Allderdice, Westinghouse boys, girls to meet in City League finals

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, February 16, 2018 | 12:54 PM

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When the Allderdice boys basketball team takes the floor at the Petersen Events Center in Oakland on Saturday afternoon, the Dragons will look to accomplish something that hasn't been done in more than 70 years.

With a victory against Westinghouse, Allderdice will become the first team to win five consecutive City League championships since Westinghouse accomplished the feat from 1949-1954.

With a record of 21-2, including 10-0 in conference play, the Dragons have established themselves as a premier team in all of Western Pennsylvania. Allderdice holds victories against numerous elite teams in the WPIAL, including Hampton, Bethel Park, Central Catholic, Vincentian Academy, Mt. Lebanon, Mars, Highlands, Upper St. Clair and Seneca Valley.

On Tuesday, Allderdice knocked off Obama Academy, 60-44, to advance once again to the title game.

Allderdice coach Buddy Valinsky, in his 11th year at the helm, noted his squad has displayed cohesiveness and the ability to shoot well from the outside.

“We've learned how to play as a unit, starting with our point guard, who's really distributed the ball unselfishly to our shooters,” Valinsky said.

That point guard, senior Tyler Williams, has been on the team since his freshman campaign, and has developed into a leader this season. In addition to being a creative passer, he can also finish at the rim. Williams is joined in the backcourt by juniors Jackson Blaufeld, who Valinsky called one of the best shooters in the area, and Bobby Clifford, who can also shoot and moves well without the basketball.

Senior Shaun Morris, a strong and athletic 6-foot-5, 230-pound center, and Terrell Childs, a 6-4 junior who excels as a shot blocker, round out the starting lineup. Sophomore Rob Jones also plays significant minutes off the bench for Allderdice.

Many of those players filled significant roles in the Dragons' success last season, as Allderdice compiled a record of 19-9 and defeated Obama Academy, 71-70, in a title-game thriller.

Valinsky believes that experience will benefit his boys when they take the floor at the Pete for the 2 p.m. tipoff.

“I think the aura of playing down there might not affect them as much as maybe a team going for the first time,” he said.

Conversely, Westinghouse will try to secure a City League title the first time since 2013, which was the last time Allderdice did not claim the championship.

Under the guidance of second-year coach Eugene Wilson, who previously coached and played at Wilkinsburg, the Bulldogs have won 16 games. Westinghouse scored notable victories against Central Valley, New Castle, Monessen, Imani Christian, Chartiers-Houston and Eden Christian. In league play, though, the Bulldogs finished 6-4, including a pair of losses to Allderdice.

The initial meeting between the teams was no contest, as Allderdice prevailed 80-45.

“That first game, nobody on our team showed up,” Wilson said.

The second meeting, on Feb. 8, was more competitive, as the Dragons won 66-50.

The biggest catalyst for the Bulldogs' success this year has been no secret, as 6-foot-11 senior James Ellis has established himself as a premier player in the state. Wilson indicated that Ellis was not involved enough in the first meeting between the teams, and that he wants his big man to touch the ball at least 40 times in the title game.

Ellis has also developed a more mature approach both on and off the court this season, and it has paid dividends.

“He's really just been stellar in his growth. It's been an uptick from Day 1,” Wilson said.

Valinsky also praised Ellis, who he's had to game plan against for the past four seasons.

“He's a game changer,” the Dragons' coach said. “He can do it on the offensive end, the defensive end, and he's really grown into a serious D-1 prospect.”

Wilson was quick to note that Westinghouse is more than just Ellis, however. Sophomore Troy Lanier and junior Rodkeem Byrd are second-year contributors for the Bulldogs. Byrd has frequently been a double-digit scorer this season, and also often excels in his defensive assignment against the opponent's lead guard. Jaymir Jackson and Cam Gloster are the other starters for Westinghouse. Gloster, a senior who is in his first year with the team, has impressed with his ability to get to the rim and also shoot from behind the arc. Rafeik Sirmons comes off the bench, but has proven to be a starting-caliber player for the Bulldogs.

For Westinghouse to have success, it will need to slow down the three-headed monster of Williams, Blaufeld and Clifford. Wilson hopes his defense can put those players in uncomfortable situations.

Dragons, Bulldogs also square off in girls' title game

Unlike in the boys' matchup where Allderdice is aiming for its fifth straight title, there will be no “five-peat” on the girls' side. Obama Academy, which had won the previous four City League titles, was bounced in the semifinals by Westinghouse, 44-33, on Tuesday.

Consequently, the Bulldogs, who finished 6-4 in league play, square off against Allderdice, which went undefeated in City League play and dispatched Carrick, 79-33, in the semifinals.

Led by second-year coach Ellen Guillard, the Dragons are back in the title game, where they fell 64-53 last year. Despite the loss, that experience proved valuable for four players who are back in the fold for Allderdice this campaign. That includes sophomores Emma Waite, Sofia North and Brooklyn Jones, as well as senior center Nancy Jackson. The Dragons' fifth starter, senior power forward Aqueria Wester, joined the team this year after coming from Florida.

Guillard, who previously served as an assistant at Westinghouse, detailed that her team excels in transition, and can also shoot well. She was purposefully repetitive, however, in highlighting what the Dragons need to do on Saturday to have success.

“Rebounding, rebounding, rebounding and making great passes to one another,” she said.

Westinghouse, meanwhile, is still riding high after the victory against Obama Academy, a team that previously defeated the Bulldogs twice in the regular season.

“We kind of feel like we got the monkey off our back (defeating Obama), so we're excited about going back to a City League championship,” said Westinghouse's longtime coach, Phyllis Jones.

The following day, Jones held her team's practice at the Petersen Events Center, so that the players would not be overwhelmed when the championship tips off at noon Saturday.

Westinghouse last won a girls' title in 2013, and getting back to this stage has not been an easy task, according to Jones.

“Plain and simple, hard work,” she said of the key to the success this year. “It took a lot of time to build these young ladies up and get their mindset straight. We hope we're peaking at the right time.”

Westinghouse's starting lineup consists of senior Chyna Simpson, sophomores Erin Bowens, Khamille Andrews and Dajanae Glover, and freshman Robyn Arrington-Epperson. Simpson has been the top scoring threat from the perimeter, while Andrews has displayed her touch from the post.

For Westinghouse to have success, Jones said the Bulldogs must guard against the outside shooting of Allderdice, while also converting their layup and free-throw opportunities.

Guillard revealed the significance that a championship would mean for the Allderdice girls, who have not captured the title since 2012.

“It would be pretty great to take that back home and show that hard work through the whole offseason and this season paid off,” she said. “It will bring a lot of positivity to the school, to the young girls who are in elementary school and middle school who see us play.”

Sean Meyers is a freelance writer.

Tags: Allderdice, Westinghouse