Relying on more than history
Washington routs McGuffey to clinch WPIAL Class 3A Section 4 crown
The gymnasium at Washington High School screams history.
From wooden seats and stadium seating to all the championship banners on the wall, watching a game there almost feels like you have taken a trip back in time.
It certainly felt that way Friday when Washington, a team that has qualified for the WPIAL playoffs 63 times — more than any other school — put together a vintage performance in what to this point was one of its biggest games this season.
Washington shot lights-out, was outstanding defensively, and dominated from start to finish while throttling McGuffey, 72-33.
With the win, Washington (13-7, 11-1) won the Class 3A Section 4 title outright. The Little Prexies already had clinched a share of the title, but McGuffey (14-7, 9-3) had an opportunity to gain a piece of it, too.
The Highlanders own one title; Washington has won 46.
Having it all to themselves was important to Isaiah Walton, one of Washington’s two seniors who were honored before the game. Walton scored 10 points and classmate Dan Ethridge had 15.
“We wanted to leave a legacy,” Walton said. Especially with me and Dan. We’ve been playing together since the second grade.”
This game was nothing like the one the teams played a month ago when Washington beat McGuffey, 51-42. This one was a laugher.
Washington shot a scorching 60 percent (33 of 55) from the field, and McGuffey shot 31 percent (13 of 41).
Washington led by 20 points at the half, and the mercy rule went into effect when Washington took a 40-point lead with just under two minutes left in the game.
“I’m extremely disappointed with our level of effort,” McGuffey coach Mike Fatigante said. “It was our biggest game of the season. Not only did we underperform, but our effort level was awful. I’m really disappointed about that. What you saw tonight was not who we are.”
Washington’s win was its sixth in a row. Playing excellent defense has been the biggest key throughout the stretch as Washington held each opponent below 40 points. The 33 points were the fewest McGuffey has scored all season.
But Washington’s offense looked pretty good Friday, too.
It’s leading scorer was freshman Tayshawn Levy, who came off the bench to score 18 points. Caleb Jackson chipped in 10 to give Washington four players in double figures.
“I’m guessing we probably weren’t aiming for it because there are nights where we couldn’t shoot it very well,” said Washington coach Ron Faust, who earned his 607th career win.
C.J. Cole led McGuffey with 11 points, well below his season average of 23.
The Highlanders, who had won five consecutive games, were held to single digits in points for three of the four quarters.
They had a five-minute scoring drought in the first quarter and didn’t make their first basket of the fourth quarter until there was less than a minute left.
Despite the rout, Faust never stopped coaching. During a timeout in the third quarter, he told his team the way they were playing wouldn’t be good enough to beat some of the elite teams in Class 3A, ones they might have to play when the playoffs begin next weekend.
“Their vision has to be beyond the teams that are on our immediate schedule,” Faust said. “We’re doing things to plan for the future. We know that the way we’ve played so far won’t be competitive with Lincoln Park and Aliquippa, so we need to bring it on if we are to do anything in the playoffs.”