By: Chris Harlan 
Tuesday, May 12, 2020 | 9:47 AM

Central Catholic coach Brian Urso will use this stay-at-home time to binge watch some game film. He spent his first season at Central learning all about the boys basketball teams to the north and now will study Westmoreland County.

“I‘ll have the time,” Urso said.

The WPIAL revealed updated boys and girls basketball section alignments Tuesday and almost every team has at least one new opponent for the 2020-21 season. Some found themselves in an entirely new section.

In fact, only one section saw no changes.

“Playing against different opponents every couple of years is actually a good thing,” Urso said. “You get to see what else is out there. You have a chance to re-energize your guys for scouting reports and preparation and new venues and new student sections.”

Central Catholic was one of the teams that joined an entirely new section. The Vikings went from a Class 6A section with northern schools to one that’s centered farther the east. They join Fox Chapel, Greensburg Salem, Hempfield, Norwin and Penn-Trafford after sharing a section last season with Butler, Pine-Richland, North Allegheny, North Hills and Seneca Valley.

“I’m excited for the change,” Urso said.

The trickiest part of this year’s realignment was deciding how many sections each classification should have, WPIAL associate executive director Amy Scheuneman said. In boys and girls, Classes 5A and 2A increased from three sections to four because the number of teams in those classifications grew.

For scheduling purposes, the WPIAL limited sections to eight teams or fewer. That became an issue in Class 6A boys, where there are only 17 teams, forcing the WPIAL to create small sections of five, six and six.

“The number of teams in some classifications — like 6A — created a lot of debate and discussion,” Scheuneman said. “Nobody wants a five-team section, but you also can’t have a nine-team section because we’d have too many play dates.”

The WPIAL decided to shift Central Catholic east to better balance the sections competitively. The WPIAL doesn’t always have the ability to consider section strength during realignment but does so when possible.

“Three factors decide your sections,” Scheuneman said. “One is the amount of teams — you try to keep sections similarly sized when possible. Geography is your driving force and then competitive balance.

“Competitive balance is usually the last factor,” she added, “because you can’t push people all over the district.”

The girls sections released Tuesday were finalized, but the boys alignment included one variable, with Lincoln Park temporarily listed in both Class 4A and 3A, depending on whether the PIAA competitive-balance rule forces the Leopards into a higher classification.

The PIAA will hear Lincoln Park’s appeal next week. Once that’s decided, the WPIAL can release schedule grids for all teams, Scheuneman said. The WPIAL also must decide how many teams from each section qualify for the playoffs. That will be discussed Monday by the WPIAL board of directors, she said.

Four reigning WPIAL champions switched sections. The Highlands boys jump to Section 4-5A, the North Catholic boys join Section 1-4A, the North Catholic girls fall to Section 1-3A and the Bishop Canevin girls drop to Section 1-A.

The only section to return unchanged was Section 2-6A boys.

• Class 5A boys saw a number of newcomers with New Castle, Latrobe and Highlands joining the classification. New Castle and Highlands moved up, and Latrobe dropped from 6A.

• Lincoln Park essentially could replace New Castle in Section 2-4A boys, joining a section that includes Quaker Valley. Or, if the PIAA grants Lincoln Park’s appeal, the Leopards would be in Section 1-3A with Beaver Falls, Ellwood City and others.

• Beaver County rivals Aliquippa and Beaver Falls are headed to separate boys sections in Class 3A. The Quips move to Section 2.

• The Springdale and Riverview boys have some road trips ahead. They join a Class 2A section that stretches from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the west to Shenango in the north.

• Class 6A girls drops from 16 to 15 schools after Connellsville and Fox Chapel fall to 5A, and Penn-Trafford moves up. The largest classification still will have two sections, one with seven teams and another with eight.

• Ligonier Valley, in its first WPIAL season, will play in Section 3-3A (boys) and Section 3-4A (girls).

• Beaver moves up and joins a traditionally strong Class 4A girls section with Blackhawk and Central Valley.

• North Catholic, which won WPIAL Class 4A last season, drops to Class 3A based on the school’s enrollment size. The team joins a section with defending WPIAL champion Mohawk.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Class 6A

Section 1

Butler, North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley

Section 2

Baldwin, Bethel Park, Canon-McMillan, Mt. Lebanon, Peters Township, Upper St. Clair

Section 3

Central Catholic, Fox Chapel, Greensburg Salem, Hempfield, Norwin, Penn-Trafford

Class 5A

Section 1

Albert Gallatin, Connellsville, Laurel Highlands, Ringgold, Thomas Jefferson, West Mifflin

Section 2

Chartiers Valley, Moon, New Castle, South Fayette, Trinity, West Allegheny

Section 3

Franklin Regional, Gateway, Latrobe, Kiski Area, McKeesport, Penn Hills, Woodland Hills

Section 4

Armstrong, Hampton, Highlands, Indiana, Mars, Plum, Shaler

Class 4A

Section 1

Burrell, Deer Lakes, Derry, Freeport, Keystone Oaks, Knoch, North Catholic

Section 2

Ambridge, Beaver, Blackhawk, Central Valley, Hopewell, Lincoln Park*, Montour, Quaker Valley

Section 3

Belle Vernon, Elizabeth Forward, Mt. Pleasant, South Park, Southmoreland, Uniontown, Yough

Class 3A

Section 1

Beaver Falls, Ellwood City, Laurel, Lincoln Park*, Mohawk, Neshannock, Riverside

Section 2

Aliquippa, Avonworth, Freedom, New Brighton, Seton LaSalle, Summit Academy

Section 3

Apollo-Ridge, East Allegheny, Ligonier Valley, Shady Side Academy, South Allegheny, Steel Valley, Valley

