Westmoreland high school basketball notebook: Section titles up for grabs for area teams

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, February 1, 2018 | 6:48 PM

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A number of local teams are chasing section championships as the WPIAL basketball regular season winds into its final week.

Boys Section 3-6A came down to the wire last season, and it appears that could be the case again as Penn Hills (17-2, 9-2), Woodland Hills (15-3, 9-2), Fox Chapel (14-4, 8-3) and Latrobe (13-5, 8-3) all have a shot at the title. Latrobe, Fox Chapel and Penn Hills all finished tied for first last year with 12-2 records.

Franklin Regional (13-4, 7-1) and Highlands (13-4, 7-1) can't get any closer in Section 3-5A. Franklin Regional has not won a section since 2008.

Belle Vernon (14-4, 9-2) is nearing back-to-back Section 3-4A titles. The Leopards won last year with three section losses.

Valley (10-3, 7-2) is nipping at the heels of Indiana (13-3, 8-1) in Section 1-4A, and Burrell (8-11, 5-3) is doing the same to Shady Side Academy (11-7, 6-2) in Section 2-3A.

Jeannette (13-2, 7-1) is a half-game behind Section 1-2A-leading Serra Catholic (15-2, 8-1) and the teams meet Friday in McKeesport.

Jeannette won section titles in two of the past three seasons.

And defending WPIAL Class A champion Monessen (10-7, 7-0) has put a premium on winning section games — and section titles. The Greyhounds have won 51 straight section games and four straight section crowns. They have a tough matchup Tuesday at Clairton (14-3, 7-1).

Ligonier Valley (14-3, 13-1) is leading the Heritage Conference by one-and-a-half games over Purchase Line.

On the girls side heading into Thursday, Norwin (9-8, 7-2), Latrobe (14-4, 6-2) and Hempfield (8-9, 4-3) were vying for the WPIAL Section 2-6A title.

In Section 3-4A, Keystone Oaks (15-3, 11-0), Belle Vernon (15-4, 10-1) and Elizabeth Forward (12-5, 8-3) were all still battling for the top spot.

And in Section 3-2A, Serra Catholic (12-5, 9-2), Greensburg Central Catholic (9-7, 8-3), Frazier (11-7, 7-4) and Beth-Center (10-7, 6-5) were in the race for first.

Playoff teams

The WPIAL playoff picture in Westmoreland is becoming clearer as section play gets set to conclude next week.

Boys local qualifiers through Wednesday: Latrobe in 6A; Franklin Regional in 5A; Belle Vernon and Valley in 4A; Burrell in 3A; Jeannette in 2A; and Monessen in A.

Girls qualifiers through Wednesday: Latrobe and Norwin in 6A; and Belle Vernon in 4A.

Playoff streaks

Monessen's boys have secured a 37th straight playoff trip, a WPIAL record streak that started in 1982.

Much farther down the Westmoreland list of playoff streaks, yet still respectable, is Jeannette, which will make its 17th straight postseason trip.

The girls' longest active county playoff streak is 17, by Norwin and Greensburg Central, although GCC can make it 18. Hempfield is trying to make it 17 in a row, while Penn-Trafford is seeking a 10th straight trip.

Mt. Pleasant's streak ended at 10 in a row.

Shootout at Seton Hill

With just more than two weeks until playoff time, WPIAL basketball fans can get a look at some of the top area teams headed to the postseason on Saturday at the Shootout at Seton Hill.

The event, organized by charity showcase maestro Allen Deep, features six games at the McKenna Center.

A girls game gets things started as Greensburg Central Catholic (9-7) plays Hempfield (8-9) at 12:30 p.m.

Five boys games follow: Highlands (13-4) vs. Hempfield (5-13), 2 p.m.; Serra Catholic (15-2) vs. Indiana (13-3), 3:30; McKeesport (11-6) vs. Gateway (9-8), 5:30; Greensburg Salem (10-7) vs. Greensburg C.C. (3-14), 7; Jeannette (13-2) vs. Franklin Regional (13-4), 8:30.

Johnson update

Jeannette hopes to have standout junior guard Anthony Johnson back for Friday night's Section 1-2A first-place clash at Serra Catholic.

Johnson has a sprained left ankle and has been wearing a protective boot. He missed section games against Springdale and Leechburg.

The injury occurred in practice.

“Anthony is a very good player, but he's not the only player we have,” Jeannette coach Adrian Batts said. “Tre (Cunningham) and Poogie (Robert Kennedy) are valuable just like he is. Anthony is special because he can do a lot of things.

“We haven't had our whole team together for a month. We were already behind how many games and practices than everybody else (from football season). If we can get everybody together, healthy, I think we can make a run. You need some luck, you have to make your free throws and layups. And there are some very good teams. We're in the mix but we have to do our part.”

Honoring the champs

Belle Vernon will recognize one of its greatest boys basketball teams during its regular-season home finale against Elizabeth Forward on Feb. 9.

Belle Vernon will honor the 1978 team that won the school's only WPIAL hoops title, on the 40th anniversary of the achievement.

The Leopards, coached by Don Asmonga, finished 26-5 and won the Class AAA title. The school said that team established 14 school records, including Tom Parks' single-season scoring mark of 568 points, and his single-game record if 45 points.

Parks also set the record for career points with 1,193.

Some of the other top players that year included Johnny Russell, Bill Contz, Greg Grimm, Randy Giannini, Doug Indof, Mark McManus, Joe Tordy and Dan Wassilchalk.

Other reserves included Marvin “Guy” Bizzelle, Mike Breza, Walt Diethorn, Dave Hoffman and Richard Zuraw.

Parks and Russell went on to play at Robert Morris.

Asmonga was the first coach in program history.

GCC floored

A broken water pipe in an adjacent coaches office at Greensburg Central Catholic caused so much damage to the basketball court that the school has closed the gym for the remainder of the season.

Athletic director Dan Mahoney said games will not resume on that court until next season as repairs are done. A corner of the floor became raised and warped by the water. Mahoney said repair costs, and a plan of action, are being determined.

GCC has been playing in the school's downstairs auxiliary gym, where the girls team is 2-0.

Maietta sparks GCC

Greensburg Central's girls have benefitted from the return of sophomore Melina Maietta, who had to sit a year after transferring from Norwin for what the WPIAL deemed to be athletic intent. She became eligible on Jan. 23.

Maietta, a talented perimeter player, has added more dimension to an already guard-oriented team.

She had 17 points in her debut, a 67-45 win over Serra, a game that saw GCC dish out 22 assists for 26 field goals.

“She is another scoring threat and you have to guard her,” GCC coach Joe Eisaman said. “She has a high basketball IQ like my other three guards.”

GCC is trying to make the WPIAL playoffs for the 37th time in 38 years.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Belle Vernon, Franklin Regional, Greensburg C.C., Greensburg Salem, Hempfield Area, Jeannette, Monessen, Penn-Trafford