Scholastic News & Notes from The Region...
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THE CHOPS
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Scholastic News & Notes from The Region...
Scholastic Notebook ....
3/13/2009 - From MSA Sports...
It has been a wonderful basketball season so far at North Catholic and Mount Lebanon. Now, both schools are trying to pull off a feat that only one other W.P.I.A.L. school has ever seen. Both the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams at both North Catholic and Mount Lebanon have made it to the P.I.A.A. Quarterfinals. Two wins are needed to make the title games next weekend at Penn State.
Since the P.I.A.A. started having girls and boys championships in "1973", only two W.P.I.A.L. school has had boys’ and girls’ teams in the title games the same year. Blackhawk actually did it twice in "1999" and "2000". Here’s an interesting twist to this two-for deal: The girls’ coach for Blackhawk in "1999" and "2000" was Dori Anderson. She is now married and Dori Oldaker – and she is the girls’ coach at Mount Lebanon.
Aliquippa also won the state double-double in "1989"...
It seems North Catholic might have the best chance at sending its boys’ and girls’ teams to the title games, although it won’t be easy.
The Mount Lebanon girls are undefeated and seem to have a good chance at making it to Penn State. But it seems the Mount Lebanon boys are given little chance at making it. The Mount Lebanon boys play Erie Cathedral Prep in a quarterfinal game tomorrow. That looks like an even matchup.
But if Mount Lebanon wins, the Blue Devils will have to play in the semifinals against a Philadelphia area team - either Penn Wood or Pennsbury. Those teams are thought to be stronger than those in the west.
Incidentally, Blackhawk won both the boys’ and girls’ championships in "1999'. In "2000", the Blackhawk girls won again, but the Blackhawk boys lost.
From what we can tell, a school has sent its boys’ and girls’ teams to the championship games only seven other times since girls’ title games were started in "1973". They are: York Catholic (1979), Susquehanna Township (1980), Bishop McCort ("1985"), Camp Hill Trinity ("1989"), Allentown Central Catholic ("1989"), Mercyhurst Prep ("1991") and Camp Hill Trinity ("1992').
Facing the Player of the Year..........
If Mount Lebanon makes it to the P.I.A.A. title game, there is a chance it will face the Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year.
Cardina O’Hara’s Stephanie Holzer was named the recipient of the award earlier this week, and she will play in the Quarterfinals Friday night against Lower Merion.
Holzer is a 6-foot-4 senior center who has helped her team to a 25-2 record. She averages 19.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.1 blocks and 2.9 assists a game. She has been selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game....
Interestingly, Schenley’s Markel Walker was the Gatorade Player of the Year in "2008'. She also has been selected to play in the McDonald’s game. But she didn’t win the player of the year award this year.
Walker will play next season at U.C.L.A., and Holzer will play at Vanderbilt.
Palumbo Attendance
Paid attendance for the W.P.I.A.L. Championship games at the Palumbo Center two weeks ago was 13,538. W.P.I.A.L. Executive Director Tim O’Malley was fairly happy with the total. It was about 1,000 more than a year ago...
Of course, that doesn’t count the freebies that were in attendance. Over the course of the two days, there might have been another "500" of those.
Husband-Wife Team......
Carrie Palermo has guided the Sto-Rox girls’ basketball team to the P.I.A.A. Class (AA) Quarterfinals. Her assistant coach is her husband, Bill.
In the spring, the two switch. Bill is the head coach of the highly successful girls’ softball team and Carrie is the assistant. The softball team has already started preseason workouts.
"While we’re having practice, the softball team hits in the batting cage in the gym," Carrie Palermo said.
Bill Palermo still comes to basketball practices.
"Then he goes to a softball workout," Carrie said with a laugh. "I don’t go to softball right now. I just go home after basketball."
Kerry Connolly, standout point guard on the basketball team, also is a softball player.
Friday, Sto-Rox faces a Southern Huntingdon team that has three players averaging at least "13" points a game. It should be an interesting game because of Southern Huntingdon’s style.
"They shoot the "3"-pointer big time," Carrie Palermo said. "They might shoot (30) of them a game. They have no conscience. They sometimes shoot it way past the college line."
Junior guard Elaina Hummel averages 16.3 points for Southern Huntingdon.
A Matter of Defense.........
Ron Faust’s final season as Washington’s boys’ coach keeps going – and defense is a main reason.
