Top 5 teams of 2011

1. Peters Township girls soccer
As Indians head coach Pat Vereb said before his team played one game, "We're replacing roughly 80 percent of the roster with girls who have little or no varsity experience."
The previous group won PIAA and WPIAL Class AAA titles in 2010 with a physical yet skilled style of play. Peters Township in 2011 would rely more on speed and other skill sets in defense of the program's first state championship.
After two games, the Indians were 0-1-1.
Peters Township eventually meshed and earned the top seed in the WPIAL playoffs, where the Indians needed a two-goal rally in the quarterfinals to remain in competition. A loss to Upper St. Clair in the WPIAL championship, did little to affect PT's play in the state tournament.
Only an honorable mention team in the state's Class AAA rankings, Peters Township (20-3-1) rolled through the competition and beat Pennridge, 1-0, for its second consecutive state championship.

2. Peters Township girls tennis
For WPIAL girls tennis coaches as the Class AAA level, the key is navigating the district bracket.
Every time Peters Township has won a WPIAL girls team title, it has followed with a state championship. It happened in 2006, 2009 and once again in 2011.
The top seed in the WPIAL playoffs, Peters Township dominated the pairings like never before. The Indians beat Fox Chapel, Upper St. Clair and old nemesis Shady Side Academy in the finals. Along the way, Peters Township lost one match.
Peters Township played Shady Side Academy once again for the PIAA team title, and a 4-1 victory clinched the Indians' third title in six years. The Indians lost just one match in the state playoffs.

3. Chartiers-Houston softball
In 2010, Chartiers-Houston finally broke the curse. Not only did the Bucs score a run in a state championship game after previously being blanked in all previous appearances, C-H won the Class A title.
The Bucs entered the 2011 season as the prohibitive favorite to win a seventh WPIAL championship and they delivered, making things look easier than they were with an undefeated record, and a 9-3 win over section rival Fort Cherry in the final.
C-H (22-1) reached the state semifinals, where a 24-game win streak was snapped with a 3-2 loss to Clairion.

4. Monessen boys basketball
Losses to Norwin and North Allegheny - a pair of Class AAAA programs - were all that kept Monessen completing the regular season with an undefeated record. The Greyhounds were that good, yet not good enough to receive the top seed in the WPIAL Class AA playoffs.
No matter.
A blowout win over Ellwood City - the 500th coaching victory for Joe Salvino - led to close ones against Jeannette and Wilkinsburg. Monessen found itself playing Greensburg Central Catholic for the championship at Duquesne University's A.J. Palumbo Center. For those who don't know the interesting subplots of that contest, well, you must have been far, far away from Western Pennsylvania.
Monessen (26-3) won by 20 points and reached the PIAA semifinals, where GCC ended the Greyhounds' outstanding season.

5. Washington boys 4x400 relay team
The restoration of Wash High athletics was underway during the spring, and the boys track and field team played the key role.
Washington reached the WPIAL Class AA team championship, where it finished second. There were multiple WPIAL and PIAA medalists, but the shining moment came during the final event of the WPIAL championship meet at Baldwin.
That's when the Washington 1,600 relay team of XXXX entered the WPIAL record books.
Mykhael Kelley, Jordan Thomas, Darius Spinks and anchor leg Dustin Fuller ran a scorching 3:26.41, not only good enough for WPIAL gold but the time broke a 10-year meet record, which was held by ... Washington.

Timko ousted in first round

The amazing high school tennis career of Chartiers-Houston senior Tanya Timko came to a conclusion Friday in the first round of the PIAA Class AA Boys' Singles Tennis Championship at the Hershey Racquet Club.

Timko lost to Doug Caplan of Harrisburg Academy, 6-0, 6-2. Caplan remains in the tournament and will play in the semifinals.

With a third-place finish at the WPIAL singles championship, Timko earned her spot at the state tournament. Timko, who will play tennis at IUP, previously won WPIAL titles in girls singles, girls double and boys doubles with her older sister Karli - a member of Marshall University's tennis team.

