Greensburg Central Catholic girls win program’s 2nd state title

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, March 19, 2026 | 8:49 PM

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HERSHEY — Greensburg Central Catholic girls basketball coach Chris Skatell is an attorney whose face appears on two billboards on Route 30 in Westmoreland County.

It was his players who had their name up in lights Thursday night, state champions for the first time in 29 years.

Senior standouts Erica Gribble and Jayla Peterson combined for 35 points as the Centurions held back District 2 runner-up Holy Redeemer, 52-41, in the PIAA Class 3A championship game at Giant Center.

After the final horn, players rushed the floor to greet the starters, tumbling over each other in a wave of giggles.

“It’s a big deal,” Skatell said. “It means a lot to our school and these girls. We just had to stay patient. When you get in the moment, stay in the moment. Keep grinding. That’s what the girls did.”

Gribble scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Peterson added 17 points as GCC (24-7) celebrated in Hershey for the first time since 1996-97 when that team won the school’s first state title at HersheyPark Arena.

“I have wanted to win a state title since I was a freshman,” said Gribble, a Richmond commit who finished a brilliant career with a school-record 2,380 career points. “This is the best feeling. I am kind of speechless.”

The Centurions won their previous four PIAA playoff games by an average of 25.5 points, but Holy Redeemer (22-9), making its first state finals appearance, played them close before free throws allowed GCC to finally pull away.

Senior McKenzie Chimock led Holy Redeemer with 20 points, making four 3-pointers, but the rest of her team combined for only 21.

Coming off a runaway PIAA semifinal victory over nemesis Shady Side Academy, which beat GCC in the WPIAL final, the Centurions showed poise holding a narrow lead on the state’s biggest stage.

Holy Redeemer hung around like a stray cat.

Peterson, a Wheeling recruit, said trust and experience allowed the Centurions to get the job done.

“These girls are my best friends,” Peterson said. “This is the best way to go out.”

Gribble hit a 3-pointer off the opening tip and Peterson scored nine points in the first quarter as GCC took a 16-15 edge.

“That was a good sign,” Skatell said. “We run that play all the time.”

Chimock got off to a hot start, though, making three first-quarter 3s and scoring 14 points in the first half.

Junior forward Avery Jones, on a state-playoff heater that ended with seven points and six rebounds, scored six in the second quarter as the Centurions took a 25-22 lead into halftime.

“They shot it well and played hard — they have a lot of seniors,” Skatell said of the Royals. “Our girls gained a lot of confidence winning these (state playoff) games.”

GCC started in a 3-2 zone, then switched to man-to-man with Gribble guarding Chimock.

Holy Redeemer went ahead briefly in the third, at 26-25, but Morgan Skoloda and Gribble made 3s to give GCC a 36-30 lead heading to the fourth.

Gribble’s steal and layup stretched the advantage to eight, but Chimock hit a 3 to make it 38-35.

Gribble made a pair of free throws, and Peterson connected on a short jumper for a 42-35 advantage.

From there, GCC made 12 of 18 free throws — 14 of 20 in the fourth — to make up the final difference.

After a small school assembly ended with every player holding a large chocolate bar, GCC arrived in Hershey on Wednesday and stayed the night in Harrisburg.

The team had a shootaround Thursday afternoon at nearby Bishop McDevitt before heading to Giant Center.

“I’m glad we came out and stayed,” Skatell said. “The girls got settled and were ready to play.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Greensburg C.C.