Players of the year, all-district basketball and final thoughts on hoops season

The Observer-Reporter ran its annual boys and girls all-district basketball teams in Sunday's edition with a slightly different look than years past.

To start, Peters Township senior Nick Wilcox is the O-R Boys Player of the Year, while classmate Emily Correal earned her third consecutive O-R Girls Player of the Year distinction. I feel very confident in both selections.

Wilcox performed at a consistently high level throughout the year, was the area's best offensive player in addition to being a strong rebounder and defender. His closest competition was Wash High senior Nick Bryant.

Correal is one of the most accomplished girls high school players this area has seen. Her offensive ability is what put Correal ahead of Wash High senior Jocelyn Floyd.

Here's a glance at the O-R All-District teams, which was broken into big school and small school for the first time in 12 years and without the honorable mention for the first time:

Big school boys
First team
Dave Bassi, Ringgold; Kiante Davis, Canon-McMillan; Steve Radke, Peters Township; Nick Wilcox, Peters Township; Craig Wolcott, Peters Township
Second team
Matt Czulewicz, McGuffey; Chad Hagan, Canon-McMillan; Phil Horensky, Peters Township; Sean McKnight, Trinity; Josh Valentic, Trinity

Small school boys
First team
Robert Anderson, Washington; Zach Bellhy, Fort Cherry; Nick Bryant, Washington; Mike Lamberti, South Fayette; Troy Wilson, Washington
Second team
Mike Burroughs, South Fayette; Ian McCombs, Carmichaels; Ryne Niemiec, Beth-Center; Eli Obade, Charleroi; Joe Silko, South Fayette

Big school girls
First team
Emily Correal, Peters Township; Danielle Gilmore, Trinity; Samantha Higgins, Peters Township; Emily Schartner, Ringgold; Elise Schober, McGuffey
Second team
Jennie Affinito, Ringgold; Emily Hansen, Canon-McMillan; Chelsea McWreath, Trinity; Ashley Morran, Trinity; Marissa Pattison, McGuffey

Small school girls
First team
Jordan Duke, Carmichaels; Jocelyn Floyd, Washington; Marissa Miles, Fort Cherry; Megan Sowers, Beth-Center; Joelle Yamber, Avella
Second team
Chelsea Evans, Washington; Kaitlyn Novak, Mapletown; Aly Lee, Charleroi; Paige Uram, South Fayette; Sidney Walter, Fort Cherry

• My starting five for boys would be Wilcox, Bryant, Lamberti, Wilson and Wolcott.
• My starting five girls would be Correal, Floyd, Schartner, Miles and Gilmore.
• Selecting the girls teams was a difficult process this year. Season-ending injuries to Ringgold's Alina Selby and Peters Township's Lexi Kamphaus before the first game took away two talented players and two previous all-district selections.
• Had Niemiec played in more than nine games, it would have been interesting to see where he landed on the all-district team and where Beth-Center would have been seeded in the WPIAL Class A playoffs.
• With Correal, Floyd and Schartner (all Division I players) graduating, who will become the area's next crop of great girls players? If I had to pick a frontrunner for next year's Girls Player of the Year, it would be Selby if she comes back healthy.
• When it comes to Boys Player of the Year in 2010, the early favorites have to be Wilson and Lamberti. Count Wolcott among that group is Peters Township remains competitive and Davis if Canon-McMillan improves.
  

Past players of the year

With the Observer-Reporter Boys and Girls Basketball Players of the Year about to be published – don't even think I'm divulging before it hits the paper – I thought it would be neat to look back at the past players of the year.

