Final run for Neshannock star
Neshannock senior Bella Burrelli is one of the better basketball players in the WPIAL, with an array of skills not often seen in post players. Burrelli will be using that athletic talent for a college team ... it just won’t be a basketball team.
Burrelli also is one of the top volleyball players in the WPIAL and will play that sport at Edinboro. With Neshannock securing the top seed in the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs, this postseason run will be Burrelli’s last hurrah as a basketball player.
“I always have that in the back of my head,” said Burrelli. “You just have to be thinking about giving it your all, even though this might be your last game. Might as well be the best season, right?”
It could be a historic season for Burrelli. Her Lancers (20-2) are now aiming for the school’s first district title. Neshannock, which is riding a 16-game winning streak, will take on either Washington or Mohawk Feb. 23 in the quarterfinals. Burrelli is averaging a line of 18.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 blocks and 3 assists per game.
Burrelli has volleyball to thank for many of her basketball skills. The sports utilize similar techniques, such as leaping ability, quick feet and side-to-side agility, and are played on the same hardwood surface. The 5-10 Burrelli is not the kind of player who plods from one end to the other and camps out under the basket. She can pop out to knock down a 15-footer or even a 3. On the defensive end, she can chase players to the perimeter and guard them with no problem.
“I’ve always said that kids playing multiple sports, each sport helps the other,” said Neshannock coach Luann Grybowski, who earned her 650th career victory this season. “She’s quick off her feet and she’s such a good rebounder. We even have plays where she gets alley oops. Her repetitive jumping in volleyball really helps her in basketball.”
Grybowski has seen a lot of talented players in her 39 years as a floor leader. The coach and player have a unique deal in which Burrelli plays both sports during the winter. AAU volleyball occurs at the same time as basketball, so Burrelli does both.
“She still gives 100 percent on our end,” Grybowksi said. “We’re such a small school, you have to let kids do other things.”
That makes for a hectic winter. Burrelli said that each Tuesday she goes to school, then two hours of basketball practice then makes an hour drive to Pittsburgh for two hours of volleyball practice before making the hour trek back home.
On the weekends, she plays in volleyball tournaments. She enjoys hustling from one sport to the next.
“I have to keep myself busy or I don’t even know what I would do,” Burrelli said.
South Park
The Eagles are on a lateseason run and have thrown their hat into the list of Class 3A contenders. They fittingly have one of the best throwers around to thank for that.
Senior Maura Huwalt is averaging 17.5 points per game for the Eagles. She netted 19 in the season finale, including the 1,000th of her career. Huwalt is a star track and field thrower who became the first girl in 19 years to sweep the WPIAL shot put, discus and javelin last year. Huwalt will focus on track and field in college and throw for Auburn.
After a sluggish 4-6 start to the season, South Park (16-6) has ripped off 12 wins in a row. They took care of business in Class 3A Section 2 with a 13-1 record to win the section and earn a first-round bye in the WPIAL playoffs. South Park will face the Deer Lakes-Seton LaSalle winner Feb. 23 in the quarterfinals.
Trinity
Earlier in the season, Trinity coach Bob Miles said that he hoped star guard Riley DeRubbo would be back from an injury in time for the playoffs. Miles and the Hillers got their wish, as DeRubbo returned to the lineup the final week of the regular season. Against a good Franklin Regional squad, DeRubbo put up 16 points in the regular-season finale Feb. 11, including some late free throws that helped clinch the victory. DeRubbo, who averaged 17.7 points per game last season as a sophomore, tore her ACL last summer.
Playing without its top player for nearly the entire season, Trinity (11-11) scrapped its way into the playoffs and could make some noise in perhaps the most competitive classification. The Hillers will take on Penn-Trafford at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Mt. Lebanon.