Isn’t it impressive that Washington allows only "38" points a game? You see defensive statistics like that for the Mt. Lebaon girls, but it’s practically unheard of with the boys. And it’s not like Washington plays a slowdown game.
"The thing I like about our team is that if [the ball] doesn’t go in, they still play," Faust said. "And if it does go in, they still play hard on the defensive end. I think they’re starting to understand that you can still win games by playing defense. We’re not going to win games, 75-70. We need to keep it in the 50s and do what we do – and right now we happen to be doing it pretty well."
Statistical Talk.......
The Pennsylvania team that will meet the U.S. team in the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic Sunday at Pitt’s Fitzgerald Field House has 18 state championships among its wrestlers.
Goga to Bethel Park?
The Bethel Park boys’ basketball job is open and wouldn’t Gary Goga be a natural candidate? He led Peters Township to the WPIAL AAAA title this season and he is a former Bethel Park player. But Goga is a teacher in the Steel Valley district and Bethel Park might have to come up with a teaching job to have a chance of getting Goga.
Getsy to Wesleyan
Former Steel Valley star quarterback Luke Getsy is now the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at West Virginia Wesleyan. The head coach at the school is Bethel Park native Dennis Creehan.
Getsy started his college career at Pitt, but eventually transferred to Akron, where he led the Zips to the 2005 Mid-American Conference championship.
Getsy will get to coach two W.P.I.A.L. quarterbacks at West Virginia Wesleyan. In this recruiting class, the Bobcats signed Thomas Jefferson QB Tyler Wehner and North Hills QB Justin Heinauer.
Where Are They Now?
* Former Shenango star Steve McNees had a big game in Akron’s 73-63 victory against Miami (Ohio) in yesterday’s MAC Quarterfinals. McNees, a guard who comes off the bench, had five 3-pointers and 17 points. Akron will play Bowling Green in the Semifinals tonight.
* Another MAC Semifinalist is Buffalo and former Albert Gallatin player Jawaan Alston, a 6-8 sophomore, has played in all 30 games for Buffalo. He averages 2 points and 2 rebounds.
* The St. Francis, Pa. womens’ team will play in the NEC championship game Sunday against Sacred Heart and former Penn Hills player Janie Killian, a 6-4 junior center, averages 6.1 points and 6.0 rebounds for St. Francis.
M.S.A. & THE CHOPS....
3/13/2009 - From MSA Sports...
It has been a wonderful basketball season so far at North Catholic and Mount Lebanon. Now, both schools are trying to pull off a feat that only one other W.P.I.A.L. school has ever seen. Both the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams at both North Catholic and Mount Lebanon have made it to the P.I.A.A. Quarterfinals. Two wins are needed to make the title games next weekend at Penn State.
Since the P.I.A.A. started having girls and boys championships in "1973", only two W.P.I.A.L. school has had boys’ and girls’ teams in the title games the same year. Blackhawk actually did it twice in "1999" and "2000". Here’s an interesting twist to this two-for deal: The girls’ coach for Blackhawk in "1999" and "2000" was Dori Anderson. She is now married and Dori Oldaker – and she is the girls’ coach at Mount Lebanon.
Aliquippa also won the state double-double in "1989"...
It seems North Catholic might have the best chance at sending its boys’ and girls’ teams to the title games, although it won’t be easy.
The Mount Lebanon girls are undefeated and seem to have a good chance at making it to Penn State. But it seems the Mount Lebanon boys are given little chance at making it. The Mount Lebanon boys play Erie Cathedral Prep in a quarterfinal game tomorrow. That looks like an even matchup.
But if Mount Lebanon wins, the Blue Devils will have to play in the semifinals against a Philadelphia area team - either Penn Wood or Pennsbury. Those teams are thought to be stronger than those in the west.
Incidentally, Blackhawk won both the boys’ and girls’ championships in "1999'. In "2000", the Blackhawk girls won again, but the Blackhawk boys lost.
From what we can tell, a school has sent its boys’ and girls’ teams to the championship games only seven other times since girls’ title games were started in "1973". They are: York Catholic (1979), Susquehanna Township (1980), Bishop McCort ("1985"), Camp Hill Trinity ("1989"), Allentown Central Catholic ("1989"), Mercyhurst Prep ("1991") and Camp Hill Trinity ("1992').
Facing the Player of the Year..........
If Mount Lebanon makes it to the P.I.A.A. title game, there is a chance it will face the Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year.
