it here before and I'll say it again ... the teams that regularly play difficult non-section schedules are the ones making deep playoff runs. Few face tougher schedules than Monessen.

Starting five
Brett Haney, Canon-McMillan
Corey Hunsberger, Trinity
Jalen Madison, Monessen
Dakota Norton, Peters Township
Kyle Rose, McGuffey
First reserve
Eric Ellis, Washington

Game of the Week
Canon-McMillan 53, Trinity 52 (OT)
Sunday's championship game of the EQT Energy Classic had a playoff feel. Part of it had to do with two rivals playing for a trophy, but a lot of it had to do with the competitive basketball staged.
Canon-McMillan, behind a barrage of three-pointers in the second quarter, cruised to a 13-point lead and put the rowdy Canon Crazies in a tizzy during the process. Trinity, a team that gave indication it will be a factor in the Section 5-AAA postseason picture, battled back and tied the game with 33 seconds left.
The Big Macs defense made two big stands - one at the end of regulation and the second at the end of overtime when David Williams, nicknamed Miller for reasons he does not know, stole the basketball and subsequently made the game-winning free throw.
Those Canon Crazies nearly cost their Big Macs a technical at the end when they stormed the court with 1.7 seconds remaining and came in contact (hugging) players.

Facts and figures
* Fort Cherry boys basketball coach D.J. Gambridge had to achieve some sort of milestone this weekend at the FC Tipoff Tournament. His first game as a head coach came against California's Phil Pergola, who won the 1995 PIAA Class AAAA championship with Ringgold. His second game was against South Fayette's Rich Bonnaure, coach of the 2010 Class AA state champs.
* Washington coach Mark Gaither was so displeased with his team during Sunday's third-place game against Waynesburg at the EQT Classic that he called a timeout to chew out his players. Gaither wasn't done when the timeout expired, so he called another.
* While McGuffey got off to a solid start by winning its tipoff tournament, it's possible no area team garnered more respect this weekend than Waynesburg.
The Raiders opened play in the EQT Classic by beating West Greene (no surprise), then followed with a decent showing against Canon-McMillan and then taking Wash High to the final seconds. Waynesburg had a chance to beat the Prexies in the closing seconds.
The Raiders drew considerable applause from the crowd at Canon-McMillan High School when its all-tournament players Ty Negley and Hogan Barnhart were presented trophies and when head coach Dave Sarra accepted an award for competitive spirit. Following the championship game, CM coach Rick Bell said part of  his pregame talk focused on Waynesburg's effort against Washington.

EQT hype machine rolls into Canon-McMillan

Television commercials. Radio spots. Electronic billboards ... in Allegheny County.

It's all for a tournament starting Friday at Canon-McMillan High School. And get this ... it has nothing to do with wrestling.

Western Pennsylvania's wrestling hotbed is host to this year's EQT Energy Classic, a boys basketball tipoff tournament that pits a handful of area teams against a couple from Eastern Kentucky. The tournament, which runs from Friday through Sunday and features radio coverage of every game, has its own website. http://www.eqtenergyclassic.com/index.htm. You can even like it on facebook.

Billed as the "Backyard Bluegrass Battle", the EQT Classic brings defending champion Pikesville (Ky.) and Allen Central to Western Pennsylvania. Canon-Mac, Trinity, Wash High, Waynesburg, Burgettstown and West Greene will represent the Washington-Greene region.

(For the record, I'll predict a Canon-McMillan vs. Washington final Sunday at 6 p.m.)

That game could be preceded by an Elvis impersonator.

The sponsor has made a major investment in the tournament, which will return to Kentucky next year. It will be interesting to see how this area responds.

Nettles second, Damich fourth at PIAA golf championships

Football dominated the discussion during the fall and beyond but a number of local student-athletes thrive in other sports.

Golf being one of those sports.

The Washington-Greene region crowded the medals stand Tuesday at the PIAA Individual Golf Championships, a two-day event held at Heritage Hills in York.