Section 4

Beth-Center, Brentwood, Brownsville, Charleroi, McGuffey, Washington, Waynesburg

Class 2A

Section 1

OLSH, Riverview, Sewickley Academy, Shenango, South Side, Springdale

Section 2

Burgettstown, Carlynton, Chartiers-Houston, Fort Cherry, Northgate, Sto-Rox

Section 3

Clairton, Greensburg Central Catholic, Jeannette, Propel Braddock Hills, Serra Catholic, Winchester Thurston

Section 4

Bentworth, California, Carmichaels, Frazier, Jefferson-Morgan, Monessen

Class A

Section 1

Cornell, Nazareth Prep, Quigley, Rochester, Union, Western Beaver

Section 2

Avella, Bishop Canevin, Geibel, Mapletown, Propel Montour, West Greene

Section 3

Aquinas Academy, Eden Christian, Imani Christian, Leechburg, Neighborhood Academy, St. Joseph, Propel Andrew Street

By: Jerin Steele
Saturday, February 22, 2020 | 6:55 PM

PreviousNext

Listed at 5-foot-9, Devin Whitlock was the shortest player on the floor in Saturday’s game between Quaker Valley and Belle Vernon, but what he lacks in size he makes up for in many other areas.

He has a good vertical leap, a keen eye and a feel for the big moment. He used all three attributes to make the play of the game for the Leopards.

Whitlock leaped high at halfcourt, picked off a cross-court pass and drove in uncontested for a layup to give the sixth-seeded Leopards the lead, and they held on to upset No. 3 Quaker Valley, 66-61, in the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals at Plum.

“I was just thinking about going and getting a bucket,” Whitlock said of his steal and score. “I just wanted to get the ball and get it in the hoop, so we could get the lead.”

The Leopards (18-6) qualified for the PIAA playoffs and advanced WPIAL semifinals for the second time in three years. They’ll play three-time defending champion New Castle on Wednesday at a site and time to be announced. Quaker Valley (17-6) qualifies for the PIAA playoffs if Belle Vernon wins the championship.

Whitlock and Mitch Pohlot sank two free throws apiece in the final 30 seconds to salt away the game.

Belle Vernon got a boost from Cameron Nusser playing just a few days after injuring his ankle in the Leopards’ first-round win over Derry.

Whitlock said the team found out Saturday morning that he was going to play.

Nusser scored 17 points and at times kept the Leopards within striking distance with clutch shooting, but he picked up his fourth foul midway through the third quarter with the Leopards trailing by six. Belle Vernon kept battling, and a pair of key shots from Pohlot got the Leopards to within two at the end of the third.

Nusser fouled out a minute into the fourth quarter with the score tied 55-51, but the Leopards again galvanized. Jared Hartman hit a layup while being fouled and sank the free throw that answered a 3-pointer by Quaker Valley’s Jack Gardinier.

“It was a total team effort,” Belle Vernon coach Joe Salvino said. “The people coming off the bench did a very good job. When you play like that as a team, it goes to show you that we can rely on anybody at any given time.”

Whitlock connected on a tough fadeaway from just outside the paint that gave the Leopards four-point lead, but a 5-0 run by the Quakers capped by a pair of free throws Markus Frank put them back on top 61-60 with less than a minute remaining before Whitlock’s steal and score.

The Quakers had a few looks to take the lead that missed. They got few to tie it when they were down three but couldn’t score.

“We got the shots we wanted, and they just didn’t fall,” Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni said. “We got Adou (Thiero) a shot at the top of the key, K.C. (Johns) had a couple of tough drives to the basket. We had rebounds and tips on the ball. We had the right guys taking the right shots, and they just didn’t go. We would do that again in the same order.”

The Quakers led by as many as 11 points in the first half, but the Leopards kept fighting back. Hartman hit a couple of long 3-pointers late in the second to cut the Quakers lead to 36-33 at halftime.

“They’re a good team that poses a lot of (matchup) problems,” Mastroianni said. “They have an outstanding point guard and a guy that can hit 3-pointers from about half court, and they have athletic guys around the basket.”

Frank led the Quakers with 23 points. Thiero scored 15 but was held without a field goal in the second half after canning four 3-pointers in the first half.

Pohlot and Whitlock had 14 points apiece for the Leopards, and Hartman scored 13.

In this second season with the Leopards after a long, successful tenure at Monessen, Salvino has turned a nine-win team last year into a team that’s one win from playing for a championship.

“It’s pretty special,” Salvino said. “It took a year, but the kids adapted. When you win, it makes it that much easier for the kids to start thinking about and believing what the coach is saying.”

STEVE ROTSTEIN

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

srotstein@post-gazette.com

FEB 20, 2020

5:30 AM

When it comes to the WPIAL’s most consistent boys basketball programs in recent memory, Quaker Valley has to be at or near the top of the list.

The Quakers (17-5) have enjoyed a sustained run of success under longtime coach Mike Mastroianni, one of only 20 WPIAL coaches to win at least 500 games. They’ve won at least 20 games in nine of the past 11 seasons — settling for 19 in 2014-15 — and they’re three wins away from another 20-win season this year, entering the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in Class 4A.

But one thing has eluded Quaker Valley during its reemergence as one of the WPIAL’s premier programs in the 21st century — a WPIAL championship.

“I think the biggest disappointment is not being able to help them figure out a way to get there and finish that with them. But that’s not been because of a lack of anything they’ve done,” Mastroianni said. “We know we’re at that level. We don’t want to look at that level yet. We have some work to do before that with a young team. And every year is different.”

