High school notebook: New award to be named after Valley graduate B.B. Flenory

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, October 22, 2023 | 3:16 PM

Baron “B.B.” Flenory’s name is woven into the fabric of Western Pennsylvania basketball.

If you’re around the game, you have heard his name.

His exploits are renowned, his reputation glossy.

The former Valley High School and Duquesne University star guard scored 81 points as a ninth grader in a 124-52 junior high win over Deer Lakes. Remember, there was no 3-point line then. Back then, freshmen were not permitted to play on the varsity team.

He was featured in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” and averaged 50.2 points that season.

Now, the WPIAL Hall of Fame member is being honored by the Pittsburgh Basketball Club through a new award.

The Baron “BB” Flenory Guard of the Year Award will go to the top high school guard in Western Pennsylvania.

“I am really humbled and honored to have an award named after me,” Flenory said. “That may sound like the company line. I have received a lot of awards in my lifetime, but I have never received one as special as this. My legacy will live on and on for my kids, grand kids and great-grand kids.”

Flenory, who scored 1,896 points at Valley and had 52 in a game against Norwin in 1975, was a starting guard on the Pennsylvania team in Sonny Vaccaro’s Dapper Dan Roundball Classic. He went on to make the prestigious Parade All-America Team.

Flenory had 1,382 points at Duquesne, again, sans a 3-point arc. He was named to Dukes’ All-Century Team in 2016.

He also was inducted into the Western Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.

He tried out for the Boston Celtics in 1981, but he said the final roster spot went to a promising rookie named Kevin McHale. Flenory did play professionally in Caracas, Venezuela, from 1980-85 and led the league in scoring three years.

The Pittsburgh Basketball Club is working on a watch list for the award. The inaugural Flenory award winner will be announced after the high school basketball season and presented at the annual PBC awards luncheon in April.

Felice honored

Mt. Pleasant’s Sandy Felice was named the PIAA/National Federation of State High School Associations Girls Swimming Coach of the Year. Felice in April was named the PIAA 2A Girls Swimming Coach of the Year.

“I felt flattered that my colleagues voted for me (for the April award), and I am equally honored for the PIAA/NFHS Coach of the Year title,” Felice said. Mt. Pleasant won WPIAL and PIAA titles last season

One giant Lep

Senior night at Belle Vernon came with more than appearances by parents holding flowers. The volleyball team’s 3-1 victory over Connellsville that night was in one word, historic.

The win clinched for the Leopards their first WPIAL playoff berth.

Elizabeth Forward also had to defeat Albert Gallatin for Belle Vernon to get in, and the stars aligned.

The upward trend continued for Belle Vernon, which is having a raucous fall season.

The football team is ranked No. 1 in the state, the boys golf team won a WPIAL title — the girls golf team opened its inaugural season — while the boys soccer and boys cross country teams won section titles, and Gabriella Dusi won a WPIAL tennis title in singles.

Hoops event

The fourth annual Greensburg Salem Lady Lion Shootout will be Nov. 4 at Hempfield Parks & Recreation.

The field has expanded to 16 teams, including DuBois Central Catholic, River Valley, Penns Manor and Forest Hills.

Local teams include Greensburg Salem, Penn-Trafford, Hempfield, Latrobe, Franklin Regional, McKeesport, Monessen, Yough, South Allegheny, Connellsville, Kiski Area and Thomas Jefferson.

Admission is $5.

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

Tags: Belle Vernon, Greensburg Salem, Mt. Pleasant, Valley