Shady Side looking like serious contender
Shady Side Academy coach David Vadnais was blunt when asked how his team went from being 10-11 last season to owning an 122 record a year later.
“I don’t want to be rude to previous teams, but we just have more talent,” Vadnais said.
That talent continues to show, and has Shady Side looking like one of the favorites to win the WPIAL Class 3A title, which would be the program’s first since 1999 and second overall. The Bulldogs are the No. 3 seed and will take on the Apollo-Ridge-Beth-Center winner in next Thursday’s first round.
The formula has been simple, yet much easier said than done. The three returning starters have improved greatly since last season, and the Bulldogs have added a pair of impact freshmen to the mix, both of whom start — 5- foot- 10 guard Eli Teslovich and 6-2 guard Peter Kramer.
“Our two freshmen can really play,” Vadnais said. “The three guys that returned [Thompson] Lau, [ Rian] Fitzgerald and [Ethan] Salvia, have all taken steps forward. They took their lumps last year and realized they needed to get better. They put in the work to get stronger and improve their games.”
While some teams depend on one or two players to provide the bulk of their offensive production, Shady Side relies on balance. All five starters average between 14 and nine points a game, with Teslovich leading the way at 14.
Shady Side’s only losses are to Fox Chapel (the No. 2 seed in Class 6A) and Section 3 foe South Allegheny, which handed the visiting Bulldogs a 56-49 defeat Feb. 2. But in the rematch, it was Shady Side which had the upper hand, knocking off the Gladiators, 68-61, Feb. 17. In normal fashion, four
players scored in double figures for Shady Side. Lau had 20, Kramer added 15, and Teslovich and Salvia chipped in 10 apiece. The Bulldogs and Gladiators will split the section title.
This is a young Shady Side team. The Bulldogs dress only one senior and all eight players in their main rotation are underclassmen. Lau and Fitzgerald are juniors and Salvia a sophomore. Juniors Alex Kramer (Peter’s brother), Owen Martens and Josh Chu come off the bench.
While the future bodes well, Vadnais said his group is focused on the present. Shady Side, along with No. 1 South Allegheny and No. 2 Neshannock, appear to be the main contenders in the Class 3A bracket.
“I think the guys are excited,” Vadnais said. “We tried to play last week and again this week as playoff games. You don’t get easy teams in the playoffs. We try to emphasize that. And this year in the playoffs, if you lose you go home for the year.”
Trinity
The Trinity Hillers (8-8 overall, 4-6 in Class 5A Section 2) have been up and down this season, but one of their players has emerged as one of the top players in the WPIAL.
For senior Michael Dunn, it has been a job well done.
A 6-foot-4 guard-forward, Dunn ranks second in Class 5A in scoring with 23 points per game to go along with 7.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
“For us, he’s been everything,” said Trinity coach Tim Tessmer. “He just does it all. He’s obviously scoring a lot. His leadership is unbelievable. He’s shooting at such a high clip. He’s been super efficient.”
Dunn has had some big scoring performances. He has scored more than 30 five times, including 32 against New Castle and Chartiers Valley, the top two seeds in the Class 5A playoff bracket. He had 34 points and 11 rebounds Tuesday against Thomas Jefferson, and poured in 31 against Elizabeth Forward and Baldwin. Tessmer credited Dunn’s physical maturity as being among the biggest reasons for his breakout season. Dunn has shown the ability to score at all three levels, one of his strong points being a perimeter game that has seen him knock down a good number of deep 3-pointers. He’s shooting 41% from behind the arc.
Dunn said he has an offer from Shippensburg and has been fielding interest from a list of schools that include Pitt-Johnstown and Point
Park. Army has reached out, as well.
The Dunn name is well known in local basketball circles. His father, Joe, was
Trinity’s longtime coach, and his sister, Mary, is a former Trinity standout who now plays at Youngstown State.
Latrobe
Three last-second shots to win games.
Two brothers.
One common theme. “I think kids like that made those shots last July,” Latrobe coach Brad Wetzel said. “They made hundreds of those shots without anybody watching.”
People have been watching the Sickenberger brothers, senior Ryan and junior Chase, show a flair for the dramatic in the span of just one month this season. On Jan. 22 against Woodland Hills, Ryan made a 3pointer with less than a second left to give Latrobe a 5352 win. Chase then matched his brother by knocking down a buzzer-beating 3pointer to slip past McKeesport, 72-69. Ryan then took the lead on late heroics Feb. 17, nailing a triple at the buzzer to edge Franklin Regional, 56-53.
The Sickenbergers are both starters for Latrobe, which is 7-5 overall and 6-3 in Class 5A Section 3. Wetzel said the older brother is more aggressive offensively, but added that the younger one has come on in recent games.
Ryan’s winner was likely the most special of the three, as it came on senior night. He is one of five seniors on the team. With 6.6 seconds left, Sickenberger drove the length of the court and then tossed up a 3-pointer from the top of the key.
“When he left the ground, it seemed like he had a little hitch in shot,” Wetzel said. “He seemed to lose the ball, but it looked like it had a chance. The next thing you know, it went right through.”
Section titles
Washington is closing in on Uniontown’s WPIAL record. The Little Prexies claimed their 48th section title all time, second most in WPIAL history behind only Uniontown (49). The Little Prexies have won titles five years in a row. … Frazier captured its first section title since 1990. … Neshannock and Rochester won section titles for the first time since 2011.