Top WPIAL talent is attracting interest
Tri-State Sports & News Service
Two WPIAL girls basketball standouts have made some big decisions regarding their recruitment.
One ended hers, while the other’s has just begun.
East Allegheny senior Amani Johnson, the WPIAL’s leading scorer last season, committed to Kennesaw State on Sunday, while North Allegheny junior Rachel Martindale has decided to play basketball instead of softball in college. She pledged to play softball at Pitt early in her sophomore year.
Johnson is one of the area’s most dynamic talents. A 5-foot-5 point guard, she poured in 29.5 points per game last season and already has 1,570 career points. She was named Class 3A first-team all-state and to the Post-Gazette’s Fabulous Five team.
Johnson chose Kennesaw State over Holy Cross and Furman. She visited all three schools, making the trip to Kennesaw State — a Division I school located outside of Atlanta — two weekends ago. The Owls are coached by former Pitt coach Agnus Berenato and have developed a pipeline to the WPIAL. Blackhawk graduate Breanna Hoover is a freshman there and Chartiers Valley junior Gabby Legister has committed to the school.
“They just started recruiting me after the last AAU tournaments in July,” Johnson said. “They hadn’t seen me before then. They were one of the last ones to reach out to me. The day after the last tournament, they called and offered.”
Martindale, a 5-8 guard, averaged 13 points a game as a sophomore, helping North Allegheny win the WPIAL Class 6A title and reach the PIAA final. She was selected third-team all-state. She is a two-year starter in basketball and softball, where she plays shortstop. Martindale is considered a Division Ilevel player in basketball and plans on visiting Saint Francis (Pa.) Friday.
QV’s Coletrane offered
A player with maybe the smoothest name in WPIAL basketball received his first Division I offer Sunday. Quaker Valley senior guard Coletrane Washington was offered by Drexel during an in-home visit.
Washington is a 6-foot-4 shooting guard who averaged 16 points per game as a junior when he helped Quaker Valley reach the WPIAL Class 4A final. Coach Mike Mastroianni said Washington shot about 50 percent from the field and will enter his senior season about 50 points shy of 1,000 for his career.
“It means a lot to get my first D1 offer,” Washington said. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity that so many people would die for, but it doesn’t mean I won’t stop working here. It just makes me want to work even harder.”
Washington is the fourth WPIAL senior to be offered by a Division I school. The others are Mars’ Robby Carmody, Laurel Highlands’ Bryce Laskey and North Allegheny’s Curtis Aiken. Carmody has committed to Notre Dame and Laskey to Saint Francis (Pa.).
West A to Duquesne
Two West Allegheny athletes made their college decisions last week. They play different sports, but will end up at the same destination.
Senior Will Weber and junior Nathan Dragisich committed to Duquesne — Weber for football and Dragisich for soccer. Weber plays a multitude of positions, including running back, quarterback, linebacker and safety. He leads the Indians in rushing (460 yards) and touchdowns (nine). Teammate Anthony Dellovade committed to Duquesne a few weeks earlier. Dragisich has scored a team-best 17 goals for the West Allegheny soccer team.