Mastroianni is one of a select group of coaches to win WPIAL titles at multiple schools, having won one at Quaker Valley in 1997 and another at Bethel Park in 2007. He returned to his alma mater after leading the Black Hawks to the championship and has since guided the Quakers back to the title game in each of the past three seasons, only to suffer the same fate each time — a heart-wrenching defeat to section-rival New Castle.

In 2017, Quaker Valley split the regular-season series with the Red Hurricanes before falling in the title game. In 2018, the Quakers entered the championship game undefeated, only to have New Castle hand them their first loss. Last year, Quaker Valley swept the regular-season series for the second year in a row, but the Red Hurricanes again emerged victorious when it mattered most.

Fans are guaranteed to see a fresh matchup in Class 4A at Petersen Events Center this year, as the WPIAL placed No. 7 seed New Castle (15-7) on the same side of the bracket as the Quakers. The teams could still meet in the semifinals, but the Red Hurricanes would need to pull off an upset vs. No. 2 seed Knoch just to make it possible.

After starting out with a 3-3 record in section play, Quaker Valley flipped a switch and hasn’t turned it off since. The Quakers ended the season on a six-game winning streak sparked by an overtime win at New Castle, leading to a share of a section crown and the first-round bye that comes with the No. 3 seed.

“I’m excited for this group,” Mastroianni said. “It’s a new group in the playoffs, just a different approach. First playoff game, there’s always a sense of excitement, and once the game settles down, you go back and make sure you stay within all the things that got you there.

“We’re looking forward to it.”

Mastroianni pointed to senior guard K.C. Johns (16.0 ppg) as the team’s de facto leader on and off the court.

“He’s been outstanding for us. He’s had a really high-level season,” Mastroianni said. “I think he’s averaging close to 17 points a game, but that’s not even the biggest part. His distribution of the ball, his defense — if you’re asking him to rebound, he rebounds.

“He’s done almost everything we’ve asked him at an extremely high level. He’s an all-section player, for sure.”

Johns is one of four players averaging double figures for Quaker Valley along with sophomore point guard Adou Thiero (17.8 ppg), 6-5 sophomore forward Markus Frank (17.1 ppg) and sophomore point guard Jack Gardiner (10.7 ppg). The Quakers rank sixth in the WPIAL with an average of 72.5 points per game.

Even though he was still in junior high for two of Quaker Valley’s three consecutive WPIAL title game losses, Thiero feels like he owes it to the seniors on the team to help send them out on top. He admitted he would have liked another crack at New Castle in the finals, but he didn’t have any complaints about how the brackets turned out.

“They could have placed us anywhere,” Thiero said. “We would still try to compete to get to the WPIAL championship and win it, because that’s just who we are. We compete. We don’t care where we are. We just compete to be at the top.”

With their trio of standout sophomores, the Quakers are set up for plenty more success over the next few years. Still, it has been 23 years since they hoisted their one and only WPIAL championship trophy, and Mastroianni knows just how hard it is to get a hold of one.

“The most important thing is we tell them that now is the time,” Mastroianni said. “I know sometimes young guys get excited thinking about the future, but the understanding is, it’s now. You’re here, and you never know when the opportunities [will] present themselves.”

Steve Rotstein: srotstein@post-gazette.com and Twitter @SteveRotstein.

By: Don Rebel
Saturday, February 8, 2020 | 8:49 PM

There were a lot of changes to the WPIAL basketball championships over the last 10 years.

They expanded from two days to three days and from eight boys and girls finals to a dozen championship games. The district also switched venues, moving from Palumbo Center at Duquesne to Petersen Events Center on the Pitt campus.

Bigger and better has led to some fantastic championship moments over the course of the just-completed decade. So as we prepare for the first finals of the ’20s, here is a look back with a countdown of the top 10 WPIAL boys and girls basketball championship games from the last 10 years.

Boys No. 10 — Hat trick

They have been the two dominant programs in Class 4A boys basketball since the expansion to six classifications.

New Castle and Quaker Valley also have battled in the finals three straight years. The Red Hurricanes beat the Quakers, 73-58, in the 2017 finals and 57-52 in the ’18 title game.

They qualified for a third straight tussle in the finals last season, and once again, New Castle took home the gold. What’s amazing about the finals sweepis Quaker Valley was 5-1 against its Section 2-4A rivals in the regular season over those three years.

Click below for HSSN’s George Guido’s recap with videos, photos, interviews and the game archive.

New Castle 60, Quaker Valley 54

Don Rebel hosts the Rebel Yell podcasts for HSSN.

Quaker Valley tops Blackhawk, sets up wild Section 2-4A finish

By: Chris Harlan
Tuesday, February 4, 2020 | 11:46 PM

PreviousNext

The WPIAL’s wildest section won’t tame easily.

Four teams are within a game of first place and there’s now a two-way tie at the top after Quaker Valley defeated host Blackhawk, 71-59, Tuesday night in Section 2-4A. This section is traditionally one of the WPIAL’s deepest, but there’s been very little separation this season.

“It’s just a tremendous league,” Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni said.

Quaker Valley (15-5, 8-3) and Blackhawk (8-10, 8-3) are tied for first, ahead of Ambridge (11-6, 7-3) and New Castle (12-7, 7-4) as the regular season enters its final days.

Central Valley (11-7, 6-5) also remains in the playoff hunt.

“There’s a group of us that have good solid teams and there’s a bunch of us that have high-level players,” Mastroianni said. “That makes it difficult every night to prepare.”