Timko became the first player to play in all four PIAA tournaments at the Class AA level. The Timko sisters won PIAA gold when Tanya was a freshman and, last year, she finished second in the girls individual tournament. Two years ago, the sisters qualified for the boys doubles championships after winning the WPIAL.

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Timko loses in section final

Chartiers-Houston senior Tanya Timko can become the first tennis player in WPIAL history to complete the grand slam next week if she can win the WPIAL Class AA boys singles championship.

It's not going to be easy.

Mt. Pleasant's David Cenkner defeated Timko 6-3, 6-1 in the finals of the Section 1-AA Tournament Friday at Greensburg Racquet Club.

Timko (pictured on the right with her older sister Karli) already won WPIAL championships in girls singles, girls doubles and boys doubles. Her most recent WPIAL championship came in the fall of the 2009-10 school year when she won girls singles. In doubles, Timko teamed with Karli to become the first girls doubles team to play in the PIAA boys doubles championship. The duo were the first females to win a WPIAL boys doubles championship.

Several girls have won WPIAL boys singles titles, including former California High School standout Sarah Shashura, who is now at Brownsville.

Top 10 Teams of 2009-10

Blogger's note: Due to space constrictions in Sunday's edition of the Observer-Reporter, only the top five teams made the newspaper.


1. South Fayette Boys Basketball
South Fayette failed to win its section or the WPIAL Class AA title, but that couldn’t keep a talented group led by all-state forward Mike Lamberti and all-state point guard Pat Zedreck from winning the ultimate prize – a PIAA championship.
With critical contributions from Mike Burroughs, Tyler Henry, Josh Patterson and Christian Brumbaugh, South Fayette dispatched a who’s-who en route to beating heavily favored Strawberry Mansion, 49-47, in the final to finish 24-5.
Henry scored the winning points on a putback with 25 seconds remaining.
Washington, North Catholic and Mercyhurst Prep each lost to the Lions by double digits in the state playoffs. Lamberti was the Observer-Reporter’s Player of the Year and Rich Bonnaure the state’s Class AA Coach of the Year. The Lions were named the O-R Headliner.


2. Chartiers-Houston Softball
Chartiers-Houston didn’t clinch the Section 1-A title until its final game, and the Bucs were nearly ousted in the WPIAL quarterfinals by Brentwood in extra innings.
The near-upset didn’t rattle the Bucs. It merely built character for and a recurring postseason theme that nearly drove head coach Tricia Alderson batty.
Chartiers-Houston played four consecutive extra-innings games in the postseason, with the lone loss against Vincentian Academy for the WPIAL title.
Led by sluggers Kayla Briggs and Colby Miller, the Bucs (22-2) advanced to the state semifinals where Player of the Year Kiersten Conwell took over. Conwell allowed one run over the final two games, including a 4-1 victory over Montgomery for the team’s first state championship in six appearances.


3. Peters Township Girls Tennis
Peters Township won more hardware over a three-week period than most teams do over three decades.
In its most successful season, Peters Township received strong play from No. 2 singles player Caroline Nixon and the Indians won their first district title since 1996 with a 3-2 victory over Upper St. Clair in the finals.
Compared to the WPIAL tournament, the PIAA playoffs were easier and Peters Township claimed the school’s second state championship – the Indians won in 2006 with current pro player Alison Riske – by beating Upper St. Clair again. Brandt Bowman coached both state championship teams.
To cap the gold-medal run, Nixon and Julie Stroyne – one of the most decorated high school tennis players to come from Washington County – won the PIAA Class AAA doubles championship.