Tom Nettles, a junior from Peters Township, tied for second with a five-over par, two-round score of 147. That was just one stroke behind West Allegheny's Garrett Browning (146). Browning and Nettles, who won the PIAA West Region title, were first and second following the first day of competition.

Bentworth senior Garrett Damich put together a strong second day and placed fourth, with a seven-over 149. Damich was the WPIAL Division II runner-up.

Canon-McMillan's Ben DuCarme (157) tied for 19th, while Peters Township's Trent McPherson (158) tied for 25th.

On the girls side, Waynesburg senior Emily Rohanna got to the medals stand as she tied for 9th place with a 22-over 166. Erica Herr of Council Rock North distanced the field with a six-over 150.

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."

Week 2 thoughts

After tracking several non-conference games, it's apparent that a few teams that looked like contenders going into the 2011 must make improvements in order to live up to expectations.

Ringgold's 21-14 loss at Hampton might be the most surprising result of the young season.

Hampton was shut out by a good Blackhawk team in its season opener, but the Talbots held Ringgold's high-scoring offense to two touchdowns, both coming on runs from quarterback Quad Law.

The Rams open conference play this week against Joe Montana Stadium against Hollidaysburg, and follow with a road game at Greensburg-Salem. Winning both game will be imperative to the Rams' chances of hanging with Franklin Regional in the Keystone Conference. FR is the Observer-Reporter's No. 3 team in Class AAA.

The injury bug took a bite into Fort Cherry during its 34-12 home loss to Rochester as the Rangers' top three receivers were all affected in some fashion. Still, Rochester served notice to anyone who believed the Rams weren't worthy of being a top-five team in Class A.

* That said, Chartiers-Houston put together the weekend's most impressive victory.

The Bucs scored 20 points on only 14 offensive plays during the first half in winning at Shenango, 20-6, Saturday night. In the second half, C-H dug in on defense and held off a Shenango run game that produced some first downs, ate up clock bu couldn't find the end zone.

Coaches dread Saturday games, particularly night ones following a long road trip.

* We'll find out a lot about Washington the next two weeks. First, the Prexies get Seton-La Salle Friday night at Chartiers Valley and will be decided underdogs. Then, it's home to play rival South Fayette.

* Don't look now but Burgettstown is the area's second-highest scoring team behind Beth-Center. The Blue Devils are getting significant contributions from quarterback Ryan Dupain, running back Mike LaRocka and multi-purpose player John Dugas.

A win at home against South Allegheny would make Burgettstown 3-0 before the schedule gets much more difficult.

* Uh, Monessen has yet to surrender a point.

* Trinity's home game against Belle Vernon Friday night could be the Hillers' most important of the year.

Assuming Thomas Jefferson is the class of the Big Eight Conference, Trinity must find a way to beat Belle Vernon or West Mifflin, and take care of business against the other teams to solidify a playoff standing.

Considering Belle Vernon nearly won at Hopewell the week before the Vikings knocked off Montour, the Leopards must be better than people thought heading into the season.

* Funny how an identity can change from one year to the next.

In 2010, California threw the football, then threw it some more. This year, the Trojans are doing it with defense and the run game. It produced a solid 15-6 win at Carmichaels to move to 2-0 in a game that should go a long way in determining the Trojans' standing in the Tri-County South Conference.

* Canon-McMillan is 0-2, yet has been outscored by just three points and allowed only 28.