Boys Players of the Year
2008 – Charles Murphy, Canon-McMillan
2007 – Jock Wells, Washington
2006 – Christian Goetz, Burgettstown
2005 – Dan Davis, Fort Cherry
2004 – Nate Stoner, Waynesburg
2003 – Paul Ruhmann, South Fayette
2002 – Javon Hines, South Fayette
2001 – Tom Lulich, Peters Township
2000 – Eric Lang, Peters Township
1999 – Aaron Ankrom, Waynesburg
1998 – Bryant Thomas, Bentworth
1997 – Henry Klinar, Peters Township
1996 – Justin Voithofer, Carmichaels
1995 – Mike Horan, Ringgold
1994 – Vince Graham, Belle Vernon
1993 – Chad Lechner, Carmichaels
1992 – Mike Maloy, Washington
1991 – Brian Miller, Ringgold
1990 – Yancey Taylor, Ringgold
1989 – Matt Jennings, Immaculate Conception
1988 – Wade Timmerson, Fort Cherry
1987 – Dan Conn, Bentworth
1986 – Ron Moore, Washington
1985 – Chris Popeck, Washington
1984 – Adam Sarson, Peters Township
1983 – Duane Johnson, Canon-McMillan
Tony Conn, Bentworth
1982 – Jeff Conn, Bentworth
1981 – Lance Spernak, Mon Valley Catholic
1980 – Ray Natili, Immaculate Conception

Girls Players of the Year
2008 – Emily Correal, Peters Township
2007 – Emily Correal, Peters Township
2006 – Vanessa Davison, Washington
2005 – Rachel Phillips, West Greene
2004 – Vanessa Davison, Washington
2003 – Amber Harris, Washington
2002 – Emily Briggs, Chartiers-Houston
2001 – Emily Briggs, Chartiers-Houston
2000 – Kristen Lancas, Ringgold
1999 – Lauren Hull, West Greene
1998 – Kristin Polosky, Mapletown
1997 – Amanda Burchett, Trinity
1996 – Gina Naccarato, Monessen
1995 – Gina Naccarato, Monessen
1994 – Gina Naccarato, Monessen
1993 – Gina Naccarato, Monessen
1992 – Elizabeth Proudfit, Washington
1991 – Elizabeth Proudfit, Washington
1990 – Elizabeth Proudfit, Washington
1989 – Pam Noble, Fort Cherry
1988 – Jamie O'Donnell, Burgettstown
1987 – Jamie O'Donnell, Burgettstown
1986 – Kim Spencer, Washington
1985 – Michelle Bazzolli, Chartiers-Houston
1984 – Lynette Schwartz, Peters Township
1983 – Lynn Bazzolli, Chartiers-Houston

Props, ranks and randomness

One week has past since Washington lost to North Catholic in overtime in the semifinals of the PIAA Class AA boys basketball playoffs and the sports focus is shifting toward the spring sports season.

Over the past week, the Observer-Reporter has several stories on four of our top baseball programs – Canon-McMillan, Trinity, Peters Township and Carmichaels. There will be more, as well as stories on softball and track, in the near future.

Until then, I'm compiling the annual boys and girls all-star basketball teams. There are a few obvious selections like Nick Wilcox and Emily Correal of Peters Township, Nick Bryant and Jocelyn Floyd of Washington and Ringgold's Emily Schartner. There's also been plenty of room for debate about many others. Just wondering what you think.

* Speaking of Correal, she belongs among the great girls players in the history of Washington County and, arguably, the best.

My all-time starting five from Washington County would be Correal, Elizabeth Proudfit (Washington), Amber Harris (Washington), Emily Briggs (Chartiers-Houston) and Brittany Warren (Ringgold).

* It still is difficult to comprehend that, in 2008, Canon-McMillan won the WPIAL Class AAA boys track and field championship yet athletes from Washington and Greene counties produced only two medals – nothing higher than fourth place – at the PIAA championships.

One of those medalists, Bentworth senior Amanda Kennedy, is off to strong start in the javelin.

* Anyone notice that the top two singles players on the Chartiers-Houston boys tennis team are sisters Karli Timko and Tanya Timko and that they're beating the boys?

APB, Where are they now?

With a highly anticipated high school baseball season underway, the Varsity Letters felt it was only appropriate to track down one of the area's great players.