4. Canon-McMillan Hockey
Canon-McMillan encountered modest expectations as it headed into the PIHL Class AAA Penguins Cup playoffs. Seeded eighth, the Big Macs weren’t given much of a chance to advance past the first round.
Expectations within the locker room were considerably higher and, as the Big Macs proved, more realistic.
Coached by Yuri Krivokhija, a 1988 draft choice of the Montreal Canadiens, and with little representation on the all-star team, Canon-McMillan (18-8-1) beat top-seed Shaler en route to knocking off Seneca Valley for its first Penguins Cup title.
The Big Macs’ run ended in the Pennsylvania Cup, a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to Cardinal O’Hara. But players Mario Dalesandro, Brett Oldaker, Brandon Smolarek and Alexander Baskakov turned C-M hockey into something special.



5. Canon-McMillan Wrestling
Wrestling powerhouse Canon-McMillan returned to its oft-occupied position atop the WPIAL when it defeated Kiski Area in the Class AAA team tournament to cap a dramatic run.
It marked the Big Macs first team championship – and first for head coach Chris Mary – since 1995 but its sixth overall.
Mike Hull, who hadn’t wrestled in 11 days after suffering a shoulder separation in a high school all-star football game, beat his heavier opponent 3-2 in the final match against Kiski to deliver the 32-27 victory. Earlier in the tournament, C-M beat Penn-Trafford by one point, thanks to Zach Thomas’ win at 160.
Connor Schram (103), Nick Catalano (135) and Sam Lombardo (140) each won silver at the WPIAL championships. Schram won PIAA gold to cap his freshman season.

6. Canon-McMillan Boys Track
Deep and talented, Canon-McMillan had only one WPIAL gold medalist in Nick Gibson, which makes the Big Macs’ accomplishment more impressive. At the WPIAL Class AAA team championship, key performances came from Michael Burchesky, Alex Adams, Hull and a host of others as Canon-McMillan won its second team title in three years.

7. Peters Township Field Hockey
Winners of consecutive WPIAL Division I girls lacrosse titles from 2007-09, Peters Township became a first-time power in field hockey when Jules Femiani scored in the first overtime to lift the Indians past Fox Chapel, 1-0, in the WPIAL final. Under first-year coach Kristin Slemmer, Peters Township finished 13-2.

8. South Fayette Football
South Fayette’s high-powered offense, engineered by Brumbaugh and fortified by all-state linemen Steve McElhinny, rolled over competition in the Century Conference. The Lions (10-1) went 9-0 during the regular season – their first undefeated mark since 1936 – and were the top seed in the Class AA playoffs. They lost to Aliquippa in the quarterfinals.

9. Jefferson-Morgan Girls Volleyball
With nine seniors, Jefferson-Morgan delivered on the potential they first displayed as sophomores. Led by all-state player Mabel Culp along with Morgan Olson and Marissa Cameron, the Rockets (18-3) finished third in WPIAL Class A and became the first volleyball team from Greene County to play in the state tournament.

10. Peters Township Girls Soccer
It’s difficult to imagine any team suffering a tougher loss than Peters Township did to Seneca Valley in the WPIAL Class AAA championship. The Indians fell in extra penalty kicks. Sadly, the Indians (19-3-2) were emotionally devastated again in PIAA quarterfinals when Erie McDowell scored the game winner with 21.4 seconds remaining.

Girls Athlete of The Year Finalists

Each year, the Observer-Reporter sports staff selects a Girls Athlete of the Year and, unlike the boys honor, it's not always handed to an athlete who dominates the headlines.

The following is the list of past honorees since the award was first given in 2000.
2009-10 – ?????
2008-09 – Amanda Kennedy, Bentworth
2007-08 – Jenna Phillips, Washington
2006-07 – Paige McMenamin, Peters Township
2005-06 – Brianna Liebold, Chartiers-Houston
2004-05 – Ashley Young, Canon-McMillan
2003-04 – Samantha Slagle, Beth-Center
2002-03 – Stephanie Kuhn, Ringgold
2001-02 – Jessica Perry, Peters Township
2000-01 – Shellie Cotton, Charleroi
1999-2000 – Kristen Lancas, Ringgold

This year's list of finalists is unusual in that the majority of the athletes are one-sport standouts.

