Quaker Valley basketball teams reach playoff goals

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, February 18, 2024 | 11:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

Oumou “Mimi” Thiero was a dominant force for the Quaker Valley girls team during the 2023-24 regular season.

In fact, the 6-foot-4 sophomore guard/forward proved to be one of the leading players in the WPIAL.

“Mimi has been excellent,” QV coach Ken Johns said. “She gets a lot of attention from the opposing team every game, and she rises to the occasion. We ask her to do so many things — score, rebound, be the anchor to our defense and be one of the primary ballhandlers. She is also an excellent passer and gets everyone involved.

“She helps to make the players around her better. She has really embraced the challenge and it is fun to watch.”

The QV girls have advanced to the postseason for six consecutive years, including 2023-24. The Quakers were assigned the No. 12 seed in Class 4A and received a first-round matchup with No. 5 Laurel Highlands (18-2).

“Qualifying for the playoffs was a goal of ours,” Johns said. “Everyone has worked really hard and showed up every day with a positive attitude. It’s great to achieve one of your goals.

“Now that we are in, I’m sure we will have a tough matchup. We had a very difficult nonsection schedule, so our overall record is not great, and I think that impacted our seeding. However, we’re playing well right now and playing as a team.”

Thiero led the Quakers in almost every statistical category this season including points (19.2 ppg), field goal percentage (40%), rebounds (14.1 rpg), blocked shots (4.7 avg), steals (1.6 avg), free throws (70%), 3-point field goals and 3-point field goal percentage.

It’s an impressive list, but the dynamic underclassman also racked up 14 double-doubles, averaging 19.7 points and 14.9 rebounds, and one triple-double.

Thiero is recognized as one of the top young players in the WPIAL. She averaged 12.8 points and 10.4 rebounds as a freshman and was named all-section.

She netted a career-high 41 points Jan. 3 in the Quakers’ first win this season, a 63-37 section victory against Ambridge.

Madison Chapman, a 5-6 senior guard, chipped in with 10 points versus the Bridgers.

Chapman is a three-year varsity player who led the QV squad in assists by averaging 3.7 per game. She also ranked in the top three in several other offensive categories.

“Madi really played well in the section games and coming down the stretch,” Johns said. “She had excellent games against Beaver, Hopewell and Central Valley — all big games for us.

“I’m very happy for her as she’s battled some injuries the past two seasons but has come on strong this year. She has embraced the leadership role in this her senior year.”

Quaker Valley finished tied for third with Hopewell in Section 2-4A with a 5-5 record. The Quakers overcame a sluggish start and a six-game midseason losing streak to end up 5-15 overall.

“I think we’ve really started to pull it together recently,” Thiero said. “We definitely grew more as a team and started to get good chemistry. I expect us to go as far as we can in the playoffs and push through as a team and stay together.”

Thiero already has received a Division I offer from Duquesne.

“At the beginning of the season, I went on an unofficial visit to Pitt with my mom and coach Johns,” she said. “And I’m leaving Kentucky right now. I was watching the girls team watch film and stayed for their practice.”

QV’s girls team is comprised of three freshmen, six sophomores, two juniors and one senior.

Other contributors this season include Lucy Roig, a 5-5 sophomore guard; Anna Campbell, a 5-7 freshman guard; Lily Millet, a 5-10 sophomore forward; Lily Tarkin, a 5-10 junior forward; and Mia Floro, a 5-7 sophomore guard.

“Lucy has been a tremendous addition to the team. She has a drive and a competitiveness that really sparks us,” Johns said. “As the season’s progressed, her ball-handing and shooting have improved along with her confidence. She is a key reason why we’ve done as well as we have down the stretch.

“As for Anna, it is difficult to step into playing varsity as a freshman, let alone a starting role and to play as many minutes as Anna has. She too has grown in confidence and has played really well. She is an overall good athlete and has a great competitive spirit. It has been fun to see her grow.”

