Central Catholic’s McGraw turns into a top pitcher in WPIAL
Pine-Richland (2017).
• City League basketball teams have proven they can be very competitive against WPIAL competition. It’s a much different story in baseball.
City League baseball teams are struggling mightily to compete in the WPIAL. Allderdice, Obama, Brashear and Carrick are four City League schools that play in the WPIAL in baseball and the combined records of the four were 4-48 as of mid-week. Allderdice used to be competitive, but the Dragons are 1-12. Brashear (1-12) has one win against Carrick, and Carrick (2-12) has a victory against Brashear. Obama is 0-12.
• This says a lot about the talent and reputation of Butler sophomore basketball player Ethan Morton. He is one of only 24 players in the country invited to the USA Basketball training camp to determine the roster for the U17 World Cup team. The training camp is June 15-18 in Colorado Springs, Colo. Twelve players will be picked to play in the FIBA U17 World Cup in Argentina June 26-July 8.
To give you an idea of the talent at this training camp, consider that Rivals.com’s three top-rated sophomores and 10 of the top 20 will be there.
• Speaking of sophomores, Perfect Game USA rated West Allegheny outfielder Austin Hendrick the No. 1 10th-grader in the country. How has the highly-touted Hendrick done this year? Well, West Allegheny had played only 12 games by mid-week, and Hendrick had only 29 atbats. But he was hitting .483 with 4 doubles, 2 home runs, 12 RBIs and 16 runs scored. But teams obviously don’t give him much to hit — he had walked 12 times.
• Best comment in spring sports might go to New Castle basketball coach Ralph Blundo, when describing Ohio State football recruit Marcus Hooker, who is playing baseball this season for the first time in his high school career. Hooker was a rather athletic running back, quarterback and defensive back in football and standout basketball player. “He bunts and he covers the whole outfield — by himself,” said Blundo.
• Pine-Richland offensive lineman Andrew Kristofic made a verbal commitment to Notre Dame two weeks ago. Kristofic said he’s not sure if he will play basketball next season and attend Pine-Richland for the whole season, or graduate early and be at Notre Dame for the 2019 spring semester.
• When the all-state basketball teams came out last week, Pine-Richland’s Phil Jurkovec’s reputation as one of the WPIAL’s best football-basketball athletes ever was only enhanced.
Jurkovec made secondteam all-state. He is the first WPIAL quarterback in 50 years to play in the largest classification and make allstate in football and basketball. The last one was Bernie Galiffa, who played at old Donora High in 1967-68. Donora was in the largest classification in basketball and the second largest in football. Galiffa went on to have an outstanding career as a quarterback at West Virginia University.