Scholastic Notebook – 05/21/2011

By: Bruce Markey
Saturday, May 21, 2011 | 12:00 AM

Two WPIAL baseball teams head into the Quarterfinals with undefeated records. Considering the past, it would be highly unusual if one of them wins the WPIAL title.

Norwin is 17-0 and plays in the Class AAAA Quarterfinals Monday against Bethel Park. Elizabeth Forward is 18-0 and plays in the Class AAA Quarterfinals Monday against either Greensburg Salem or Central Valley.

Since the WPIAL went to more than one classification in baseball in 1979, only three teams have won championships with undefeated records. West Allegheny did it in 2007. Freeport did it in 1979, and Canevin in 1993.

Thus, history is stacked against Norwin and Elizabeth Forward. Norwin will face a Bethel Park team that just knocked off defending WPIAL champion Pine-Richland, 2-1, in a Class AAAA first-round game Friday. After the game, Bethel Park didnt know its opponent in the quarterfinals because Norwin hadnt played yet. But Bethel Park coach Tony Fisher said, These kids like challenges. Im sure theyre hoping Norwin wins because they know Norwin is undefeated.

If Elizbeth Forward or Norwin would go on to win the WPIAL title with an udefeated record, the odds of them winning a PIAA title are even bigger. At least history says so. Since the PIAA playoffs started in 1977, the WPIAL has never had a team win a state championship with a perfect record. Neither Freeport (1979), Canevin (1993) or West Allegheny (2007) even got to the championship game.

No-No Times Two

Its not often you see a no-hitter in a baseball playoff game in the WPIALs largest classification. But it happened twice Friday night.

Butlers Tyler Slepski pitched a no-hitter in a 10-0 win against Penn-Trafford. The game was stopped after five innings because of the 10-run rule.

Seneca Valleys Matt Smith pitched a no-hitter in a 7-1 win against Pittsburgh Central Catholic.

Section 3 Strength

Much of the talk in WPIAL baseball this season was about the strength of Section 1 in Class AAAA. The section with Northern suburban teams was thought to be the best, by far. But Section 1 didnt fare too well in the first round of the playoffs, while Section 3 showed its strength.

Four teams from Section 1 qualified for the playoffs, but only two moved on to the quarterfinals. Butler and Seneca Valley won, while Pine-Richland and Shaler lost.

Meanwhile, three teams from Section 3 qualified for the playoffs. Peters Township got a first-round bye, while two other Section 3 teams (Bethel Park and Upper St. Clair) won games against higher seeds.

No. 10 seed Bethel Park knocked off No. 7 Pine-Richland. Also, No. 11 seed Upper St. Clair beat No. 6 seed Plum.

Coaching News

All of a sudden, Cornell is looking for a new football coach as Dan Knause resigned just recently. Knause was the Raiders coach for four seasons. After going 1-8, 1-8 and 2-7 in his first three seasons, Knause guided the Raiders to a 7-3 record last season and a spot in the WPIAL Class A playoffs.

Meanwhile, Quaker Valley hired John Tortorea as its new football coach. Tortorea was an assistant coach on Bob McIntyres staff. McIntyre spent only one season as Quaker Valleys coach before resigning.

Dallier Gone

Anthony Dallier was projected to be one of the top players in WPIAL basketball next season. But Dallier wont be playing anywhere in Pennsylvania next season.

Dallier is a 6-foot-6 guard-forward who made the MSA Sports All Netters first team this past season as a junior. But Dallier has decided to skip his senior year at North Allegheny and will instead attend Northfield Mount Hermon, a prep school in Massachussets. Dallier will reclassify, meaning he will play two years for the prep school before heading to college.

Dallier already had a scholarship offer from Duquesne and was receiving interest from other mid-major Division I schools. But he felt going to Northfield Mount Hermon would increase his stock with colleges.

This also might prepapre me more to come into my freshman year of college, and play right away, no matter where I go, Dallier said. Instead of maybe having to work through a few things my first year.

Dallier was one of the leading scorers in the WPIAL as a junior, averaging 24.4 points a game. He scored 47 against Pittsburgh Central Catholic and had more than 1,000 career points.

Dallier might not be the only top WPIAL player leaving their school. Geno Thorpe, a talented sophomore guard at Shaler High School, told a recruiting internet web site last month that he will leave Shaler and attend school somewhere in New Jersey next year.

At the time, Thorpe had said he might go to St. Anthonys. But Blair is rumored to be possibly heading to Blair Academy in New Jersey.

Blair Academy is located about 60 miles from New York City and has a well-known basketball program. Three current NBA players also played at Blair Luol Deng of the Chicago Bulls, Charlie Villanueva of the Milwaukee Bucks and Royal Ivey of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Blair regularly produces Division I college players. Blairs football program produced former Pitt star running back Dion Lewis.

Basketball Recruiting

South Fayettes Pat Zedreck, one of the top point guards in the WPIAL, has signed with Clarion University. Zedreck averaged 15.2 points and 8.6 assists this past season. He was a four-year starter.

Track History

You would think Clairton sprinter Trenton Coles and Ambridge high jumper India McCoy would have decent chances to win state track and field championships, after having some impressive performances at the WPIAL championships Thursday. McCoy set a meet record in the Class AAA girls high jump while Coles won the 100- and 200-meter dashes and set a meet record in the 200.

The PIAA meet is next Friday and Saturday at Shippensburg University and if Coles and McCoy could win titles, it would break a long state championship drought at their schools.

Clairton has 12 state champions in school history, but the last Clairton boy to win a PIAA title was Norman Jones, who won the 100-yard dash way back in 1971. Jones, by the way, is Coles grandfather.

Meanwhile, Ambridge has only two girls state champions. The last one was in 1988 when Maria Marsilla won the shot put. The other state champ from Ambridge is Allison Kotouch, who won the 1,600 in 1984.

Where Are They Now?

* Two WPIAL players are freshmen on the Duke University baseball team. Pine-Richland graduate Matt Berezo has played in only 26 of Dukes 53 games, with nine starts. But Berezo, an infielder, is batting .326 (9 of 26). Meanwhile, freshman pitcher Dillon Haviland of South Fayette has appeared in 13 games and made eight starts. He is 2-3 with a 5.05 ERA.

* Greensburg Central Catholic graduate Warren Schaffer is a third baseman with the Colorado Rockies Class AA minor-league affiliate (Tulsa Drillers). But Schaffer has appeared in only 18 games and has only 39 at-bats. He is batting .103.

Tags: Ambridge, Bethel Park, Butler, Clairton, Cornell, Elizabeth Forward, Greensburg C.C.