Unexpected champion
New Castle deals Quaker Valley its first loss of season
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
His eyes red from emotions, New Castle coach Ralph Blundo watched his jubilant players rush into the locker room. He shook his head in disbelief.
“I don’t know what to say,” Blundo said.
Blundo had just won his fifth WPIAL title in the past seven years, but this one tugged at his emotions more than any other. Just because it was unexpected.
Quaker Valley came into the Class 4A championship Saturday afternoon with a perfect 23-0 record and two of the victories came against New Castle. But for the third meeting, New Castle rose up and proved Red Hurricanes can trump a perfect storm.
New Castle built a 12point lead near the end of the third quarter, then held off Quaker Valley, 57-52, at Petersen Events Center to prevent the Quakers from becoming only the 20th boys team since 1950 to win a WPIAL title with an undefeated record.
Blundo certainly has had more talented teams than this one. This group shoots nowhere near as well as other New Castle championship teams. They are sometimes offensively challenged. That’s what made this championship run a little hard to believe.
“We were so bad at the beginning of the year, and Quaker Valley is so seasoned and so polished,” said Blundo, whose team is 21-4. “I’m speechless because of coming from where we were to where we are today … that’s just a gritty, tough group of kids back there [in the locker room]. They embody what New Castle is all about.
“All of the championships are special. But, man, it will be hard to top this one.”
New Castle never trailed. The Red Hurricanes consistently gutted Quaker Valley’s defense with drives to the basket. If a New Castle player didn’t finish with a layup, he often passed for a layup.
Senior forward Marcus Hooker, an Ohio State football recruit, had a stellar performance with 15 rebounds and 12 points. Senior guard Lorenzo Gardner led the Red Hurricanes in scoring with 15 points while senior guard Georgie Eggleston had 12 points and senior center Cahlil Dorman 10.
For Quaker Valley, senior guard Coletrane Washington had 18 points, but had only four in the first half when New Castle built a 2822 lead. Senior forward Ricky Guss had 15.
Washington, a Drexel recruit who averages 22 points, was in foul trouble in the first half. He had two baskets taken away by charging foul calls. Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni believed the foul calls had a big effect on the game.
“That shouldn’t happen in a championship game,” Mastroianni said. “Their best player [Hooker] played the whole game. Our best player, I was coaching to keep him in the game. I’m not going to go any further with it, but when you’re taking buckets away … It should be about the players on the court.”
Quaker Valley still had a chance to win. Trailing, 5150, Washington couldn’t get a short shot to fall with 37 seconds left and Eggleston scored 10 seconds later to make it 53-50. Quaker Valley’s Ryan Stowers missed a 3-pointer, and Gardner iced it with two free throws with 12.3 seconds left.
“This is probably the worst offensive team I’ve had, but they defend and guard as good as most of the teams we’ve had,” Blundo said. “That gives you a chance.”