In that spirit, we're issuing an All Points Bulletin for former Peters Township standout Brian Simmons.

Drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the second round of the 1995 draft following his playing days at the University of Michigan, Simmons spent the 1998 and 1999 seasons with the White Sox and the 2001 season with the Toronto Blue Jays. On Sept. 26, 1998, Simmons hit home runs from both sides of the plate.

Simmons played on the same Peters Township team as pitcher Chris Peters, who pitched for the Pirates from 1996-2000.

Anyone knowing of Simmons' whereabouts is urged to contact the Varsity Letters.

Another look back

Take a look at the photo to the right. Take a good look.








Yes, that's Canon-McMillan boys basketball coach Rick Bell. Anyone recognize the man a couple people to the right of Bell? Anyone?

That's former NBA star Doug West, who spent the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons as a volunteer assistant at Canon-McMillan following a 12-year NBA career. Nine of those seasons were spent with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Well, West, after a short stint as athletic director at Mount de Chantal in Wheeling, is back in coaching and is on the staff at Villanova, the No. 3 seed in the East bracket. Villanova plays Duke Thursday night, 30 minutes following the conclusion of the Pitt-Xavier game.

West, an Altoona native, ranks fourth on Villanova's all-time scoring list with 2,037 points.

In an interesting sidebar, should Pitt and Villanova win, two members of those Canon-McMillan teams would be reunited and one would make his way to the Final Four. C-M grad Sean Brown is a senior walk-on at Pitt, having joined the team a few weeks into the season. Brown played on the Big Macs' teams when West was an assistant.

OLSH to add football

While some schools struggle to keep football teams on the field, one WPIAL school will be adding the sport.

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, a Class A private school, located in Coraopolis will begin play in 2010. Overseeing the project will be former Pitt head football coach Foge Fazio, a Coraopolis native and a radio analyst for Pitt football.

OLSH currently has a co-op with nearby Cornell for football.

North Catholic loses in Double OT

STATE COLLEGE (AP) — After a miserable start, Imhotep Charter surged ahead at just the right time.
Sam Prescott scored 21 points, including four foul shots in the second overtime and a layup that tied the game in regulation, as the Panthers (32-1) rallied from 12 down to defeat Pittsburgh North Catholic 75-67 to take the state Class AA title on Saturday.
Jesse Long’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer over the outstretched arms of Ivory Wells tied the game at 63 to send the game into the second overtime.
But the Trojans (28-3) seemingly ran out of energy to keep up with the athletic Panthers.
Prescott’s two free throws with 1:58 left gave Imhotep Charter the lead for good at 69-67, while North Catholic missed its last six shots.
Long finished with 20 points, while Henry Pwono added 16 points and eight rebounds.
Erik Copes had 11 rebounds and blocked seven shots for the Panthers.

Looking back

Robert Morris made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1992 when the Colonials defeated Mount St. Mary's for the Northeast Conference Tournament title. Robert Morris, a 15th seed, plays Michigan State a few hours from now.

The 1992 Robert Morris teams has a local connection in former Fort Cherry High School standout Wade Timmerson, shown here in a photo from a Robert Morris media guide.

One of the great players in Rangers' history, Timmerson helped Robert Morris to the tournament in 1990, 1991 and 1992. The Colonials lost first-round games to Arizona, Kansas and UCLA. Timmerson, a 2007 inductee into the RMU Athletic Hall of Fame, ranks second in Colonials' history in assists (484) and 23rd in points (868).

Avella football saga

Last year, Avella football made headlines for gutting out the 2008 schedule with a bare-bones roster. At times the Eagles played games with 11 players and it drew a wide variety of reactions from the sports community.

Frank Gray, who coached last year, is attempting to add an additional assistant coach for the 2009 season. Things aren't going so well.

http://www.observer-reporter.com/OR/Story/03-20-Avella-Coach