QUAKER VALLEY’S TEAM-FIRST MENTALITY
The Quaker Valley basketball program is like a family, one that continues to grow each year.
For QV, it’s about “US.” That would be “us,” a togetherness that is often talked about by their coaches and players, and is even a hashtag they use on social media.
“It’s a good group,” coach Mike Mastroianni said. “We have an alumni game the day after Christmas. We’ll have 50 guys back playing. It’s good to be a part of. We’ve called ourselves ‘us’ forever. If you’re in that circle, it’s us, it’s about everybody.”
A few weeks into the season, it should come as no surprise that Quaker Valley is still undefeated. The Quakers are 5-0 for the fifth season in a row and ranked No. 2 in WPIAL Class 4A. This is a program that has won at least 18 games each of the last 11 seasons. No other WPIAL team can claim that.
Is there something in the water in that school in Leetsdale, just off the banks of the Ohio River?
Not so, according to sophomore point guard Adou Thiero.
“It’s coach Mas. He gets us ready,” Thiero said.
Mastroianni has indeed played a giant role in the program’s success. Earlier this month, he became only the 20th coach in WPIAL history to reach 500 career wins. He’s in his second stint at Quaker Valley. In those 13 seasons, he has a record of 257-64.
Thiero, along with Jack Gardinier and Markus Frank, are all playing big roles as sophomores. Senior K.C. Johns is another key player. Thiero is averaging 19 points a game and Frank 17.
South Allegheny
Six WPIAL teams head into the weekend with unbeaten records. The biggest surprise of them all has been South Allegheny.
The Gladiators won only six games a season ago. This season, they are 7-0 and their 3-0 section mark is tops in Class 3A Section 3. That’s a startling start for a program that has reached the playoffs only four times this century.
“I was optimistic going into this year,” said coach Tony DiCenzo. “We lost one senior from last year and had everybody else back. Last year we had a lot of freshmen and sophomores who got a lot of experience playing varsity. They put in a lot of work and had a lot of success in spring and summer leagues. We saw the maturation process. They were growing up.”
South Allegheny starts a freshman point guard, a sophomore and three juniors. The leading scorer has been 5-foot-11 junior guard Antonio Epps, who is averaging 19 points a game. Epps is receiving some FBS football interest. DiCenzo called him the best athlete he has had in his eight seasons. His ninth-grade brother, Bryce, starts at point guard. Junior center Omar Faulkner, junior swingman Wesley DiGiorgio and sophomore guard Ethan Kirkwood are the other starters.
Top recruits square off
Want to see two of the top 30 juniors in the country go head to head this weekend?
All you have to do is make a trip to North Allegheny on Friday night.
McDowell plays The Steward School, Va., at 6:30 p.m. in the first round of the North Allegheny tournament. The Steward School is led by 6-11 Efton Reid, ranked by ESPN as the No. 14 junior and No. 3 center in the country. McDowell features 6-7 guard-forward William Jeffress, ranked No. 29 overall.
Pitt is among the schools showing interest in Jeffress, who made six 3-pointers and scored 39 points in a 66-63 win against Bethel Park on Dec. 14. Reid already has an offer from defending national champion Virginia.