Scholastic Notebook – 02/17/2017

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, February 17, 2017 | 5:04 PM

For the second consecutive season, the West Greene boys and girls teams are both headed to the WPIAL playoffs. History says that is downright shocking.

The Pioneers are making noise on the hardwood that has never been heard before from the tiny school in Greene County.

This is the first time in school history that both teams have made the playoffs two years in a row. Heck, the boys team had been to the postseason only four times before – 2016, 1992, 1991 and 1989. The girls team actually won a section championship this year and heads to the playoffs with an 18-4 record.

The West Greene boys finished in third place in Class 1A Section 2 with a 13-7 record.

But to really get a feel for how unusual this is for both West Greene teams to have success, you have to consider the teams’ histories:

*Heading into this season, the West Greene boys had the worst record in the WPIAL of any team that had been playing in the league since 2000. The Pioneers were 60-287 since 2000, a .173 winning percentage. They had won zero or one game six times since the turn of the century.

*The West Greene girls entered this season with the seventh-worst winning percentage in the WPIAL since 2000 at .280. The Pioneers were 102-262.

The West Greene boys are not considered a threat to go far in the playoffs. The Pioneers play Eden Christian tonight in a first-round game.

But the West Greene girls are the No. 4 seed for the playoffs and got a bye to the quarterfinals next Friday.

30 and 30

Latrobe’s Austin Butler led WPIAL boys in scoring this season at 30.0 while East Allegheny’s Amani Johnson led the girls at 30.9. It is the first time in 22 years that a boy and girl both averaged 30 a game or more. In 1995, Neshannock’s Kevin Covert averaged 32 points. On the girls side in 1995, Albert Gallatin’s Shauntai Hall averaged 30.5 and Monessen’s Gina Naccarato 30.3.

Playoffs at 1-16

There are 10 boys teams and 16 girls teams in the WPIAL playoffs with losing records. One of them has a 1-16 record.

The Eden Christian girls won only one game. The only triumph came against Clairton. But Eden and Clairton both play in Class 1A Section 3 and the section has only five teams. Four go to the playoffs. In ties for playoff spots, head-to-head is the tiebreaker. But since Eden Christian and Clairton split both games, both go to the playoffs.

Imani Pulls Out

The Imani Christian girls made the WPIAL playoffs last year and featured Cali Konek, who averaged 45 points a game. Konek left Imani and now is playing at a school in Maryland. Imani made the playoffs again this year, but the Saints have elected not to participate in the postseason. They team already had a thin roster and injuries made things worse. So the Saints will not go marching into the postseason.

Pittsburgh Central and the Big 33

The Pennsylvania team for this year’s Big 33 all-star football game will have a big Pittsburgh Central Catholic flavor. Just call it a Fab 5 of Vikings.

Central Catholic players selected are receiver Justice Evans, lineman Kurt Hinish, lineman Jake Trautman, linebacker Tim Terry and defensive back Rodney Thomas.

Overall, the Central Catholic five make up 13 WPIAL players who were selected to the Pa. team. Two players were selected from Woodland Hills – WR Avram Abromovitz and DB Saeed Holt. Two were also selected from North Allegheny – OL Josh Lugg and TE Griffin Sestili. Other WPIAL players selected are Upper St. Clair OL Gabe Houy, Penn-Trafford OL Will Schumacher, McKeesport DL Curtis Harper and Steel Valley DB Paris Ford.

There are some top players around the state who aren’t on the team. Either they decided not to play, were not able to play or were not invited. The coach of the Pa. team is Franklin Regional’s Greg Botta. One of his assistants is Montour coach Lou Cerro.

The Big 33 scholarship foundation no longer is running the game. The Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association is running it. The game, which pits Pennsylvania against Maryland, will be played at either Hersheypark Stadium or Milton Hershey High in either late May or early June.

Wade, Lugg, Jeter Win Awards

Clairton football star Lamont Wade added another award to his resume last weekend.

Wade, a star RB-DB, was named Mr. PA Football for classes 1A-3A. He was honored at a banquet in Harrisburg. Wade graduated early from Clairton and already is at Penn State taking classes.

Two other WPIAL linemen were honored at the banquet. North Allegheny’s Josh Lugg was voted the Lineman of the Year for Class 4A-6A while Beaver Falls’ Donovan Jeter was named the Lineman of the Year for  Class 1A-3A. Jeter also graduated early and is enrolled at the University of Michigan. Lugg will play at Notre Dame in the fall.

Tags: Beaver Falls, Clairton, East Allegheny, Imani Christian, Latrobe, West Greene