News & Notes !!!
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THE CHOPS
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- Location: SCOTTDALE, PA.
News & Notes !!!
Scholastic Notebook
12/8/2006 -
There is so much buildup and hype for Saturday night’s Schenley-Aliquippa boys’ basketball game that many people are scratching their heads, trying to remember the last time a regular-season non-section game attracted so much attention in the Beaver Valley.
Mike Zmijanac might be able to shed some light on the subject. Zmijanac is Aliquippa’s football coach and athletic director. He is an Aliquippa graduate and been involved with Aliquippa athletics for years. He was the basketball coach before Marvin Emerson took over.
Zmijanac remembers back to a game against another City League team.
“I remember back to the 1970s when Sam Clancy played for Brashear and we played them in a game down at the Beaver Dome,” Zmijanac said. “That place was packed. That’s probably the last time I remember a game like this.”
A packed house of about 3,500 is expected for the game, played at 7:00pm Saturday night at Aliquippa. The game can be heard here on the MSA Sports Network.
The two teams met early last season and Schenley won, 56-53. Look for more points in this game. In its first three games this season, Aliquippa has averaged 83.3 points.
Schenley had played only one game the first week of the season and scored 92 points against Westinghouse.
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Another Top Game
There will be no sellout crowd for this game and it isn’t attracting as much attention as Schenley-Aliquippa, but there is an interesting girls’ game on Friday night (Dec. 8th) when Oakland Catholic plays at Hopewell.
Oakland Catholic is the defending WPIAL Class (AAAA) champion and Hopewell is defending W.P.I.A.L. and P.I.A.A. Class (AAA) champions.
From Idaho to Pittsburgh?
Tim Brennan was a highly successful high school at Bishop Kelly High in Boise, Idaho for the past 15 seasons, but don’t be surprised if he ends up at a W.P.I.A.L. school next season.
Brennan is moving to Pittsburgh in January because his wife got a new job in the area. Brennan still wants to coach, though, and is interested in some jobs in the WPIAL. West Mifflin’s job recently opened and West Mifflin already has been in contact with Brennan.
Brennan won state championships in 2004 and 2005, and lost in this year’s title game. His record in 15 seasons was 126-34.
Looking Unbeatable
The winner of this week’s PIAA Class (A) semifinal between Clairton and West Middlesex will play for the PIAA title next weekend. There is little doubt about the opponent.
Southern Columbia has been in the title game 11 of the past 12 years and is a heavy favorite to make it again. The Tigers are undefeated and the No. #1 scoring team in the state, averaging 47.43 points a game. They won their past two PIAA playoff games by scores of 48-0 over Old Forge and 61-15 over Shenandoah Valley.
Southern Columbia features two Division I recruits headed to Pitt and Penn State. Fullback Henry Hynoski is a Pitt recruit and offensive lineman Josh Marks a Penn State recruit.
But just to show you that racking up big offensive numbers doesn’t guarantee success, consider this: Yough is No.# 3 in the state in scoring at 41.3 points and Serra No.# 5 at 39.2. Neither of those teams got out of the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.
Remember Columbine?
Columbine High School in Denver is most remembered as the place where a number of students were shot to death in 1999. But the school still has an awfully good football program.
Last weekend, Columbine won its third state (5-A) championship since 1999 when it defeated highly touted Mullen, 13-10, at Invesco Field at Mile High. Mullen had five Division I-A football recruits.
Where Are They Now?
* Former Mount Lebanon basketball star Geoff Kestler, a sophomore guard at Princeton, has not played this season because of an injury. An athletic department spokesman said he doubts whether Kestler will play this season.
* Former Mount Lebanon football player Bob Whitaker, a senior offensive tackle at Kansas, was named an honorable mention all-Big 12 Conference selection. It was the second year in a row Whitaker was named honorable mention.
* Charlotte freshman guard Aysha Jones, a graduate of Oakland Catholic, scored 19 points in the 49ers’ most recent game this week. She has started five of eight games and is averaging 9.6 points.