Week 1 thoughts

When Fort Cherry received the No. 5 ranking in Class A from the Observer-Reporter, the Rangers' placement drew the ire of a few readers of The Varsity Letters.
When it comes to skill players, Fort Cherry's ranks right up there with the better groups in Class A, and that group put on a show Saturday afternoon during a 55-40 win at Western Beaver.
Ryan Babirad and Corey Garry tallied three touchdowns apiece, while Tanner Garry threw for three. It's a strong trio of players, and when added with running back Jeff Whalen and a offensive line that always has size, Fort Cherry looks like a team poised for a breakthrough in 2011.
But one anonymous poster guaranteed that Fort Cherry would not finish second in the Black Hills Conference this season. Clairton is the prohibitive favorite to repeat as conference champs, and, yes, the Rangers could finish below the top two.
Why?
Well, Chartiers-Houston is far from being a pushover. The guess here is the Bucs will at least approach last year's win total, and they finished 7-3.
In quarterback Daniel Lis, Mykel Dorsey, Garrett Vulcano and Jevone Hairston, C-H has four more-than-capable runners. Players like Nate Grandelis make the Bucs a strong team up front.
When Fort Cherry plays at Chartiers-Houston during the final week of the regular season, expect the winner to get a home playoff game.
* At least a few coaches in the Tri-County South Conference believe that Beth-Center senior Deshan Brown is one of the league's premier weapons, and if the Bulldogs' results during a season-opening win against Frazier are an indciation, Brown will play a big role.
He caught five passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns from Sal Faieta.
Brown also intercepted three passes. He ranked among WPIAL leaders in that category last season.
During the preseason, I asked Brown is he had a knack for making plays on defense and he said he did not. Basically, he credited his interceptions to his ability to read what the offense was doing on a particular play and putting himself in the right position.
* There's a lot of season remaining but it looks like Ringgold and a handful of the area's Class A teams have the best chances for long playoff runs. Fort Cherry, Chartiers-Houston, Monessen and Beth-Center are quality football teams.
Got a chance to briefly talk with Canon-McMillan offensive coordinator Russ Moore - one of the more colorful guys I've come across - Friday night and one of the first things the former head coach at Waynesburg and Ringgold told me was to watch out for the Rams.
* As long as Mike LaRocka remains healthy, there's no doubt Burgettstown will be much improved from last year.
Imagine if Burgettstown had a slightly smaller enrollment (talking just a couple boys) and competed in the Black Hills Conference this season. The Blue Devils would be a playoff team for sure. Heck, maybe they still will be in Class AA.
* Really liked what I saw out of Kenyadda Brown Friday night against Trinity. When Brown got the football, his eyes and body were directed toward the line of scrimmage, and he's got the speed to blow past defenders.
* Also liked what I witnessed from Trinity back Tyler Yocca.
Trinity's offense did next to nothing during the first quarter, and it took a crafty run from Yoccas to get things going. Yocca set up Trinity's first touchdown - a one-yard run from Patrick Frey - with a 66-yard scamper where he found a small running lane, exploded through it, then made a nifty cutback to get past a Big Macs defender.
The Hillers new offense appears to suit Yocca's talents well.

Top games in Week 1

Canon-McMillan at Trinity
A passionate rivalry turned more heated following last year's win for Trinity when members of the Hillers team rang the bell at Canon-McMillan. That's considered one big 'no-no' to Big Macs fans.
The action has served as a motivating factor for Canon-McMillan, which is looking to improve from last year's disappointing 1-8 season. The Big Macs should be better, and Trinity is adjusting to the triple-option offense.
Since there's no bell at Hiller Field, what can Canon-McMillan do if it wins?

Charleroi at Mt. Pleasant
Injuries to key players early derailed what appeared to be a promising season for Charleroi in 2010. Senior Quentin Briggs, one of those injured players last year, is healthy and could become a 4,000-yard career rusher if his production returns to the level he experience as a freshman and sophomore. He rushed for more than 2,000 yards and 24 touchdowns those two years.
Mt. Pleasant won at Charleroi, 20-13, in last year's opener and once again qualified for the playoffs out of the Interstate Conference. The Vikings return a majority of players from last year's team.
Next week, Charleroi plays its first home game at its new stadium.