Cardina O’Hara’s Stephanie Holzer was named the recipient of the award earlier this week, and she will play in the Quarterfinals Friday night against Lower Merion.
Holzer is a 6-foot-4 senior center who has helped her team to a 25-2 record. She averages 19.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.1 blocks and 2.9 assists a game. She has been selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game....
Interestingly, Schenley’s Markel Walker was the Gatorade Player of the Year in "2008'. She also has been selected to play in the McDonald’s game. But she didn’t win the player of the year award this year.
Walker will play next season at U.C.L.A., and Holzer will play at Vanderbilt.
Palumbo Attendance
Paid attendance for the W.P.I.A.L. Championship games at the Palumbo Center two weeks ago was 13,538. W.P.I.A.L. Executive Director Tim O’Malley was fairly happy with the total. It was about 1,000 more than a year ago...
Of course, that doesn’t count the freebies that were in attendance. Over the course of the two days, there might have been another "500" of those.
Husband-Wife Team......
Carrie Palermo has guided the Sto-Rox girls’ basketball team to the P.I.A.A. Class (AA) Quarterfinals. Her assistant coach is her husband, Bill.
In the spring, the two switch. Bill is the head coach of the highly successful girls’ softball team and Carrie is the assistant. The softball team has already started preseason workouts.
"While we’re having practice, the softball team hits in the batting cage in the gym," Carrie Palermo said.
Bill Palermo still comes to basketball practices.
"Then he goes to a softball workout," Carrie said with a laugh. "I don’t go to softball right now. I just go home after basketball."
Kerry Connolly, standout point guard on the basketball team, also is a softball player.
Friday, Sto-Rox faces a Southern Huntingdon team that has three players averaging at least "13" points a game. It should be an interesting game because of Southern Huntingdon’s style.
"They shoot the "3"-pointer big time," Carrie Palermo said. "They might shoot (30) of them a game. They have no conscience. They sometimes shoot it way past the college line."
Junior guard Elaina Hummel averages 16.3 points for Southern Huntingdon.
A Matter of Defense.........
Ron Faust’s final season as Washington’s boys’ coach keeps going – and defense is a main reason.
Isn’t it impressive that Washington allows only "38" points a game? You see defensive statistics like that for the Mt. Lebaon girls, but it’s practically unheard of with the boys. And it’s not like Washington plays a slowdown game.
"The thing I like about our team is that if [the ball] doesn’t go in, they still play," Faust said. "And if it does go in, they still play hard on the defensive end. I think they’re starting to understand that you can still win games by playing defense. We’re not going to win games, 75-70. We need to keep it in the 50s and do what we do – and right now we happen to be doing it pretty well."
Statistical Talk.......
The Pennsylvania team that will meet the U.S. team in the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic Sunday at Pitt’s Fitzgerald Field House has 18 state championships among its wrestlers.
Goga to Bethel Park?
The Bethel Park boys’ basketball job is open and wouldn’t Gary Goga be a natural candidate? He led Peters Township to the WPIAL AAAA title this season and he is a former Bethel Park player. But Goga is a teacher in the Steel Valley district and Bethel Park might have to come up with a teaching job to have a chance of getting Goga.
Getsy to Wesleyan
Former Steel Valley star quarterback Luke Getsy is now the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at West Virginia Wesleyan. The head coach at the school is Bethel Park native Dennis Creehan.
Getsy started his college career at Pitt, but eventually transferred to Akron, where he led the Zips to the 2005 Mid-American Conference championship.
Getsy will get to coach two W.P.I.A.L. quarterbacks at West Virginia Wesleyan. In this recruiting class, the Bobcats signed Thomas Jefferson QB Tyler Wehner and North Hills QB Justin Heinauer.
Where Are They Now?
* Former Shenango star Steve McNees had a big game in Akron’s 73-63 victory against Miami (Ohio) in yesterday’s MAC Quarterfinals. McNees, a guard who comes off the bench, had five 3-pointers and 17 points. Akron will play Bowling Green in the Semifinals tonight.
* Another MAC Semifinalist is Buffalo and former Albert Gallatin player Jawaan Alston, a 6-8 sophomore, has played in all 30 games for Buffalo. He averages 2 points and 2 rebounds.
* The St. Francis, Pa. womens’ team will play in the NEC championship game Sunday against Sacred Heart and former Penn Hills player Janie Killian, a 6-4 junior center, averages 6.1 points and 6.0 rebounds for St. Francis.
M.S.A. & THE CHOPS....