Quaker Valley lost to Blackhawk on a last-second shot Jan. 10, but avenged that loss Tuesday behind double-doubles from senior Jon Weir and sophomore Markus Frank. Weir had 18 points and 15 rebounds, and Frank had 19 points and 11 boards for the Quakers, who had four scorers reach double figures.

K.C. Johns added 17 points, including six free throws in the fourth quarter, and Jack Gardinier had 10.

“Coach Mastroianni is one of the best coaches around,” Weir said. “What he does a great job of doing is getting us ready to play each game. … For us, it’s locking in on those one or two things that we have to focus on.”

Rebounding was one emphasis this time.

Blackhawk built an early 14-5 lead with offensive rebounds but those vanished in the final three quarters.

“We always talk about second and third plays,” Weir said. “You might close out on your man, but then you’ve got to rebound, too, and box out. Focusing on those second and third plays was a big determining factor.”

Quaker Valley completes its section schedule at home Friday against Ambridge. Blackhawk visits Beaver (6-14, 1-10).

A 3-pointer by Heckathorn cut Quaker Valley’s lead to 63-57 with 64 seconds left, but Weir and Johns answered with four consecutive free throws, preventing any more late-game heroics. Heckathorn’s game-winner last month came with 1.8 seconds remaining.

“We lost that (Jan. 10) game on the 31 minutes of controllable things we needed to do to get to that point,” Mastroianni said. “Tonight we did the controllable things.”

Quaker Valley trailed 14-5 during a lackluster first quarter but regrouped and led by two points at halftime. Ahead 26-24, the Quakers won the third quarter 17-6 behind Weir, who scored 10 points in the period.

Quaker Valley led 43-30 after three.

They rebounded and defended better than they did four weeks ago, Mastroianni said, in part because Weir is getting healthier. The 6-foot-5 forward missed part of the season with a broken left hand.

He was injured diving for a loose ball in the second game of the season and missed several weeks. He returned to the court last month and plays with a heavy wrap.

“It’s not easy to grab a ball with all that tape wrapped in my hand,” Weir said. “It just putting out the most effort and if a couple go through my hands, I’ll just have to live with it.”

Weir’s first game back was the loss to Blackhawk, Mastroianni said, but he played only a handful of minutes off the bench that day. His presence Tuesday was key.

“We had to be patient with him coming back,” Mastroianni said. “It’s been about a month now. He’s given us a lot of good minutes.”

Chris Harlan is a Tribune-Review Staff Writer. You can contact Chris by email at charlan@tribweb.com or via Twitter .

By Mike Bires 

Posted Feb 3, 2020 at 9:15 PM

Quaker Valley’s Adou Thiero is the Times Boys Athlete of the Week

LEETSDALE – In a year or so, Adou Thiero figures to be one of the most heavily recruited basketball players in the WPIAL, or maybe even the whole state for that matter. But for now, he’ll settle on just being a talented sophomore whose game is developing right on schedule.

As Quaker Valley (14-5) heads down the homestretch of the regular season, Thiero, a 5-foot-9 guard, continues to play at a high level.

While the Quakers consistently get double-digit points from three players, it’s Thiero who leads the team at 17.8 per game.

Last week in Section 2, Class 4A wins over New Castle and Hopewell as well as a non-section win against Cornell, Thiero averaged 21.3 ppg. He played particularly well in a 79-74 overtime win at New Castle by scoring a game-high 29 points.

Three of those points came on a 3-pointer as the fourth-quarter buzzer sounded that tied the score 74-74.

“For the most part, I’m happy with the way I’m playing as a sophomore,” said Thiero, the Beaver County Times’ Boys Athlete of the Week. “There are parts of my game I need to work on, but for now, I think I’m doing a good job.”

Coach Mike Mastroianni agrees.

“He’s shooting the ball well. He’s a tremendous passer. He’s a good defender. Adou’s skill set is high,” Mastroianni said. “But his biggest asset is his understanding of the game. For a kid his age, he really understands the game.”

On one hand, it should come as no surprise that Thiero is such a talent at 15 years old. He’s the son of parents who both played the game at a high level.

His father, Almamy “Big Al” Thiero, played NCAA Division I basketball at Memphis and Duquesne. He’s 6-9.

His mother, Miriam Sy, was an NAIA star at Oklahoma City University. She was selected in the third round of the 2006 WNBA draft by the Washington Mystics. She’s 6-4.

Even though Adou is only 5-9 right now, doctors project that he may grow a foot taller by the time he gets to college.

“Doctors said 6-10,” Adou said. “They said I’m supposed to start growing when I turn 16.”

Adou turns 16 in May.

“He’s a pretty good player at his size right now,” Mastroianni said. “If he gets that growth spurt, whatever it may be, along with his skill set, he’ll be a dangerous player his last two years of high school.”

Last year as a freshman, Adou started on a 21-5 team that lost to New Castle in the WPIAL 4A final.

His role was mainly to distribute the ball to senior forwards Danny Conlan and Ryan Stowers, who finished their careers as QV’s fifth and 10th all-time leading scorers, respectively.

This year, it’s Thiero, sophomore forward Marcus Frank (17.4 ppg) and senior guard K.C. Johns (16.3 ppg) who account for 72 percent of QV’s scoring.

“Last year, it was my role to find shots for (Conlan and Stowers),” Adou said. “I would shoot it every once in awhile. Now my role is to create shots for myself and others.”

Adou sure did create a sensational buzzer-beater in last Tuesday’s win at New Castle.

With three seconds left, Quaker Valley had the ball under its own basket. Sophomore guard Jack Gardinier inbounded to Thiero, who used a screen to get open on the left wing. After pump faking a defender, he served up a shot from beyond the arc that hit nothing but net.

