Scholastic Notebook – 05/06/2017

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, May 6, 2017 | 4:21 PM

The Waynesburg Raiders have gone about one of the most impressive turnarounds in WPIAL baseball from last season to this season. Leading the Raiders’ resurgence is a senior and a freshman who live in the same house.

Hunter Robinson is a senior at Waynesburg and his younger brother, Luke, a freshman. They have turned baseball diamonds into Robinson’s Township this season.

Hunter (5 feet 11, 185 pounds) has been super as a pitcher. He is 5-1 with a 0.39 ERA and has struck out 52 in 36 innings. Hunter has signed to play next season at California, Pa.

Luke (6-0, 190) leads Waynesburg in hitting with a .526 average (20 of 38). He also has pitched nine innings in six games.

With the Robinsons leading the way, Waynesburg has an 11-2 record and an 8-1 mark in WPIAL Class 3A Section 3. Mount Pleasant is 9-2 in the section and Brownsville 8-2. Waynesburg is MSA Sports’ No. 3-ranked team in 3A.

A year ago, Waynesburg’s record was only 6-12 overall and 4-8 in the section.

Rush Rushes the Bases

If you know Mapletown’s Dylan Rush at all, you know he can run. He already has more than 4,000 yards rushing in his football career and he is only a junior.

But Rush also has wheels on the baseball base paths that make him one of the best at stealing bases. Rush is having an incredible season stealing bases. He has played in 14 games and has stolen 33 bases. He had six steals in the season opener against Clay-Battelle, W.Va., and also had four in one game against Jeannette. He also is leading Mapletown in hitting with a .588 average.

Rush’s season might end this week, though. To make the playoffs, Mapletown must win its final two section games and Monessen must lose its final two.

Section 3 Playoff Party?

This is the first year that the WPIAL will take four teams from each section to the baseball and softball playoffs. It opens the door for a lot of teams to make it if they tie for fourth and split in head-to-head competition. For example, look at the eight-team Section 3 in Class 4A baseball. South Park (11-1), Belle Vernon (10-2) and Ringgold (8-4) have all clinched playoff spots. But look at the mess in fourth place. McGuffey is 5-8, Uniontown 4-8, Elizabeth Forward 4-8 and Keystone Oaks 3-8. Could maybe six teams from a section make the playoffs?

 Milliner Goes Far

The Baldwin Invitational track and field event Friday included many of the top performers in the WPIAL. It might not have gotten much attention, but New Brighton’s Anthony Milliner had a tremendous triple jump of 49 feet. Milliner has won the past two WPIAL Class AA titles, but life in the triple jump pits has been even better this season.

According to the national lists of Track & Field News, Milliner’s jump is the 10^th-best in the country this season and second-best in the outdoor season.

Bishop Canevin Fires, Hires girls Hoops Coach

It shocked many earlier this week when Bishop Canevin fired girls basketball coach Tim Joyce. Bishop Canevin enjoyed great success in Joyce’s 15 years. His record was 293-123 and he won three WPIAL titles over the past five seasons, including two in a row.

But on Monday, Bishop Canevin principal Ken Sinagra met with Joyce and told him the school was opening his position. Joyce told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette he wasn’t exactly sure why he was let go.

But by Wednesday, the Crusaders already had a new coach, and it was a guy who sat on the bench with Joyce. Bishop Canevin went and hired Scott Dibble, who was Joyce’s assistant the past two years.

Dibble has head coaching experience. He was 18-48 in three years at New Castle (2012-15) and won three PIAA championships in 11 seasons at Villa Maria in Erie.

More Coaching News

Serra Catholic announced earlier this week that Tony St. Angelo stepped down as football coach after four seasons. A few days later, Jose Regus was hired as the new coach. Regus had been an assistant under St. Angelo.

Tomlin, Porters Eligible

The case of the transferring Steelers offspring is now over – and everyone is eligible.

The WPIAL board of directors ruled Tuesday that Michael Tomlin, son of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, and the son and nephew of Steelers assistant Joey Porter are allowed to play football at their new schools. Tomlin is at Shady Side Academy now while Joey Porter Jr. and Amosis Porter are now at North Allegheny.

The WPIAL had hearings with all three players and their fathers to determine their eligibility after they all transferred from Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic in January, not long after former Steeler Jason Gildon was fired as North Catholic’s coach. If it was determined that the three transferred for athletic reasons, they would’ve been ineligible to play next season. Michael Tomlin is a sophomore at Shady Side, while Joey Porter Jr. also is a sophomore. Amosis Porter, Joey’s nephew, is a freshman.

WPIAL executive director Tim O’Malley said after the hearings that the board of directors did not feel the reason for the transfers was because of Gildon’s firing. The hearings, at the request of the Tomlins and Porters, were closed to the media. Mike Tomlin, the coach, and Joey Porter Sr. testified at the hearings. The Porters live in North Allegheny’s district while the Tomlins live in the Shadyside area of the city.

Earlier, the WPIAL had ruled Jason Gildon’s two sons eligible at North Allegheny. The Gildons also live in North Allegheny. The WPIAL also ruled Tomlin’s youngest son, Mason, a freshman, eligible earlier at Shady Side because he did not play football at North Catholic.

WPIAL Upholds DeRose Suspension

Dan DeRose was unsuccessful in an attempt to have the WPIAL shorten his four-game suspension for next season.

DeRose has been Penn Hills’ boys basketball coach for two seasons. In March, the WPIAL ordered Penn Hills to suspend DeRose for four games because of his behavior and comments, and his team’s behavior, after the Indians lost to North Hills in a WPIAL quarterfinal game.

The WPIAL ruled if Penn Hills didn’t suspened DeRose, the team would be barred from the playoffs next season. The WPIAL ordered the suspension because DeRose allegedly swore at Hampton athletic director Bill Cardone after the game. Cardone was the site manager for the WPIAL. DeRose also criticized the game officials after the game to the media, which is against PIAA rules. His team damaged a white board and allegedly some lockers in the locker room at Plum after the game. And during the week leading up to the game, former Penn Hills star Drew Schifino practiced with the team in order for the Indians to get ready for North Hills guard Nick Smith. Schifino is not a member of the coaching staff and the PIAA put in a rule close to 10 years ago that it is illegal for any non-coaches to practice with a team once the season starts.

The WPIAL originally ordered the four-game suspension based on paperwork and reports. DeRose appealed the suspension and had a hearing with the WPIAL board of directors. DeRose did not deny anything and was simply asking to shorten the suspension. But the WPIAL refused.

Don Barth Dies

One of the greatest coaches in WPIAL history in any sport passed away Monday night. Don Barth died at age 84.

Barth started North Catholic’s girls basketball program in 1973. What he did in 23 years with the Trojanettes made him one of the best ever in the WPIAL. His career record, including years at Domenec Catholic, was 788-133. He won 11 WPIAL and seven PIAA titles at North Catholic. His teams made it to a WPIAL championship a remarkable 19 consecutive years. When he retired, he had a 146-game section winning streak and he won 22 section titles in 23 years.