Buzzer-beater creates a name for Tess Myers
Only one senior started between the two teams. Both teams have at least one sophomore already with a Division I college offer. OLSH has standout freshman Dante Spadafora.
Incidentally, in 106 seasons of WPIAL championship games, only once have two teams met in a championship three consecutive years. That was New Castle and Hampton from 2012-14.
• I say Robert Morris women’s basketball is getting a steal with Beaver point guard Bella Posset.
• Makenna Marisa, who helped Peters Township to the 6A title game, is one of the WPIAL’s best point guards in recent years. She has a great handle, shoots a real jump shot and is quick. Both Duquesne and Pitt want her as well as others.
• In consecutive days, two girls coaches took the stairway to seven WPIAL titles. Vincentian’s Ron Moncrief won his seventh March 1 and Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic’s Molly Rottmann won her seventh March 2. The only other girls coaches to win seven titles are North Catholic’s Don Barth (11), Penn Hills’ Bill Lind (8) and Mount Alvernia’s De Porucznik (8).
• With Mars winning the WPIAL boys 5A championship, Robby Carmody joined a rather impressive list of WPIAL scorers. Carmody was the WPIAL leading scorer during the regular season and became only the sixth player in at least 32 years to lead the league in scoring and also win a WPIAL title. Among the others are a current NBA player and a former NFL star. The other five to win the scoring title and a WPIAL championship are Chartiers Valley’s Matty McConnell (2015), Chartiers Valley’s T.J. McConnell (2010), Aliquippa’s Darrelle Revis (2003), Sto-Rox’s Eddie Petersen (2001) and Duquesne’s Kevin Price (1993).
• One of the more interesting storylines of the WPIAL championships involved Oakland Catholic’s Cierra Christian. She transferred from Gateway to Oakland Catholic for this school year, and Gateway beat Oakland Catholic in the WPIAL 5A title. In a news conference after the game, Gateway’s players were cautious in their words about Christian, but admitted Christian was a motivating factor for the Gators.
• Vincentian swept boys and girls championships. It was the 15th time a school won boys and girls championships. Vincentian has done it twice.
• I say the WPIAL wins one PIAA boys championship. Two would be terrific. I’d say the WPIAL wins maybe two girls championships at the most.