Sewickley Academy Sweeps Past OLSH for Boys 2-A Crown

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, March 3, 2017 | 7:43 PM

Sewickley Academy coach Win Palmer admitted his team was a bit nervous in the 2016 WPIAL championship game and ended up losing to North Catholic.

Turn the calendar ahead one year and the nerves seemed to disappear, as did that losing feeling at the Petersen Events Center as the Panthers defeated Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the Class 2A title game 71-60.

The championship is the fourth in school history and being able to carry on that legacy was not lost on the Panthers’ players.

“It’s a great feeling,” said Chris Groetsch, senior guard, adding that the seniors took some ribbing from the coach’s son Tyler, who was an assistant coach last season and a member of a past championship team. “Tyler always rubbed it in. He can’t hold that over us anymore.”

Groetsch paced Sewickley Academy on the score sheet with 26 points and added 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals in a solid all-around game.

“Chris’s motor never stops,” Palmer said. He just keeps going and going and going.”

The game was tight throughout the first half as the teams went into the locker room tied 33-33 at the half.

But as has been the case for Sewickley Academy all season, it owned the third quarter breaking the game open with a 14-2 run along the way to a 20-8 margin over the 8-minute span.

“Fortunately, we’ve had some great third quarters all season,” Palmer said.

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart never got the lead below 6 points the rest of the game.

Keying the third-quarter onslaught for the Panthers was Dave Groetsch, Justin Pryor and Nate Ridgeway, each of whom ended the game in double figures.

Pryor had 15, Dave Groetsch 13 and Ridgeway 10. Ridgway also had 5 rebounds.

 Austin Wigley led OLSH with 20 points and Ethan Harrell added 18 points and 6 rebounds.

OLSH scored one of the biggest wins of the tournament earlier in the week when it knocked off previously undefeated Greensburg Central Catholic 54-49. 

Coach Mike Rodriguez said his team did not have a letdown after that big win.

“That was huge for us to pull that off,” Rodriguez said. “I think we’ve been playing at a high level, but you can’t take anything away from Sewickley Academy, they played an outstanding game,”

Palmer had his team geared toward this game throughout the season, especially with the extra-tough schedule his team played.

“It made us tougher, it made us learn to prepare,” he said. “We developed that edge.”

Needless to say, Palmer was much happier with the outcome this year at the Petersen Events Center than last year.

“I love it,” he said. I’m  so happy for them.”