Alle-Kiski high school notebook: Cager Classic will have scorers galore

By: Alec Italiano
Thursday, March 8, 2018 | 11:42 PM

The Cager Classic has featured a number of top players throughout its 22-year history, and the latest edition will include 2,000-point scorers and Division I recruits, including the top boys recruit in the WPIAL.

Mars senior Robby Carmody, a Notre Dame recruit, will lead the West boys team in the annual All-Star game, set for March 24 at Highlands.

Seniors from schools in portions of Allegheny, Butler and Westmoreland counties again will participate in the two-day Cager Classic, which includes a skills competition March 23 before the girls-boys doubleheader March 24.

Carmody, who led Mars to the WPIAL Class 5A championship last weekend, averaged 24 points during the regular season and surpassed 2,000 career points in January. The East roster, meanwhile, includes a trio of players from host Highlands, a WPIAL Class 5A semifinalist: Shawn Erceg, Romello Freeman and Christian Tanilli.

Rob Carmody, the Mars coach and Robby's father, will coach the West boys team, and Valley's Mark Faulx will coach the East boys.

The girls game will feature a pair of Division I recruits against a 2,000-point scorer.

Mars' Lauren Wasylson, a Xavier recruit, and Hampton's Laryn Edwards, a Loyola (Md.) recruit, will lead the West girls team against the East team, which includes Leechburg's Mikayla Lovelace, a 2,000-point career scorer and IUP recruit.

Mars coach Dana Petruska will coach the West girls, and Valley's Jason Kerr will coach the East girls.

The full rosters are:

• East girls: Mallory Shick, Kiski Area; Kenzie Lasher, Armstrong; Olivia Fusaro, West Shamokin; Anna Walkowiak, Valley; Brittany Robilio, Leechburg; Cam Davies, Leechburg; Renee Cebula, Highlands; Brittany Dunn, Burrell; Mikayla Lovelace, Leechburg; Megan Ost, Apollo-Ridge.

• West girls: Alex Jones, St. Joseph; Laryn Edwards, Hampton; Asti Brestensky, Freeport; Lauren Wasylson, Freeport; Ali Collins, Hampton; Kathleen Marsili, Springdale; Chloe Kurpakus, St. Joseph; Nichole Sommers, Mars; Emily Fraser, Knoch; Casey Kretzer, Knoch; Jenna Manke, Freeport; Emily Mischen, Deer Lakes.

• East boys: Drew Orlosky, West Shamokin; Romello Freeman, Highlands; Christian Tanilli, Highlands; Dru Stokes, Valley; Christian Hack, Leechburg; Shawn Erceg, Highlands; Kyle Fitzroy, Apollo-Ridge; Dorian Rodriguez, Riverview; Alex Ward, Valley; Nate Baillie, Armstrong; Donovan Russell, Burrell.

• West boys: Robby Carmody, Mars; Adam Bittner, Hampton; Ben Beale, Freeport; Cade Hetzler, Mars; Ben Lucas, Knoch; Marc Vrane, Deer Lakes; Isaiah Malloy, Cheswick Christian; Damon Shiring, Freeport; Luke Morrissey, Mars; Gabe Szep, St. Joseph.

Hall call for Como

Former Burrell wrestler and coach Chris Como will be inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame on April 8.

Como led Burrell to the only PIAA Class AA championship in school history in 2008, earning state coach of the year honors. He also won WPIAL titles in 2004 and from 2007-09 before stepping down. He remains on the Burrell staff as an assistant.

As a wrestler, Como finished fourth in the WPIAL in 1988 and second in 1989 before becoming an All-American at Pitt-Johnstown. He was a UPJ assistant in 1996, when the Mountain Cats won the WPIAL title, and joined Burrell's coaching staff for the 1996-97 season, when the Bucs won their first WPIAL title. He also helped found the Mat Factory, a Lower Burrell wrestling club.

‘Big' achievements

Highlands came into the season with a mostly unsung lineup after graduating a big core of seniors, but those have some recognition now.

Five Highlands players earned first- or second-team all-section honors in Section 3-5A after the Golden Rams earned a share of the section title.

Sophomore Johnny Crise and Erceg made the first team, and sophomore Luke Cochran, Freeman and Tanilli made the second team. Coach Tyler Stoczynski was co-coach of the year along with Franklin Regional's Steve Scorpion.

Kiski Area junior Ryne Wallace was named to the second team in Section 3-5A.

Other all-section players from Class 5A and 6A, known as the “Big 56,” include:

• Kiski Area sophomore Harley Holloway became the Cavaliers' first first-team all-section player since Maddie Antone, getting the honor for Section 4-5A, and junior Violeta Kenzevich and sophomore Hannah Potter made the honorable-mention team. Plum freshman Kennedie Montue made the second team.

• After placing second in Section 3-6A, the Fox Chapel boys placed seniors Carson Cohen and Dom McGriff on the first team, and junior Ben Kelly made the second team. Plum junior Lamar Whiting joined Kelly on the second team.

• Fox Chapel senior Claudia Guerrieri made the Section 2-6A second team, and senior Sarah Sheerer made honorable mention.

Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review staff writer.

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Armstrong, Burrell, Fox Chapel, Freeport, Hampton, Highlands, Kiski School, Knoch, Leechburg, Mars, Riverview, Springdale, St. Joseph, Valley, West Shamokin