The Chops
12/8/2006 -
There is so much buildup and hype for Saturday night’s Schenley-Aliquippa boys’ basketball game that many people are scratching their heads, trying to remember the last time a regular-season non-section game attracted so much attention in the Beaver Valley.
Mike Zmijanac might be able to shed some light on the subject. Zmijanac is Aliquippa’s football coach and athletic director. He is an Aliquippa graduate and been involved with Aliquippa athletics for years. He was the basketball coach before Marvin Emerson took over.
Zmijanac remembers back to a game against another City League team.
“I remember back to the 1970s when Sam Clancy played for Brashear and we played them in a game down at the Beaver Dome,” Zmijanac said. “That place was packed. That’s probably the last time I remember a game like this.”
A packed house of about 3,500 is expected for the game, played at 7:00pm Saturday night at Aliquippa. The game can be heard here on the MSA Sports Network.
The two teams met early last season and Schenley won, 56-53. Look for more points in this game. In its first three games this season, Aliquippa has averaged 83.3 points.
Schenley had played only one game the first week of the season and scored 92 points against Westinghouse.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another Top Game
There will be no sellout crowd for this game and it isn’t attracting as much attention as Schenley-Aliquippa, but there is an interesting girls’ game on Friday night (Dec. 8th) when Oakland Catholic plays at Hopewell.
Oakland Catholic is the defending WPIAL Class (AAAA) champion and Hopewell is defending W.P.I.A.L. and P.I.A.A. Class (AAA) champions.
From Idaho to Pittsburgh?
Tim Brennan was a highly successful high school at Bishop Kelly High in Boise, Idaho for the past 15 seasons, but don’t be surprised if he ends up at a W.P.I.A.L. school next season.
Brennan is moving to Pittsburgh in January because his wife got a new job in the area. Brennan still wants to coach, though, and is interested in some jobs in the WPIAL. West Mifflin’s job recently opened and West Mifflin already has been in contact with Brennan.
Brennan won state championships in 2004 and 2005, and lost in this year’s title game. His record in 15 seasons was 126-34.
Looking Unbeatable
The winner of this week’s PIAA Class (A) semifinal between Clairton and West Middlesex will play for the PIAA title next weekend. There is little doubt about the opponent.
Southern Columbia has been in the title game 11 of the past 12 years and is a heavy favorite to make it again. The Tigers are undefeated and the No. #1 scoring team in the state, averaging 47.43 points a game. They won their past two PIAA playoff games by scores of 48-0 over Old Forge and 61-15 over Shenandoah Valley.
Southern Columbia features two Division I recruits headed to Pitt and Penn State. Fullback Henry Hynoski is a Pitt recruit and offensive lineman Josh Marks a Penn State recruit.
But just to show you that racking up big offensive numbers doesn’t guarantee success, consider this: Yough is No.# 3 in the state in scoring at 41.3 points and Serra No.# 5 at 39.2. Neither of those teams got out of the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.
Remember Columbine?
Columbine High School in Denver is most remembered as the place where a number of students were shot to death in 1999. But the school still has an awfully good football program.
Last weekend, Columbine won its third state (5-A) championship since 1999 when it defeated highly touted Mullen, 13-10, at Invesco Field at Mile High. Mullen had five Division I-A football recruits.
Where Are They Now?
* Former Mount Lebanon basketball star Geoff Kestler, a sophomore guard at Princeton, has not played this season because of an injury. An athletic department spokesman said he doubts whether Kestler will play this season.
* Former Mount Lebanon football player Bob Whitaker, a senior offensive tackle at Kansas, was named an honorable mention all-Big 12 Conference selection. It was the second year in a row Whitaker was named honorable mention.
* Charlotte freshman guard Aysha Jones, a graduate of Oakland Catholic, scored 19 points in the 49ers’ most recent game this week. She has started five of eight games and is averaging 9.6 points.
The Chops