Jules Femiani, Peters Township
A Central Michigan field hockey recruit, Femiani scored the game-winning goal in overtime as PT beat Fox Chapel for its first WPIAL field hockey championship. Femiani also earned honorable mention All-American honors for lacrosse and was first-team All-WPIAL.

Ashley Morran, Trinity
Trinity's all-time home run hitter in softball, Morran won 2009 O-R Player of the Year honors. As a senior, she batted .430 despite constantly being pitched around. Morran was also the second-leading scorer on Trinity's basketball team.

Taylor Schram, Canon-McMillan
Committed to Penn State for soccer as a junior. Schram scored 52 goals as a senior in leading Canon-McMillan to the PIAA playoffs for the first time. She tallied 145 for her varsity career and Coaches’ All-State and All-American selection for second consecutive year. Schram also earned selection first-team All-American by ESPN Rise.

Sarah Shashura, California
From the tennis hotbed known as the Mon Valley, Shashura won the WPIAL boys singles title in the spring and qualified for the PIAA tournament. She lost in the first round at states but held a substantial lead in the match before tiring. A four-star recruit according to the Tennis Recruiting Network, Shashura is ranked No. 149 nationally.

Tanya Timko, Chartiers-Houston
Months after receiving publicity for winning the WPIAL doubles title with her sister Karli, Tanya played singles in the fall and won a WPIAL championship to give her district titles in everything but boys singles. Timko went on to finish second at the PIAA tournament. A three-star recruit by the previously mentioned network, Timko is ranked No. 202 nationally.

The Fall of Peters Township

Peters Township claimed the second PIAA and WPIAL girls tennis team titles in school history. Julie Stroyne and Caroline Nixon won the state girls doubles tournament. The Indians field hockey team won their first WPIAL title.

And the wild thing is Peters Township didn't have as good a fall sports season in 2009 as it did in 2008.

Still, Peters Township remains the area's leader in athletics.

The success of the girls tennis and field hockey teams highlight another successful sports season.

Peters Township girls soccer played in the WPIAL Class AAA championship match a second consecutive year. The Indians controlled much of the action but lost to Seneca Valley on penalty kicks. They were bounced in the PIAA quarterfinals by Erie McDowell in another match where Peters Township controlled play but was unable to finish. In 2008, PT reached the state championship.

With North Carolina State recruit Shelli Spamer leading a strong cast of returning players (Hannah Caso, Olivia Roberson, Christina O'Connor, etc.), Peters Township should achieve similar success in 2010.

Peters Township boys golf also fielded a roster loaded with underclassmen. The Indians won a difficult section and reached the finals of the WPIAL Division I team championship, which they won in 2008 with a senior-laden roster.

Peters Township boys soccer exited the WPIAL playoffs in the quarterfinals with a loss to Bethel Park. The Indians just weren't themselves in that match and watching them lose so early in the postseason is kind of like watching Thomas Jefferson lose to West Allegheny in the football playoffs. It's a rarity.

And, for the first time since 2003, Peters Township football finished with a winning record. At 5-4, the Indians managed two wins over Class AAAA teams (Canon-McMillan, Kiski Area) and returns several top players, most notably quarterback Austin Hancock and running back/defensive back Andrew Erenberg.

APB, Where Are They Now?

During the 2009 girls tennis season, Peters Township won its first WPIAL team title since 1996 and a second PIAA Class AAA championship. The first came in 2006. In addition, the doubles team of Julie Stroyne and Caroline Nixon won a PIAA championship. For Stroyne, it was the third PIAA gold of her scholastic career.

The 2006 team was led by standout Ali Riske. In one year with Peters Township, Riske won PIAA and WPIAL individual gold and held the team to its first state championship.

This week's All Points Bulletin is for Ali's sister Sarah Riske.

In the latter part of the 1990s, Riske was a dynamic player at Peters Township, where she became the first Washington County player to win WPIAL and PIAA individual championships.

Riske went on to Vanderbilt, where she also excelled. She was a four-time All-American at the SEC school.

