Westmoreland County high school basketball notebook: Coach brings concepts from Penn State football to Norwin girls team

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Monday, March 11, 2024 | 12:52 PM

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Brian Brozeski remembers the guidance he received from more established teammates when he made the Penn State football team in the mid-1990s.

Former headliners Joe Jurevicius, Brandon Short, Curtis Enis and others, he said, took him under their wing.

“I was a scrawny walk-on from tiny Blairsville, but those guys made it a point to include me and made personal connections with me,” said Brozeski, Norwin’s girls basketball coach who will lead the team into the second round of the PIAA Class 6A playoffs Tuesday. “No one was bigger than the game. Coach (Joe) Paterno made sure he knew everything about all the guys.”

A quarterback in high school, the 6-foot-7 Brozeski became a hybrid tight end/receiver at Penn State after playing special teams early in his career. He earned a scholarship and turned into a pass-catching tight end for the Nittany Lions.

Brozeski, who has 237 wins and three WPIAL championships leading the Lady Knights, said he brought a similar philosophy to coaching.

It could be the reason Norwin brings such a team-first approach to the court.

“Someone like Joe Jurevicius,” Brozeski said. “He was a great leader, and he was passionate. We had a lot of guys like that. You have to be passionate to have success. I try to take a little of that soul and instill it here.

“It’s not all about the points. You want kids who get after it on defense and sacrifice for one another.”

Brozeski, who is modest talking about his prep career, also was a 1,000-point scorer in basketball. His team reached the PIAA semifinals when he was a senior. He also competed in track and field.

He is in the Indiana County sports hall of fame.

Having experienced individual and team success, Brozeski wants the same for his players.

“This is the fun time in life for these girls,” Brozeski said. “It’s high school sports. They’re making so many great memories.”

A side note to his time at Blairsville: One of his teammates was Brian Christopher, the father of Lady Knights sophomore guard Ava Christopher.

Additionally, his high school basketball coach was Jay Monahan, who is a Norwin alum.

“He used to talk about Norwin and how great it was there,” Brozeski said. “It’s strange to think about that. I’m walking the halls and coaching here now, and I see what he was talking about.”

Knowing his role

The left side of the PIAA bracket is also known as the west side.

Franklin Regional senior guard Fin Hutchison and his teammates are trying to make their own “West Side Story.”

That is the title of the school musical at Franklin Regional and, like in basketball, Hutchison plays a key role.

After the Panthers dispatched of Warwick, 68-53, in the first round Friday — the first home state playoff game in the history of the boys program — Hutchison raced over to the auditorium.

He is one of the Jets, a gang in the production that is a rival to the Sharks.

Hutchison sings and dances for the majority of the show.

“There was some added pressure on me from the cast and crew to perform well and help the team win so I could rush over to the show,” said Hutchison, who had 16 points in the win. “It’s been a great time but a lot to juggle. I would go from the musical after school then straight to basketball practice. Coach (Jesse) Reed has been calling me Troy Bolton for about two weeks now. It’s been a sensational experience to say the least.”

Reed went to watch Hutchison perform after Friday’s game.

“All of the musical cast came to the game and stood in the hallway and were cheering me on when I went on my run in the fourth (quarter),” Hutchison said. “Overall, it’s a great problem to have.”

By a nose

Norwin senior point guard Bailey Snowberger played the PIAA opener without her face mask.

Snowberger broke her nose late in the regular season and wore the mask through the WPIAL championship.

“Tells you how tough she is, doesn’t it?” Brozeski said. “She took a charge (early in the state first round Friday) and got right back up. I’m sure it helps with her being able to see better, too.”

Snowberger is a Division I softball commit (Holy Cross) and will be one of the top returning shortstops in WPIAL 6A this spring.

She has ventured off to get in some hitting since softball practice began March 4.

“The one day, both teams were in the gym because it rained,” Brozeski said. “Bailey told the softball team they had to leave the gym because basketball was coming in. She wasn’t mean about it or anything. There you have a D-1 softball kid, and she is focused on helping us win. She is a great leader.”

FR strong

The Franklin Regional boys defeated Warwick on Friday night for their first PIAA playoff win since 2017.

The win also was the 24th of the season for the Panthers, the most they’ve had since 1997 (29-4).

How far as the team come under Reed? Franklin Regional had 24 wins in the previous three seasons combined.

GCC rematch?

The WPIAL-champion Greensburg Central Catholic girls (21-6) could see a familiar opponent in the Class 2A quarterfinals.

If GCC beats West Middlesex (20-5) on Tuesday, the Centurions could see South Side (16-11), the team it beat in the WPIAL semifinals.

South Side plays Everett (19-7) on Tuesday night.

The PIAA quarters are Friday at neutral sites.

Local games

There will be a number of state second-round games in Westmoreland County on Tuesday.

Hempfield will host a girls-boys doubleheader with the Westmont Hilltop (20-4) and Seton LaSalle (16-10) girls playing at 6 p.m. in 3A, followed by the 4A boys matchup of Johnstown (22-4) and Hampton (23-4) at 7:30.

Norwin also has two games, both in 2A girls. At 6, Portage (24-3) plays Kennedy Catholic (21-4), and Clairton (20-6) and Bishop McCort play at 7:30.

What is interesting about those two games is the winners will meet in the quarterfinals.

Local fans can get a look at Clairton junior guard Iyanna Wade, who already has 2,000 career points. She had 54 in a WPIAL playoff game.

Kennedy Catholic is the defending state champion. It defeated Greensburg Central Catholic in last year’s PIAA semifinals.

The Golden Eagles beat 6A Norwin, 51-50, earlier this season.

One other state game will be played at Greensburg Salem. South Side (16-11) and Everett (19-7) tip at 7 in 2A.

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

Tags: Franklin Regional, Greensburg C.C., Norwin