Norwin notebook: Knights earn all-section basketball honors

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, February 22, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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The Big 5/6 Conference, which recognizes accomplishments of the two largest classifications in the WPIAL, announced its all-section basketball teams.

Seniors Kendall Berger and Averi Brozeski of Norwin were selected to the first team in Section 2-6A, while their coach, Brian Brozeski, was tabbed coach of the year.

Norwin senior Bella Furno and junior Ava Christopher made the second team.

For the boys, Knights junior Nate Kuch made the second team in Section 2-6A.

Knights’ opener

The Norwin boys basketball team dropped its WPIAL 6A first-round playoff game to Mt. Lebanon, 61-34.

The Knights came in seeded No. 11, while the Blue Devils were No. 6. Mario Csukas hit four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points to lead Norwin.

We meet again

Top-seeded and defending champion Norwin (13-7) and North Allegheny (9-13) were set to meet in the WPIAL 6A first round Feb. 21 in North Huntingdon. They have become a familiar matchup in the postseason.

Since 2014, they have played each other seven times, with Norwin winning four. Norwin beat the Tigers in last year’s WPIAL championship and in the 2016 title game.

Wrestling postseason

High school wrestling has shifted to the individual part of the postseason.

Instead of wrestling for their team and teammates, which they’ve done for 10 weeks, wrestlers can compete for themselves.

The ultimate goal is to wrestle for a gold medal March 8 at Giant Center in Hershey.

Starting early for Class 3A is new because of the newly formed West Region tournament. The WPIAL wrestlers were set to compete against wrestlers from Districts 6, 8 (the City League), 9 and 10 to earn a trip to Hershey and a spot in the state brackets.

Returning WPIAL Class 3A champions are Peters Township sophomore Nicholas McGarrity (107), Butler junior Santino Sloboda (114), Latrobe senior Luke Willochell (121), Thomas Jefferson senior Maddox Shaw (139), Connellsville senior Evan Petrovich (145), Thomas Jefferson senior Bode Marlow (160), Kiski Area junior Cooper Roscosky (189), Ringgold senior Jake Conroy (215) and Thomas Jefferson senior heavyweight Shepherd Turk.

Belle Vernon junior Elijah Brown was the 172-pound champion in Class 2A in 2024. Belle Vernon competes in Class 3A.

Returning PIAA Class 3A 114-pound champion Landon Sidun, a sophomore at Norwin, and Penn-Trafford senior Tasso Whipple (189) are not competing.

Sidun injured his hand in the WPIAL third-place match against Thomas Jefferson, and Whipple (ankle) was hurt at the Brookville tournament Jan. 18.

The section tournaments are a little different this season. The WPIAL decided to put three sections in one region in both classifications: Sections 1-2-3 in the southern, 4-5-6 in the northern and 7-8-9 in the eastern.

The Class 3A sites were southern at South Fayette, northern at Fox Chapel and eastern at Norwin.

The Class 2A sites were southern at Burgettstown, northern at Keystone Oaks and eastern at Greensburg Salem.

Norwin competed at the Northern Sectional and qualified 10 for the WPIAL tournament.

Norwin wins junior high title

The Norwin junior high wrestling team won the annual WPIAL junior high tournament Feb. 14-15 at Kiski Area.

The Knights finished with 275 points and had 12 placewinners.

They had three finalists, with Noah Curren winning the 140 title. Placing second were Jonah Fierle at 212 and Eli Bechtold at 82.

Placing third were Caden Gigliotti at 147, Gabriel Schuchert at 89 and Logan Hunter at 172.

Hall of famer

Former soccer star Alicia Zack (Brentzel), a Norwin alum, is set to be inducted into the Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame.

The ceremony for the 16th hall class will be April 26 at the Pitt-Johnstown Wellness Center.

Zack set multiple program records after joining the team in its second season in 2006. She went on to play four years and tallied 44 goals, including 22 as a freshman.

Her 53 points in her first season remains a school record, along with her career mark for assists (21) and points (109).

Zack also competed for the Mountain Cats track and field team.

She married former UPJ wrestler A.J. Brentzel (Penn-Trafford), and they have five children.

College scene

Updates on Norwin athletes playing at the next level:

Men’s volleyball

Thiel: Senior JC Govanucci recorded his 500th career kill as the Tomcats (5-0, 1-0) swept their way to a 3-0 win over Bethany in the PAC opener. He finished the match with four kills and two digs. Govannucci is the 10th player in program history to reach the 500-kill milestone.

Women’s basketball

Allegheny: Freshman Ava Kobus scored a game-and career-high 23 points, including 12 in a row at one stretch and 16 in the first half, to lead the Gators past Saint Vincent, 66-54.

Grove City: Senior Mara Polczynski scored 14 points, pulled down nine rebounds and grabbed five steals to lead Grove City past Thiel, 81-52, to clinch a spot in the PAC playoffs.

Men’s lacrosse

Grove City: Sophomore goalie Kyle Gill made two saves in the first half for the Wolverines in a 23-1 rout of Bethany. Gill was named the PAC Newcomer of the Week.

Baseball

Pitt: Junior Jake Kendro doubled, walked three times and scored a run as Pitt opened the season with a 9-8 win over Eastern Michigan in 12 innings.

Washington & Jefferson: Junior Braden Petrarco was named the PAC Specialist of the Week after going 12-for-15 on faceoffs with a career-high 15 ground balls in a win over Pitt-Bradford.

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

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