Washington at Clairton
Clairton took any suspense out of this attractive matchup last year with one of the more dominating defensive performances against the Pexies seen at Wash High Stadium. Washington did not gain a first down in a 41-0 loss.
So what makes this game attractive this year? Well, the Bears did lose a few top players last year though they remain the favorite to win a fourth consecutive WPIAL Class A championship.
Washington boasts its share of athletes. All four members of a 1,600 relay team that established a WPIAL championship meet record during the spring are on the football team, but the Prexies will be without starting quarterback Josh Wise (mono).
Sophomore Chase Caldwell will start at quarterback.

Benefit dinner for Michael Spartz

Michael Spartz played basketball and baseball at Canon-McMillan High School and was a member of the Big Macs' 2008 PIAA Class AAAA championship team.

Spartz is a student at Penn State, where, in April, he was a victim of an assault that left him seriously injured. Spartz, 21, was in intensive care for a short time after he was discovered unconscious at the bottom of an exterior stairwell at an off-campus apartment building. It is believed that Spartz was pushed down the stairs and wasn't discovered for five hours.

There will be a spaghetti dinner benefiting Spartz on Friday, May 13 from 4:30-7:30 p.m. at Canon-McMillan High School.

The cost is $8 for adults and $5 for children under 12. Tickets are available at the C-M athletic office during school hours or at the door. Takeout orders are also available.

Fore more information, please call dave at 724-554-8160, Debbie at 724-822-6041 or Rick at 724-229-4320.

Trinity, C-M facing budget problems

Trinity School Board is considering sweeping cuts totaling $2 1/2 million, including 25 staff positions, to meet its 2011-12 operating budget.

Among the measures the board discussed at a finance committee meeting this afternoon include requiring high school students to pay to play sports as well as participate in the band. The board discussed levying a $50 fee per student, per sport.

Also back on the table is eliminating full-day kindergarten and eliminating middle school sports.

The 25 staff members that may be eliminated include teachers, administrators and clerical workers.

For more on the situation at Trinity, click here.

Canon-McMillan could be cutting as much as 20 percent from its athletic budget. For more on that situation, click here.

The O-R Sports Headliner is ...

Readers will have to wait to read the newspaper to find that out, but there was some lively debate last weekend in the sports department and, after about 20 minutes of discussion, a consensus was reached.

The Observer-Reporter Sports Headliner, awarded annually to the top local newsmaker, will be selected from the following finalists and presented at the Tri-County Athletic Directors Coach of the year Banquet, which takes place May 1 at the DoubleTree Hilton Meadow Lands.

(In alphabetical order)
1. Canon-McMillan wrestling The Big Macs won Powerade (an impressive accomplishment) and the WPIAL Class AAA team title. They failed to produce a PIAA individual champion but with a handful of second- and third-place finishes, the Big Macs won the state team championship.

2. Chartiers-Houston softball The Bucs came this close to elimination in the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals and didn't win a district title. None of that mattered in the PIAA playoffs, where C-H advanced to the state championship for the sixth time. Unlike the previous five appearances, the Bucs not only plated a run, they beat Montgomery, 4-1.

3. Josh Koscheck headlines PPV Nothing drives a Pay-Per-View like a great heel, and Waynesburg native Koscheck was willing to be that heel for UFC 124 in a main event match against Georges St-Pierre. The much hyped fight had a lead-in with both opponents working TV's "The Ultimate Fighter", but Koscheck lost by unanimous decision and suffered a broken orbital bone.

4. Peters Township girls soccer Before the 2010 season, PT girls soccer wore the title of "Best program never to win a WPIAL or PIAA championship." That changed when the Indians rolled through the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs then knocked off nationally ranked Archbishop Wood, 1-0, in the state championship match.

5. South Fayette football After years of playoff struggles, South Fayette won its first WPIAL championship since 1964 by beating Aliquippa in the Class AA final. South Fayette, the area's first football champion since wash High in 2001, went on to lose to Philadelphia West Catholic in the state championship, finishing with a 15-1 record.

