Westmoreland high school notebook: Basketball tournaments get season started

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, December 4, 2018 | 5:21 PM

High school basketball season opens Friday, and there are a number of local tip-off tournaments to watch.

Hempfield has three boys games Friday and Saturday. McKeesport and Jeannette meet in the opening game at 5:30 p.m. Friday, followed by Belle Vernon and Franklin Regional at 7 and Greensburg Salem and Hempfield at 8:30.

On Saturday, it’s Jeannette vs. Belle Vernon at 2 p.m., Franklin Regional and Greensburg Salem at 3:30 and Hempfield and McKeesport at 5.

The Derry tournament will feature Ligonier Valley and its high-scoring tandem of 6-foot-8 center Marrek Paola and Michael Marinchak. The Rams open against Berlin Brothersvalley at 6 p.m. Friday, followed by Kiski Area and Derry at 7:30.

Saturday has Ligonier Valley vs. Kiski Area (6) and Berlin Brothersvalley vs. Derry (7:30).

Three local teams will play in the Tom Traynor Tournament at Mt. Pleasant. On Friday, Ringgold plays Norwin at 6, followed by Southmoreland and Mt. Pleasant at 7:30.

Penn-Trafford has Shaler vs. North Allegheny at 6 p.m. Friday, followed by the host Warriors and Elizabeth Forward at 7:30.

Also Friday, Latrobe faces Altoona at 6:30 at the Canon-McMillan tournament, and Greensburg Central Catholic plays at Monessen in a nonsection game at 7.

On the girls side, Greensburg Salem hosts Mt. Pleasant vs. Hempfield at 6 p.m. Friday before the Golden Lions face Ligonier Valley at 7:30.

On Saturday, Ligonier Valley plays Mt. Pleasant at 6, followed by Hempfield and Greensburg Salem at 7:30.

The Southmoreland tournament has six teams. On Friday, Burrell takes on Southmoreland at 5 p.m., Albert Gallatin faces Yough at 6:30, and West Greene plays Freeport at 8. On Saturday, it’s Yough and Burrell at 12:30, Freeport-Albert Gallatin at 2, and West Shamokin-Southmoreland at 3:30.

Soccer watch

A number of WPIAL players are up for All-America recognition from Top Drawer Soccer, one of the top internet outlets on the national soccer scene.

Four on the watch list are from Westmoreland County, including three Norwin girls: junior Eva Frankovic, senior Maddy Genicola and sophomore Katelynn Kauffman.

Frankovic and Kauffman are Pitt commits, and Genicola is headed to Duquesne.

Belle Vernon senior Markello Apodiakos is the lone area player on the boys watch list.

WPIAL-wide, seven additional girls are on the list, including Chloe Kuminkoski of Moon, Emily Clopp of Canon-McMillan, Ellie Coffield of Mars, Courtney Coholich of Hampton, Regan LaVigna and Hannah Stuck of Peters Township and Krystyna Rytel of Shady Side Academy.

Other boys on the list include West Allegheny senior Nathan Dragisich, junior Joe Kearney of North Catholic and senior Tate Mohney of Butler.

Barnes’ ‘homecoming’

Jeannette’s Marcus Barnes committed to play football at William & Mary this week.

The university is located in Williamsburg, Va. His father, Johnnie, was born in Suffolk, Va., about 55 miles south of Williamsburg. Johnnie Barnes played at Hampton (Va.) before a short NFL career as a wide receiver.

Marcus was born in Pennsylvania but is looking forward to playing in front of family members from his father’s side.

“I have a lot of family down there,” he said. “Most of them are from that area, which is another reason I want to play there. The Barnes side never saw me play, so I want to give them a show.”

Tutino offered

Coming off a record-breaking senior season, Ligonier Valley football player Aaron Tutino received his first Division I scholarship offer last weekend, from St. Francis (Pa.).

Tutino, a two-time all-state player, set the state record for career touchdown receptions (61). He finished his four-year run with 206 catches for 4,120 yards.

Bill Beckner is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Bill at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.