Anthony Sciarroni
DESALES 17 Junior 3.8 (National Honor Society) Football and basketball He will begin making visits after basketball season
What spurred you to take Italian as a subject?
We’ve got a strong Italian heritage in our family. My grandma came from Italy and I’ve always wanted to visit the country. She teaches us dialects — it’s different than in class — and she will cook Italian dishes. She’ll make us spaghetti and meatballs the night before a game.
What about the rest of your family?
My dad (Mike) is from Steubenville. He’s the linebacker coach at DeSales and teaches at Beatty Park Middle School. I play safety and my brother, Frank, is a sophomore linebacker. My mom (Therese) graduated from Ready. Her maiden name is Hanley. She is one of 10 children, so I have a lot of cousins at Ready. I have a sister (Adele) who is a freshman at Duquesne. My younger sister, Gemma, is a seventh-grader.
What’s it like going home after games with one of your coaches?
My dad talks schemes with Frank and me on the way home. We’ll go into the computer room and watch game film. We’re always talking schemes. My dad played at Steubenville Central Catholic and walked on at Kent State before having to quit because of knee problems.
I understand you have a friendship with Chris Fuchs, a DeSales student with Down Syndrome?
We’ve been friends since kindergarten. Every day after school I’d go to his house when my mom was at work. Chris is our basketball manager, and he gives us pep talks before the game. What Chris has been able to do has humbled me.
Are you involved in any clubs?
I’m in the Italian Club, Corral for the Kids and Run the Race. Corral for the Kids is a fundraiser for children with cancer, and we’re having a dodgeball tournament for schools in the Central Catholic League. It’s fun seeing all the students come together for a great cause. Run the Race is a charity run that helps innercity kids. We’ll make trips to St. Stephens and hang out with kids for the day. I enjoy seeing the smiles on their faces.
What else do you have going on?
I’ve been playing travel basketball. I’ve been to places like Dallas, Atlanta and Virginia for AAU tournaments during the summer. One tournament is Adidas Gauntlet where college coaches can see you play. I got on the plane with my dad my freshman year and he said, “We’re getting on a plane to Dallas so you can play basketball, and that’s pretty cool.” You can play five to six games a weekend.
Are you undecided about whether to play football or basketball in college?
I’m 6 feet tall, which is a little undersized for basketball. I’ve had more success in football. I was first-team all-district, second-team all-state and second-team allmetro. Coach (Ryan) Wiggins does such a great job getting a lot of our players into college for football.
And you also play the piano? When did you start?
I took lessons for a year or two with sheet music. That got boring, so now I just listen to a song and play by ear after learning the basics. I’ll dissect a song piece by piece. We have a piano in the house and I’ll play all types of music. I got a keyboard for my 13th birthday.