Brothers play key roles for No. 1 OLSH
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart’s Daren DiMichele is the leading scorer for the No. 1-ranked team in WPIAL Class 2A.
Another of OLSH’s top players shares the same last name and lives under the same roof.
Brothers Daren and Jake DiMichele are at different stages in their high school careers — Daren is a senior and Jake a freshman — but both are big contributors for OLSH (18-1), a WPIAL finalist the past two seasons and a PIAA runner-up last season.
You won’t find many sets of brothers in the WPIAL who both average in double figures. The DiMicheles can claim that. Daren, a 6-foot-1 guard, averages 16 points per game, and Jake, a 6-2 guard, averages 13. Daren scored 30 Tuesday against Mohawk.
“These guys are gym rats,” OLSH coach Mike Rodriguez said. “They have that chemistry on the court. They know where each other is going to be. Daren is playing on another level right now. He’s more mature, more experienced. We knew Jake could score, but we had no idea he would be such a good rebounder. He’s been filling that role nicely and he scores big baskets when he needs to.”
The brothers have great genes. Their father, Daren, was a standout guard on StoRox’s undefeated 1983 team that won a PIAA title.
OLSH’s only loss came Jan. 5 at Class 3A North Catholic. OLSH can finish unbeaten in Section 3 if it wins at Sewickley Academy on Friday night. The Chargers might not have talented sophomore point guard Dante Spadafora, who has missed the past two games with a sprained ankle. Rodriguez said he hopes Spadafora will be ready for the start of the WPIAL playoffs.
Charleroi
One of Charleroi’s best players was a Legend before he ever picked up a basketball.
Legend Davis has one of the most unique first names in the WPIAL. He’s the starting point guard for Charleroi (10-9, 7-4), which has clinched a playoff berth in Class 3A Section 4.
Yes, Legend is Davis’ actual birth name, not a nickname. The story goes like this. Legend’s father is Larry John Davis, and Legend’s parents wanted their son to also have the initials L.J. They were set on a middle name — Javonni — but didn’t want another Larry. Then, one day, an idea hit mother DeLana as she rode in her husband’s car at the time, an Acura Legend.
“We went back and forth for months on boys names and Legend just stuck. It was such a strong name,” DeLana said.
Legend has one sibling, an older sister named Lainna. His mom joked that Lainna calls Legend the overachiever of the two, an almost impossible feat considering his name. Davis, a 6foot, 180-pound junior, is also a talented football player. He was an all-conference defensive back last season and also had 35 receptions for 673 yards and nine touchdowns as a slot receiver. Charleroi reached the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals.
Legend said he rarely ever goes a day without someone making a remark about his name.
“All the time,” he said, laughing. “Any time it’s on the loudspeaker or when anyone sees it on the roster, somebody always comments on it.”
Monessen
Monessen ran its section win streak to 64 games Tuesday with a 87-47 win against West Greene. It’s the longest active streak in the WPIAL. The Greyhounds are once again a WPIAL Class 1A championship contender, and the success has come with a first-year coach and a freshman point guard leading the team in scoring.
With a win Friday at Mapletown, Monessen (13-7, 11-0) can finish undefeated in section play for the sixth season in a row. It has been a fine first season for Dan Bosnic, who took over for longtime coach Joe Salvino. The latter won 638 games and six WPIAL titles in 34 seasons at the school. Salvino is now coaching at Belle Vernon.
Devin Whitlock is only 57, but he has made a giant impact his freshman season. Whitlock leads Monessen in scoring with 16.1 points per game. You will likely be seeing Whitlock’s name a lot in the upcoming years. He was the starting quarterback for the Monessen football team and was the only freshman in the WPIAL named to an all-conference team. He was selected as a defensive back.
“He’s extremely quick, he has the ability to score the ball at the rim and he’s starting to become a better shooter,” Bosnic said. “What I like about him is his defense and how he controls the pace of the game.”