Chartiers Valley girls make history with win
Colts claim first crown, run past Oakland Catholic
Chartiers Valley trailed Oakland Catholic by a point after three quarters in the WPIAL Class 5A girls championship. As the fourth quarter started, the Eagles student section chanted, “I believe that we will win.”
Chartiers Valley’s Mackenzie Wagner wasn’t tonguetied, either. The sophomore guard scored 8 of her gamehigh 19 points in a dominant fourth quarter and had a little fun by sticking her tongue out at the Eagles student section. She led Chartiers Valley to a 52-36 win and its first WPIAL title in school history.
The Colts (19-7) went on a 20-3 run in the final quarter, and Wagner enjoyed giving it back to Oakland Catholic’s students after making two free throws as time winded down.
“Yeah, a little bit,” she said, chuckling.
Chartiers Valley only has one senior, but the younger players have proven to be the comeback kids lately. The Colts needed a fourth-quarter run against Trinity in the semifinals just to make the title game.
“It’s a team with great heart,” Chartiers Valley coach Dan Slain said. “They refuse to quit. That’s just the mental toughness of this team. Mental toughness is what gets you through situations when you’re down seven at the half. You come out and say, ‘This who we are.’ ”
Wagner made 12 of 13 free throws, including six in the fourth, after going 16 for 17 from the free-throw line in the semifinals.
“Anybody can make a free throw in the first quarter,” Slain said.
Freshman guard Megan McConnell chipped in 16 points and now has a WPIAL gold medal to match older brothers T.J. and Matty McConnell, both former Chartiers Valley stars. T.J. McConnell now is a point guard for the Philadelphia 76ers and Matty McConnell plays for Robert Morris.
Their sister, who stands 5 feet 5, had a key play early in the fourth quarter when she battled through the defense for a basket in the paint that gave the Colts a 37-35 lead they would not relinquish.
“Megan was fighting her way through arms and legs and people that were 5 or 7 inches bigger than her,” Slain said. “That’s just Megan.”
The Eagles (22-4) beat the Colts, 41-33, Jan. 21. Since then, Chartiers Valley has ripped off 11 consecutive wins.
Oakland Catholic was led by Haley Zoglmann with 8 points. The Eagles went cold in the fourth quarter, making just 1 of 7 shots. The Colts defense also clamped down in the fourth and forced six turnovers. Oakland Catholic had 20 overall.
“In the stretch, we turned the ball over when we shouldn’t have,” Oakland Catholic coach Shannon Kearney said. “We were missing easy shots that we shouldn’t have.”
The first three quarters were competitive. The teams traded baskets for much of the first quarter and early into the second. The lead changed hands eight times before Oakland Catholic created some separation with an 11-5 run to close the first half with a 26-19 lead. Julianna Skowron scored 6 points during that stretch.
The lead changed 11 times in all.
In the end, it was Chartiers Valley that hoisted the trophy for the first time.
“I told them this is where you get to make history,” Slain said. “To be 15-, 16-, 17-years old to make history Chartiers Valley’s Mackenzie Wagner, Abbey Collins and Lauren Wagner hoist the Class 5A girls championship trophy Saturday at Petersen Events Center.