“Adou made a really big shot for us,” Mastroianni said. “What even made it bigger was that we needed a three and he still found a way to get open and then make it, which is tough for any player at any level let alone someone his age. New Castle knew he was going to get the shot, but he still found a way to get open.”

 Shawn Annarelli

Tuesday, February 4, 2020 | 1:13 AM

Adou Thiero

School: Quaker Valley

Sport: Basketball

Class: Sophomore

Claim to fame: Adou Thiero wants to be a businessman, and he already takes an all-business approach for the Quakers.

He averaged 22 points, five rebounds and two steals per game in three wins last week, which included a game-tying shot to force overtime on the road against rival New Castle.

You started your career in a supporting role dishing out assists. How much have you enjoyed a breakout season in which you’re averaging nearly 18 points per game?

It’s been a great time, and I look forward to keeping our season moving forward to hopefully get the section title. I also really want to just continue to improve my game and everyone around me.

Where does your game-tying three against New Castle rank in terms of shots you’ve made for Quaker Valley?

I don’t know. That’s hard to say, because we actually practice those shots all the time. You could do a pump fake if someone tries to block your shot, get to the hoop and make it or do a side dribble and make it. We do that in practice on a regular basis.

How important was that win against a big rival on their court?

That’s such a big win for us to put us in a better position to be section champs, and we were all just happy as a team to get that dub.

You made 43 free throws in a row at one point this season. What’s been the key to shooting 94% from the line?

It’s a record for me, and I just make sure to do the same thing over and over again. When I go to the free throw line, everything else is zoned out. I get low and make the shot.

How often do you practice free throw shooting?

It’s every day with my dad. We do it after every drill, that way I can handle it when I’m tired and have no energy. He just tries to get me prepared for those situations in a game. I try to make around 100 free throws a day.

You’ve also nearly doubled the number of steals and defensive rebounds you have per game this season. How much of that is getting more playing time and how much of that is improving your technique on the defensive end?

It’s just been focusing on improving my awareness, and then when I get the ball, I try to get it to my friends or just try to take it down myself to try to get a bucket.

Your dad is a former college player and your mom was a professional. Who are you more like on the court?

That’s hard to say, because they both played the post and I’m a guard. My mom can shoot, so I think I get my shooting from her.

Who is the best player in the family?

Me. I don’t think they can guard me from the perimeter. If they get the ball, it’s over. I just have to make sure they never get the ball.

What’s your favorite meal?

Chicken alfredo

Who is the best basketball player all-time and why?

Michael Jordan, because he’s Michael Jordan. When he played, everyone double-teamed him. Everyone fouled him. He’d still get his points, make his teammates great and he always won.

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, February 1, 2020 | 11:50 PM

K.C. Johns, who finished with 16 points, made a basket with less than a minute remaining to give the Quaker Valley boys (14-5) a one-point lead against Cornell (13-5), and the Quakers held on to win 72-69 at the Shootout at Sewickley Academy.

Adou Thiero scored a team-high 22 points, and Jack Gardiner (11) and Jonathan Weir (10) reached double figures for the Quakers. Zaier Harrison scored a game-high 25 points for Cornell. Kaden DiVito (17) and Isaiah Langston (13) were the other leading scorers for Cornell, which had its four game-winning streak snapped.

North Catholic 63, Central Catholic 46 — Ryan Feczko scored a team-high 13 points to lead North Catholic (17-2) to a nonsection win over Central Catholic (12-9). Isaac DeGregorio (11) and Hans Rottmann (10) reached double-figures for the Trojans.

Ben Sarson led Central Catholic with 14 points, and Anderson Cynkar scored 10 points. North Catholic outscored Central Catholic, 22-10, in the third quarter.

Washington 82, Burgettstown 39 — Ian Bredniak and Marlon Norris scored 17 points each to lead Washington (13-5) to a nonsection win over Burgettstown (6-14). Brandon Patterson scored 16 points, and Tayshawn Levy added 13 points for the Prexies. Cole Shergi led Burgettstown with 13 points. Washington extended its win streak to four games.

Laurel 71, Mercer 50 — Landin Esposito scored 19 points, and Marcus Haswell added 16 points as Laurel (12-7) beat Mercer in nonsection play. Sam Haswell chipped in 15 points for Laurel.

Beaver 56, Sewickley Academy 53 (OT) — Max Belt scored a game-high 25 points for Sewickley Academy (7-10), but it wasn’t enough in a loss to Beaver (6-13) at the Shootout at Sewickley Academy. Beckett Connelly scored a team-high 23 points for Beaver, and Marco Mamone added 10 points for the Bobcats.

Sal Laure scored 11 points for the Panthers.

North Hills 78, Shady Side Academy 46 — Alex Smith scored 32 points to lead North Hills (8-11) to a nonsection win against Shady Side Academy (8-10). Matt Seidl added 17 points, and Logan Marshalek scored 13 points for North Hills. Grady Munroe and Mason Tomlin scored 12 points each for Shady Side Academy.

Carrick 45, South Park 33 — In nonsection play, Amaru Caldwell scored 23 points to lead Carrick (4-15) over South Park (6-13). Tim Bottoms added 12 points for Carrick, and Aidan Rongaus paced South Park with 13 points.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Chartiers Valley 66, Bishop Canevin 26 — Perri Page had 13 points as Chartiers Valley (20-0) downed Bishop Canevin (14-6) in nonsection play. Aislin Malcolm, Hallie Cowan and Helene Cowan added 13 points each for Chartiers Valley, which led 43-8 at halftime. Alyssa Pollice scored 11 points for Bishop Canevin.