Naturally, the saga between Ed Dalton and the Trinity Area School Board and the strange operating methods of Peters Township with its coaching staff dominated headlines at times throughout the year. While these stories were heavily covered and topics of discussion throughout the local sports community, the O-R sports staff did not feel they were appropriate when considering the headliner.

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?

Signing Day roundup - Parisse to Pitt, Hilton to Ohio State

It's Signing Day and there are some happenings locally. I still have a few calls out there, so check back for updates.

Canon-McMillan wasn't as busy this year as the last couple years but senior Taylor Parisse signed with the Pitt women's soccer team and faxed her National Letter of Intent around 9:30 a.m.

Parisse's skills enabled Big Macs head coach Dave Derrico to play her at a variety of positions. Parisse played forward, defense and even midfield during her varsity career and did all three exceptionally well. Her play was a key factor in Canon-McMillan's 14-5-1 record in 2010. The Big Macs lost to eventual state champion Peters Township in the WPIAL quarterfinals.

A member of Beadling Soccer Club, Parisse is the second Big Macs girls player in as many years to land with a Division I program. Last year, high school All-American Taylor Schram signed with Penn State, where she started as a freshman.

* C-M wrestler Nick Catalano plans to wrestle for North Carolina but has not signed.

* South Fayette was busy today as five athletes signed papers.

Nicole Hilton, a multi-sport standout, signed with Ohio State to participate on the track and cross country teams. Hilton's story is an interesting one as she didn't compete as a runner until her junior year.

Hilton won the WPIAL Class AA cross country title in the fall. As a junior, she won two medals in distance events at the state track meet, including a second-place finish.

Nick Carr, a defending PIAA Class AA wrestling champion and the first from South Fayette to do as a member of its own wrestling team, signed with Kent State.

Nick Faraci, an all-state selection in football and a dominating two-way lineman for the WPIAL Class AA champions, has signed with Robert Morris. Faraci fielded offers from various Division I-AA, II and III schools.

As expected, Christian Brumbaugh signed with William & Mary and Nolan Spicer signed with Liberty.

According to South Fayette athletic director Joe Farkas, football players Jeff Davis, Eric Myers and Tyler Challingsworth could be making decisions soon.

* Got off the phone with Wash High football coach Mike Bosnic around 2:40 p.m. and he filled me in on a few seniors from his team.

Julien Anderson has committed to Robert Morris and will be part of the Colonials' incoming class as soon as he is accepted into the school. Anderson said before the start of the 2010 football season that he hoped to land with a local school, and the three-sport athlete accomplished his goal. Anderson was a prime target for Robert Morris and he projects as a defensive back, most likely at corner.

Anderson will join Trinity's Kyle McWreath at Robert Morris, which is coached by Joe Walton. Anderson and McWreath played on several all-star baseball teams together growing up.

With Anderson, McWreath and Faraci, it's evident that Robert Morris is hitting this area hard.

Austin Phillips, a big two-way lineman, has committed to Division II West Liberty State. Phillips, much like Anderson, will be part of its incoming class upon his acceptance into the school.

Zach Barnes will visit West Liberty State Saturday. Bosnic said Barnes has several options, including Valley Forge Military Academy, a prep school that was attended by Larry Fitzgerald before he went to Pitt.

* Peters Township senior Nevin Hagman, a starting offensive tackle for the Indians, signed with Bucknell. Hagman was one of the area's more heavily recruited players this year with interest from Patriot League, Ivy League, Division II and some of the premier academic Division III schools in the region.

Hagman (6-4, 270) has a 4.4 GPA and plans to major in chemical or biomedical engineering before attending medical school.

* Hagman was one of five Peters Township athletes to sign at 12:30 p.m. this afternoon.

Soccer players Shelli Spamer (North Carolina State), Christina O'Connor (Long Island) and Hagman's teammate Austin Hancock (Fordham) also signed.

So did soccer player Karen Jackson, who moved from defender to forward this season for the state champs. Jackson signed with Slippery Rock.