Anyone knowing Riske's whereabouts is urged to contact The Varsity Letters.

Peters Township in girls tennis final

The Peters Township girls tennis team can win its first WPIAL team title since claiming the 1996 Class AA crown today when it faces Upper St. Clair in the Class AAA final at 12:45 p.m. at Club For Life in Monroeville.

Peters Township (18-1), coached by Brandt Bowman, defeated Shady Side Academy, 3-2, in Thursday's semifinal. Caroline Nixon and Laura Stroyne won singles matches. USC defeated Pine-Richland, 4-1, in its semifinal.

Led by Alison Riske, Peters Township won the 2006 PIAA Class AAA team championship with a 3-2 win over Shady Side Academy.

Championship stretch

The WPIAL championship season has begun and things get busy beginning this week.

Girls tennis already crowned singles and doubles champions, among them being Chartiers-Houston junior Tanya Timko (Class AA singles). Timko previously won WPIAL titles in girls and boys doubles with her sister Karli.

Timko's win continued a championship trend in a sport with little tradition locally until recent years.

California's Sarah Shashura and former Peters Township standout Alison Riske won WPIAL singles titles in recent years. The Timko sisters won doubles titles as the district and PIAA level. Julie Stroyne, also of Peters Township, won a PIAA Class AAA doubles title with Emily Palko and will attempt for another with partner Caroline Nixon when the state tournaments begin Friday, Nov. 6.

Between Burgettstown, South Fayette and Peters Township, boys golf is well-established and all three of those teams – along with five others – play in Wednesday's WPIAL Division I and II semifinals at various locations.

Peters Township, the 2008 WPIAL Division I champion and PIAA runner-up, is undefeated. So is Bentworth, which is playing in the Division II semifinals, along with Jefferson-Morgan, Waynesburg, California and Chartiers-Houston.

The WPIAL team golf championships will be contested Monday, Oct. 19 at Cedarbrook Gold.

The WPIAL girls team tennis playoffs also begin that week, as do the boys and girls soccer playoffs. WPIAL volleyball playoffs start the last week of October and the cross country championships will be run Thursday, Oct. 29.

Ten to watch

Football dominates conversation on The Varsity Letters during the fall but, non-revenue sports often generate headlines for success and individual talent.

Here's 10 student-athletes (in alphabetical order) from non-revenue sports to keep an eye of during the 2009 fall sports season:

1. Kayla Keddal, Peters Township
Cross Country
As a junior, Keddal placed seventh at the WPIAL championships and sixth at states.

2. Trent McPherson, Peters Township
Golf
A freshman transfer from West Virginia, McPherson has been the Indians' top golfer in recent matches.

3. Emily Rohanna, Waynesburg
Golf
Rohanna replaces older sister Rachel on the Waynesburg boys team. Already has a couple of second-place finishes on her team.

4. Taylor Schram, Canon-McMillan
Soccer
One of the top goal scorers in the country, Schram (pictured) committed to Penn State as a junior. Part of the U-17 national team pool.

5. Sarah Shashura, California
Tennis
California doesn't field a girls tennis team. That didn't stop Shashura from winning a WPIAL Class AA title last year.

6. Shelli Spamer, Peters Township
Soccer
Along with Schram, Spamer could go down as one of the great girls soccer players from Washington County. Also part of U-17 national talent pool.

7. Rachel Spridik, Bentworth
Volleyball
Only a sophomore, Spridik earned All-WPIAL honors last year. In her first match this year, she posted a triple-double.

8. Julie Stroyne, Peters Township
Tennis
In her scholastic career, Stroyne (pictured) has won a PIAA team championship and was part of a state championship doubles team.

9. Nate Troscinski, Peters Township
Soccer
Troscinski scored the Indians' goal in last year's state championship match. Already owns PIAA and WPIAL gold medals.

10. Matt Venanzi, Peters Township
Soccer
As a freshman, Venanzi occasionally started but often provided an offensive spark off the bench. Could be a big-time goal scorer.