Quaker Valley 43, Sewickley Academy 35 — Corrine Washington scored a team-high 13 points to lead Quaker Valley (14-4) to a win over Sewickley Academy (8-10) in the Shootout at Sewickley Academy. Claire Kuzma (12) and Bailey Garbee (11) reached double-figures for the Quakers.

Kamryn Lightcap and Bre Warner scored 13 points each for the Panthers. Quaker Valley, which extended its win streak to three games, outscored Sewickley Academy 14-8 in the fourth quarter.

Laurel 57, Vincentian Academy 38 — Regan Atkins scored 19 points to lead Laurel (13-7) over Vincentian Academy (14-5) at the Shootout at Sewickley Academy. Tara Lucot led Vincentian with 14 points.

Armstrong 46, Pine-Richland 45 (OT) — Jaylen Callipare hit a free throw after being fouled at the buzzer in overtime to give Armstrong (12-7) the win over Pine-Richland (3-15). Callipare hit four 3-pointers and finished with 13 points, and Shaelyn Clark led Pine-Richland with 15 points. Kaili Doctor and Meghan Luellen scored 15 and 14 points, respectively, for Pine-Richland.

McDowell 49, Butler 38 — In a nonsection game, Emina Selimovic and Rachel Helsley scored 12 points each as McDowell used a strong second half to defeat Butler (7-12). Makenna Maier scored 13 points for Butler, which led 20-17 at halftime.

1

A victory slipped through the New Castle High boys basketball team’s grasp Tuesday night.

Quaker Valley’s Adou Thiero hit a game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. The visitors then scored all five points in the extra period to post a 79-74 WPIAL Section 2-4A win over the Red Hurricane at the Ne-Ca-Hi Field House.

“A ball fake got us off our feet,” New Castle coach Ralph Blundo said of Thiero’s shot. “They reset and knocked down a clean look.

“We didn’t execute very well. We’re not going to foul there on a baseline play out of bounds. You risk fouling a 3-point shooter in that situation.”

The loss pushes New Castle (6-3 section, 11-6 overall) into a tie with the Quakers (6-3, 12-5) for third place. Quaker Valley swept the season series.

Boys basketball | Quaker Valley at New Castle

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New Castle's Michael Graham goes up for a layup during a home game against Quaker Valley.

• Ambridge (7-2, 11-5) and Blackhawk (7-2, 7-9) are tied for first place. The ‘Canes won the first meeting with the Bridgers and own a season split with the Cougars.

“For us, it’s about the end game,” Blundo said of the section race. “We’re trying to get better.

“If we win the section, we win the section. We want to clinch a playoff berth and have a shot at winning a WPIAL championship.”

The ‘Canes have lost five straight regular-season meetings with the Quakers. However, New Castle has defeated Quaker Valley three straight times for the WPIAL championship.

“They just played better to beat us,” Blundo said of the regular season losses. “Every time we play them we try to beat them.

“They came into our place and beat us. As hard as that is to take, we have to respond to it. We have another game on Friday.”

Markus Frank put Quaker Valley up 71-70 with a pair of foul shots with 1:15 to go in regulation.

The ‘Canes had a chance for the lead on their next possession, but fired up an errant 3-pointer and the Quakers corralled the carom.

New Castle’s Donny Cade fouled out with 38.3 seconds left in regulation, sending Jack Gardinier to the line. Gardinier missed the front-end and the ‘Canes’ Michael Wells pulled down the rebound.

Wells drove down and made a basket off the glass for a 72-71 lead with just 28 ticks left.

Coming out of a timeout, Sheldon Cox got a steal and was fouled with 9.7 seconds remaining. He made both foul shots for a 74-71 New Castle lead.

Cox blocked a shot on the other end with five seconds remaining and the ball trickled out of bounds with 4.5 ticks to go. The ‘Canes’ Isaiah Boice deflected the inbound pass, bringing the clock to 3.9 left.

Quaker Valley got the ball in and fed Thiero, who drained a trifecta as the buzzer sounded, knotting the count at 74.

Cox won the overtime tip and Michael Graham held the ball near midcourt until close to 2:45, when he looked for a teammate to get the ball to.

Cox fired up an errant shot with 2:30 remaining and the score still tied at 74. Quaker Valley secured the rebound.

“(Quakers coach Mike Mastroianni) went into a diamond-and-one on Michael Wells,” Blundo said of the start of overtime. “If he was going to do that, we were going to force them to come out and guard us.

“We had two opportunities and we just didn’t cash in. I’m proud of the effort.”

K.C. Johns dropped in a field goal with 1:45 to give the Quakers the lead for good at 76-74.

Cox missed a shot on the other end and Thiero split a pair of freebies with 26.7 seconds left.

Graham turned the ball over for the ‘Canes with 20 seconds left and Gardinier made two foul shots for Quaker Valley to close the scoring.

Cox launched a 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds to go that was off the mark. Frank grabbed the rebound and Quaker Valley ran out the clock.

Wells led the ‘Canes with 23 points and Cox was next with 22. Boice chipped in with 20. Cox made all six of his free-throw attempts.

“Sheldon was obviously just solid all night,” Blundo said. “He hit huge free throws all night and he rebounded the basketball; he just played a solid game and he lets the game to come him in a way that allows him to be efficient offensively.

“Boice and Wells did a lot right. They weren’t flawless, but that’s part of being young. You have to respect the plays they made in a big-time environment. Not all young players can do that.”

Thiero led all scorers with 29 points for Quaker Valley. 

The ‘Canes return to action at 7:30 p.m. Friday when they travel to Beaver (1-8, 5-12) for a section matchup.

