Westmoreland County boys basketball notebook: Former Franklin Regional coach back on sideline

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, December 21, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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Former Franklin Regional coach Steve Scorpion is back on the sideline.

Scorpion is an assistant this season at Kiski Area.

He applied for the Kiski Area girls head coaching position, but when he did not get the job, Cavaliers boys coach Corey Smith invited him onto his bench.

“The (girls hire) was on a Tuesday night, and Corey called me Wednesday morning and we met up,” Scorpion said. “I have a lot of respect for Corey. I was also impressed with him from afar.”

Scorpion played at Pitt-Johnstown with Joey Tutchstone, one of Smith’s high school teammates at Kiski Area. He met Smith through Tutchstone.

“I knew all about Scorp and how good of a coach he is,” Smith said. “I didn’t hesitate to ask him. We met for lunch and had a meeting about (the job). I like his style and the way he works with the guys.”

Kiski Area and Franklin Regional are in the same WPIAL section, so Scorpion will get to coach against a number of Panthers players he has helped train through AAU with the Basketball Stars of America.

Scorpion, an open book when it comes to his bout with an opioid addiction, has turned his life around, not only for himself but for his wife, Marissa, and their three young sons.

“I just keep doing the next right things,” he said.

A physical education teacher at Young Scholars of Western PA in Pittsburgh, Scorpion also applied for the Greensburg Salem boys opening last year. The Golden Lions hired Cam Auld, a Norwin alum.

Tournament time

Holiday tournaments return next week with games beginning Wednesday and continuing into the weekend.

The Greensburg Salem Holiday Classic features eight teams Dec. 27-28.

On Dec. 27, Yough plays Greensburg Central Catholic at noon, followed by Penn Hills vs. Hempfield at 2 p.m., Connellsville vs. Jeannette at 4 and Mt. Pleasant vs. Greensburg Salem at 6.

On Dec. 28, the schedule has Jeannette vs. Yough at noon, Mt. Pleasant. vs. Connellsville at 2, GCC vs. Penn Hills at 4 and Hempfield vs. Greensburg Salem at 6.

The Franklin Regional and Belle Vernon boys will play in the Holiday Bash Dec. 28 and 30 at three sites: North Allegheny, Butler and Geneva College.

Franklin Regional takes on North Allegheny at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 28 at North Allegheny and faces Laurel Highlands at 6 on Dec. 30 at Geneva’s Metheny Field House.

Belle Vernon has only one game, at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 30 against Lincoln Park at Geneva.

Turner hits 1,000

Senior point guard Tyree Turner of Greensburg Central Catholic scored his 1,000th point Friday when the Centurions rolled past visiting Riverview, 64-30.

He needed 18 but finished with 24 and reached the career milestone on a free throw.

Turner was coming off a monster game against Berlin Brothersvalley when he pumped in 31 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and handed out five assists.

Sanders out

Jeannette has been playing without one of its most athletic guards, Noah Sanders.

The senior has been resting a thumb injury from football season. The running back wore a black cast on his forearm for most of the season but was still effective.

Brotherly love

Mt. Pleasant hosted a fundraiser last week against Southmoreland to benefit a scholarship fund in the name of former Vikings two-sport athlete Dom Giallonardo, who died in 2020 from Ewing’s Sarcoma.

A scholarship will be awarded to two Mt. Pleasant seniors who play two sports and maintain a 2.0 GPA.

Senior Dante Giallonardo, Dom’s brother, had 20 points in a 73-54 loss to Southmoreland in the third game of a JV boys-varsity girls-varsity boys tripleheader.

He was proud to represent his brother and family on a special night.

“It was super emotional for me,” Giallonardo said. “My brother loved basketball, and so do I. Everything I do, I think of him and how he would go about doing things. The scholarship my family set up will help his name to live on.

“Obviously, the win would’ve made it better.”

Bushey coaching

Former Derry basketball player and golf standout Aidan Bushey is helping coach at his alma mater.

He is an assistant to Trojans boys basketball coach Tom Esposito. The staff also includes Matt Polinsky, TJ Petrosky and Neal McClarren.

Friday spotlight

A couple of local nonsection games to watch on a light schedule Friday night include Greensburg Central Catholic at Hempfield and Greensburg Salem at Norwin.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.