The two Lilys have been integral players for the Quakers in 2023-24.

“Lily Millet has occupied a starting spot for most of the year and has steadily improved,” Johns said. “Lily Tarkin has been with us for a few years now and understands what we are trying to do on both ends of the floor. That helps because we are young, and we have a lot of players logging a lot of minutes that have not played for us prior to this year. Lily works hard and has steadily improved.”

Floro was a pleasant surprise for QV this season.

“One of the biggest surprises, in a good way,” Johns said. “Mia plays really hard and has gotten more and more confident and comfortable. She played well in the late stages of the season and does a lot of things that help us win.

“This group has grown a lot this year. Their development as individuals and how they’ve come together as a team has been great to see. I’m excited to see how that continues in the offseason and next year, but we’re not done yet and we’re going to work hard to be ready for whatever comes next.”

Blackhawk won the section title with a 10-0 record, followed by Central Valley (6-4), Hopewell (5-5) and QV.

Big win sends Quakers to playoffs

Quaker Valley’s boys basketball team tipped off this month with perhaps its biggest win of the season.

The Quakers edged section rival Avonworth, 55-54, on Feb. 2 to clinch a WPIAL playoff berth. QV finished the regular season 11-11 overall and with a 5-5 record in Section 4-4A, good for fourth place behind Montour (9-1), Avonworth (7-3) and South Allegheny (6-4).

The Quakers advanced to the WPIAL playoffs as the No. 13 seed in 4A and traveled Feb. 16 to meet No. 4 and 19-3 Uniontown in the first round.

It marked the 20th consecutive year the QV boys team has qualified for the postseason.

“We will prepare and accept the challenges of participating in the playoffs,” QV coach Mike Mastroianni said. “I’m excited for our players and the opportunity in front of us.”

The Quakers were led offensively in the regular season by the tantalizing one-two backcourt punch of 6-1 senior Joe Coyle and 6-0 sophomore Zach Washington, who tossed in 21 ppg and 16.8 ppg, respectively.

“We have asked Joe to do so much for us this season and he more than exceeded expectations,” Mastroianni said. “He has driven the bus to get us into the playoffs and has had an exceptional senior season.

“We’re proud of Joe’s work and commitment to QV basketball, not only this year but over the last four years, and we will miss him.”

Coyle paced the team in scoring, assists (5.2 avg) and free throw percentage (81%) and rated second-best in field goal percentage (42%). He netted a career-high 36 points in his team’s 61-58 loss at Avonworth earlier in the year.

“We are a very young team and have pulled out some big wins,” Coyle said. “I think since we are a young team, we have had trouble closing out some close games that have ended in losses. The (second) Avonworth game was the biggest win of the season because they were ranked in the top five among WPIAL 4A teams. It was also important because since we won that game, we clinched playoffs. We’re hoping to win a playoff game, but it won’t be easy because of our seeding.”

Washington ended the regular season tops in 2-point and 3-point field goal percentage at 48% and 45%. He also ranked second in free throw percentage (61%).

“As a sophomore and first-year starter, Zach has had an outstanding season,” Mastroianni said. “We put a lot on Zach’s plate on both ends of the floor and he accepted that challenge and performed well the entire season.

“We look forward to Zach’s continued growth and potential over the next few years.”

QV has been led on the boards by another strong tandem in Dom Cox-Giles and Dana Kromah, a pair of 6-4 junior forwards.

Other leading contributors in the Quakers’ playoff chase in 2023-24 were 6-2 freshman guard Sam Chapman, who finished second to Coyle in assists, 6-3 sophomore forward Reese Fatur, who secured a starting role late in the season, and 6-2 freshman forward Jesse “Kolton” Howe.

“Kolton has been a varsity participant the entire season and has played well in the second half of the season,” Mastroianni said.

QV defeated Shenango, 60-56, in a Feb. 12 tune-up for the playoffs.

Washington led the Quakers with 26 points followed by Coyle with 18.

Tags: Quaker Valley