“When you go on the road, it’s hard,” Blundo said. “For me, it’s about getting ready for Beaver, having a good practice on Wednesday and moving forward.”

 rponiewasz@ncnewsonline.com

 Shawn Annarelli

Wednesday, January 15, 2020 | 4:54 PM

KC Johns

School: Quaker Valley

Sport: Basketball

Class: Senior

Claim to fame: No one would blame KC Johns’ father and grandfather for living vicariously through him during basketball games.

Grandpa is in the Quaker Valley Hall of Fame, and dad always reminds him how lucky he is to be on a “great” team. Johns is one of the reasons the Quakers are so dangerous. He has averaged 16 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals per game over his last four games.

How much are you enjoying this breakout season?

It’s been enjoyable all four years, especially with Coach (Mike Mastroianni), and just like every other year, I’m having a lot of fun with my teammates.

You have family history with this program. How much does it mean to you to carry on the tradition your grandfather started more than 50 years ago?

It’s definitely cool because my grandfather and father played in high school. Getting to put on the same uniform as them is an honor, and I’m just trying to do my best to carry on that legacy.

Playing basketball for Quaker Valley sometimes means you have to wait for your time to make your mark. What did you learn from playing behind great shooters like Danny Conlon and Ryan Stowers for several years?

They were really good players who led by example. They always taught me to be patient, and I learned how to be successful by watching them. I also learned how to play for my teammates and how to play for Coach “Mas.”

What kind of leadership approach do you try to bring to the team?

I try to be another leader by example, especially for the younger guys who have played this year. I do my best to help them out, especially in our section where you have to play in some tough environments. If times get tough, I just try to bring everyone together.

Is it fun playing in a really competitive section?

It is actually really fun because every night you could get beat. Every team is good, so every game is a big game.

What else do you enjoy at Quaker Valley?

I’m also on the track team, and I do some other things like youth groups. I also like the Little Quakers Camp, where we have little kids come in and we do a (basketball) camp for them.

Who is the best basketball player of all time?

I have to say Michael Jordan. I feel like six for six in the NBA Finals is crazy. He was a great scorer, but people forget he was a great defender. His biggest competition is LeBron James, and I don’t think LeBron is quite as good a defender. He’s still great, but MJ was better.

By Mike Bires

Posted Jan 14, 2020 at 10:24 PM

Ambridge slows down Quaker Valley’s offensive attack.

AMBRIDGE – In order to slow down Quaker Valley’s high-scoring offense, Ambridge planned to use as many as six or seven different defenses.

As it turned out, the Bridgers played just one most of the night -- their man-to-man -- and that proved to be the difference in a Section 2, Class 4A thriller.

The Quakers showed up at Ambridge Fieldhouse averaging 71.2 points game. But they wound up with 24 less than their average as Ambridge hung on for a 50-47 win.

“Defense always comes first here,” said Ambridge guard Vozzy Steals. “We play defense and that carries over to offense.”

It sure helps the Bridgers’ defensive mindset when the team buys into the concepts of coach Eric Astorino. It also helps to have a pair of twin towers like 6-foot-8 forward Enire Bowens and 6-6 forward Liam Buck.

While they each yanked down double-digit rebounds, they used their height advantage to block shots or at least alter them. Astorino said that Ambridge’s stat sheet had Bowens with five blocks and Buck with four.

“We just bring a different presence that nobody in our section sees except when they play us,” said Bowens, who scored a team-high 17 points.

“There’s no one like us in the section.”

Thanks largely to its defensive effort, Ambridge moved into sole possession of second place in the section standings. At 8-3 overall and 4-1 in the section, the Bridgers are a half-game behind Blackhawk (5-6, 5-1).

QV (9-3, 4-2) is now in third place while New Castle (7-5), 3-2), which didn’t play Tuesday, remains in fourth place.

“We just played excellent as a team all the way around,” Buck said. “We fought hard until the end. We never gave up. We stayed string and believed ourselves.”

Ambridge led 12-6 at the end of the first quarter after guard Nevan Campalong drained 3-pointer at the buzzer. It was 20-9 at halftime.

Ambridge still led 36-28 after three quarters, but as Astorino expected, Quaker Valley would make a charge.

With 2:13 left to play, the Quakers took their first lead when guard K.C. Johns made two free throws to make it 43-42 QV. But Ambridge took a 44-43 lead on a drive by Campalong and led the rest of the way.

However, the game was fast, furious and intense the rest of the way.

At one stretch in the final 30 seconds, Ambridge missed six straight free throws that allowed QV to keep it close.

One of the key plays down the stretch happened with 16 seconds left and Ambridge ahead, 49-47. On a drive to the hoop, Quaker forward Markus Frank, who had already scored a game-high 19 points, was called for a charge on a call that could have gone either way.

“It was the perfect moment,” Steals said of his play.

With 8 seconds left, Bowens made the second of a two-shot foul to make it 50-47.

At the buzzer, Johns missed a would-be game-tying 3-pointer.

“This is a crazy section,” Buck said. “Any one of us can take (the section title). It will probably come down to the last week of the season.”

By Mike Bires

Posted Jan 8, 2020 at 7:30 PM

Mike Bires’ weekly notes column

News and notes from the high school sports scene:

Despite graduating two of the highest-scoring players in program history, Quaker Valley remains one of the WPIAL’s top Class 4A boys basketball programs.

Danny Conlan and Ryan Stowers, 1,000 career point producers who rank fifth and 10th on the Quakers’ all-time scoring chart, may be gone. But QV still thrives with a pair of sophomore sensations leading the way.

