Scholastic Notebook – 01/14/2013

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, June 14, 2013 | 6:03 PM

Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}

Beaver is the only baseball team from the WPIAL that made it to today’s PIAA championship games. That may lead one to believe it was a down year for WPIAL teams.

But having only one team in the PIAA finals is not all that unusual for the WPIAL.

Since the PIAA went to at least three classifications in 1999 (there are currently four classes), this is the fifth time the WPIAL has had only one team in the PIAA title games. It is actually the third time in four years that the WPIAL had only one team in the finals.

Since 1999, the other years that the WPIAL had only team in the finals was 2000, 2007, 2010 and 2012. Every year since 1999, the WPIAL has had at least one team in the PIAA finals. The WPIAL had three PIAA finalists in 2008 and 2009.

Nobody’s Perfect

The Riverside softball team’s bid for perfection ended this morning when the Panthers lost to Brandywine Heights, 1-0, in the PIAA Class AA championship at Penn State. The loss means that the list of WPIAL softball teams that have finished a season perfect will remain at three.

Riverside headed into the PIAA title game with a 22-0 record. The only three WPIAL softball teams that have won PIAA championships with undefeated records are Canevin (25-0 in 1999), Carmichaels (26-0 in 1998) and Leechburg (23-0 in 1992).

Connecticut Connection to WPIAL

The University of Connecticut womens basketball team is one of the most storied programs in NCAA history. Next basketball season, two former UConn players will be coaching girls basketball in the WPIAL.

A few weeks ago, Chartiers Valley hired Ashley Battle, who won three national national championships at UConn and also played six seasons in the WNBA. Battle grew up in the Manchester section of Pittsburgh and moved back to the area last year.

Then this week, Quaker Valley hired another of UConn coach Geno Auriemma’s players. Jill Brumbaugh was a four-year starter at point guard for UConn from 1985-89 and is still among the school leaders in career assists (541) and steals (189). She led led UConn in assists four consecutive years.

Brumbaugh is a graduate of Claysburg-Kimmel High (Pa.) and coached Claysburg-Kimmel’s girls team from 2010-12. She now resides in Center Township (Beaver County) and will also coach Quaker Valley’s middle school girls teams.

“ Jill’s success as a player and coach makes her an outstanding candidate to lead our girls’ basketball program,” said Quaker Valley athletic director Mike Mastrioanni. “Her willingness to head both our high school and middle school programs is commendable and our student-athletes will benefit greatly from her leadership.”

Sto-Rox Loses Two Noteable Coaches

In the span of a few days last week, Sto-Rox lost two Bill of goods.

Two coaches named Bill who enjoyed plenty of success retired or resigned at Sto-Rox. Bill Palermo, 65, retired as Sto-Rox’s girls softball coach. He was the only girls softball coach in Sto-Rox history. He coached 35 years, had a record of 588-137, won 10 WPIAL titles, finished second four times, won one PIAA title and finished second three times.

Palermo is a 1966 graduate of Stowe High School, which merged with McKees Rocks to form Sto-Rox. He is the winningest coach in WPIAL softball history and also coached girls basketball and served as athletic director during his time at Sto-Rox.

“I’ll miss the kids, I’ll miss the parents and everyone in the community,” Palermo said. “I was lucky to be able to do what I did in my community where I grew up.”

A few days after news of Palermo’s retirement got out, news broke that Bill Minear resigned as Sto-Rox’s boys basketball coach.

Minear had two different stints as Sto-Rox’s coach (1996-2004 and 2010-13). In between he coached Ambridge for three years.

Minear had a 215-81 record with two WPIAL titles (2001-02). He made the PIAA Class AA championship game three times (2002-04) and his 2004 team won a state title. Minear also resigned as Sto-Rox’s athletic director, but will continue to teach elementary school art in the district.

New PT Girls Coach

Speaking of new coaches, Peters Township has a new girls basketball head coach.

Bert Kendall has been named the Indians new coach. Kendall was an assistant coach the last nine years for neighboring Bethel Park.

Big 33 Saturday

The annual Big 33 Football Classic is tomorrow night (Saturday) at Hersheypark Stadium. This is the 56th Big 33 and this year’s game renews a series that matches the Pennsylvania all-stars against Maryland.

Pennsylvania played Maryland from 1985-92, but Pennsylvania then played Ohio from 1993 through 2012.

This year’s Pennsylvania team is coached by North Allegheny coach Art Walker. One of Pennsylvania’s quarterbacks is Mack Leftwich, who played for Walker at North Allegheny.

Eight other WPIAL players are in the Big 33. They are Baldwin running back Dorian Brown, Gateway defensive back Todd Jeter, Clairton receiver Tyler Boyd, Clairton defensive back Titus Howard, Seneca Valley running back Forrest Barnes, West Mifflin defensive end Marcus Martin, Seneca Valley offensive lineman Dean Ketterer and Washington linebcker Jaylin Kelly.

The game features many of the top graduated seniors in the two states, but in recent years some of Pennsylvania’s top players have elected not to play in the game. For example, North Allegheny lineman Pat Kugler, Central Valley receiver Robert Foster and Belle Vernon lineman Dorian Johnson all turned down invitations to play.

“I think the kids here are having a great experience,” Walker said. “I would never tell any guys not to do this because it’s just a great experience and something the kids will always remember. A kid who says they are afraid to get hurt or they are going on vacation, I think they need to analyze that and think about it. I still think it’s a great game and to play for your state is a phenomenal honor.”

7^th Grader Gets Scholarship

Colleges recruit kids earlier and earlier. Want another example? The University of Kentucky recently offered a scholarship to seventh-grade football player Jairus Brents, a defensive back-running back in New Albany, Ind.

But offering a seventh- or eighth-grader is not unheard of. Heck, it happened in the Pittsburgh area. The Duquense University womens team recently offered a scholarship to Desiree Oliver, an eighth-grader in the Penn Hills district.

Where Are They Now?

There will be a WPIAL player in the College Baseball World Series.

South Park graduate Terran Senay is a starter for North Carolina State, which will play Sunday in the College World Series for the first time in school history.

Senay scored the winning run when North Carolina State beat Rice, 5-4, in 17 innings earlier this week to earn a spot in the CWS. NC State trailed Rice, 4-1, in the ninth inning before rallying for three runs to tie and send the game into extra innings. Senay hit an RBI double to tie the score at 4-4.

For the season, Senay has started 61 of the Wolfpack’s 63 games. He is hitting .291 and leads the team in both home runs (8) and RBIs (58).
 

Tags: Baldwin, Beaver, Chartiers Valley, Clairton, Gateway, Washington, West Mifflin