High school basketball notebook: LV guard Marinchak serves 1-game suspension

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, February 14, 2019 | 7:51 PM

Ligonier Valley junior guard Michael Marinchak missed the Rams’ regular-season finale Thursday at Bedford but he will return for the start of the District 6 playoffs. Marinchak had to serve a one-game suspension for his ejection in the Rams’ last game. He picked up two technicals in the Heritage Conference title-game win over West Shamokin.

PIAA rules say Marinchak, the team’s second-leading scorer, must sit the next game. That was supposed to be Monday against United, but that game was canceled by United. The Rams added Bedford this week.

Marinchak averages 21 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Rams.

“We say next guy up,” coach John Berger said. “The next guy had to be ready to contribute. Unfortunately, Michael was involved in about 15 seconds of bad decision-making.”

Berger, the Chief of Police of Ligonier Borough, said Marinchak will not start the playoff opener and may not check in until the second quarter.

LV’s title defense

The top-seeded Ligonier Valley boys (20-2) will begin their defense of the District 6 Class 3A championship next Friday. The Rams will host the winner of No. 8 Mount Union and No. 9 Central Cambria at 7 p.m.

The winner gets the victor between No. 4 West Shamokin and No. 5 Bellwood-Antis on Feb. 26.

Going streaking

Of the 16 local teams to make the WPIAL playoffs, several extended postseason streaks.

The Monessen boys are in for the 38th straight time. Jeannette has qualified 18 consecutive seasons.

The Greensburg Central Catholic girls are in for the 19th straight time; Norwin’s girls have made it 17 straight times.

Happy returns

The Penn-Trafford boys and girls teams, two of 40 new teams in the WPIAL playoffs that did not qualify last season, were awarded with a first-round doubleheader on Tuesday at Mt. Lebanon.

The Warriors girls will play Trinity at 6:30 p.m. with the boys taking on Peters Township at 8.

Remember me?

Two former area coaches will lead their new teams against county opponents. On Friday night, former Mt. Pleasant coach Don Porter will guide Geibel against Greensburg Central Catholic. On Saturday, former Hempfield girls coach Aaron Epps, now the coach of the Springdale boys, will face Jeannette.

Local ties

The Cibola girls basketball team in Yuma, Ariz., reached its district playoffs with the help of a local coach. Laura Marino, a Greensburg Salem graduate, is an assistant with the Raiders (17-2), who played Valley Vista on Wednesday.

Yuma, a 6A team that plays in the Arizona Interscholastic Association, is ranked 11th in the state.

Bill Beckner is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Bill at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Greensburg C.C., Jeannette, Ligonier Valley, Monessen, Penn-Trafford