One of them is Markus Frank, a 6-foot-5 forward who wasn’t even on the varsity roster last year. He leads the 8-1 Quakers with a 19.5 points per game average. He’s scored over 20 points five times, including a season-high 29 in a non-conference win over Aliquippa.

The other talented 10th-grader is Adou Thiero, a 5-10 guard who’s already well known in western Pennsylvania basketball circles.

He’s the son of Almamy “Big Al” Thiero, a Sewickley Academy assistant coach. Almamy, who’s 6-foot-9, was born in Mali, West Africa and played collegiately at Memphis.

Adou may not ever grow as tall as his father, but he already projects as a major-college prospect. He started last year as a freshman on a 21-5 squad that lost in the WPIAL 4A final to New Castle. He’s averaging 19.2 ppg this season and scored 30 last week in a win over New Castle.

So far this season, Adou has yet to miss from the foul line. He’s a mind-boggling 43 of 43 from the stripe.

While the two sophomores are creating quite a buzz, QV is also getting 17.4 ppg and veteran leadership from senior guard K.C. Johns. When QV lost to a non-conference game to West Allegheny recently, Johns scored a game-high 26.

Thanks largely to the scoring prowess of Frank, Thiero and Johns, the Quakers rank eighth in the WPIAL in scoring at 73.2 ppg.

Kudos to the refs

On Monday night, players from Central Valley and Ambridge took part in one of the better boys basketball games so far this season. The Bridgers’ 63-61 win was an intense affair with plenty of exciting action and plenty of physical contract.

It was also one of those so-called games in which the referees “let ’em play.”

The crew of Tony Court, Len Leiper and Justin Crum did an outstanding job. They were consistent in the calls they made. They didn’t slow down the pace of the game with too many whistles.

In fact, the teams combined to shoot only 18 foul shots (11 for Ambridge, seven for Central Valley). And two the Bridgers’ free throws came in the game’s final seconds after the Warriors intentionally fouled to stop the clock.

A solid performance by the “zebras” helped make that game great.

MAC wrestling coaches honor Yetsick

On Saturday, upon completion of the Ed Driscoll Midwestern Athletic Conference tournament, Ambridge’s Daniel Yetsick earned Most Outstanding Wrestler honors by a vote of MAC coaches.

Yetsick, a senior wrestling in the 152-pound weight class, put on quite a performance by going 4-0. All four wins were by pin. He pinned his opponents quickly at 1:15, 0:14, 2:16 and 1:56, respectively.

He took an 11-1 record into Wednesday’s match against Canon-McMillan. Yetsick’s only loss was against Pine-Richland’s Cole Spencer, who’s 15-0.

Yestick, who has a 107-24 career record, has a chance to become the Bridgers’ all-time win leader if he stays healthy the rest of the season. The leader is Chris Dempsey with 116. A 2006 Ambridge graduate, Dempsey went on to become a two-time All-American at Pitt-Johnstown.

Yetsick, too, may have a future as a college wrestler. He’s a Davidson College (N.C.) recruit.

Butler football goes independent

Last week, Butler announced that starting in 2020 its struggling football program would leave the WPIAL and play an independent schedule.

It was a shocking development considering that Butler has the WPIAL’s third-highest enrollment and that it once had one of the WPIAL’s strongest programs.

But in recent years, the Tornadoes became one of the WPIAL’s least competitive programs. They haven’t had a winning season 1997. They’ve gone 40-149 since 2000. They’ve lost their last 20 games, 12 by mercy rule.

This past season, when they went 0-10 and lost on average 50-13, they started the season with only 40 players on the roster and at one point were down to 24. Considering Butler has 728 boys in grades 9 through 11, it’s obvious there’s little interest in football.

Butler decided to leave the WPIAL for fear that participation would drop even further if blowout losses continue. The Tornadoes hope an independent schedule -- which would be a weaker schedule more conducive to winning -- will re-energize the program or even save it.

To no surprise, the WPIAL turned down Butler’s request to join District 10 for football. So next football season, Butler plans to schedule several games against teams from District 10 with hopes it can schedule an exhibition game or two against WPIAL teams.

In the aftermath of Butler’s decision to go independent, you have to wonder if any other WPIAL football team that perennially struggle may follow suit?

After all, this is the second year in a row that a WPIAL football team dropped out. This past season, it was Albert Gallatin that chose to play an independent schedule.

Might Ambridge ever consider going independent?

After all, the Bridgers have gone 1-38 the past four years and were outscored on average 44-4. They started the 2019 season with 39 players on the roster, and at one point when injuries piled up, almost had to forfeit a game.

Granted, Ambridge will drop down from 4A to 3A for the next two years. The Bridgers hope that change will make them more competitive.

By: Don Rebel
Monday, January 6, 2020 | 9:53 PM

At Quaker Valley, the boys basketball teams is offering much Adou about many things.

Runners-up to New Castle the last three years in WPIAL Class 4A, the Quakers are hoping to clear the golden hurdle this year with guidance from a standout sophomore.

Adou Thiero, a 5-foot-10 guard, is part of a talented Quaker Valley team that is off to a 7-1 start and leading competitive Section 2-4A by a half-game over Ambridge with a 4-0 record.

“Adou can already score in multiple ways as a sophomore,” Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni said. “He is an outstanding 3-point shooter combined with the ability to get into the lane and finish, and he has a middle game off of the dribble.”

In the first game of 2020, many of those things were on display in a rematch of the district finals against New Castle.

Thiero scored 30 points as the Quakers extended their regular season winning streak to six in a row over New Castle with a 74-63 victory.

“Adou really shot the ball well in the New Castle game, but his entire floor game in terms of game management and effort plays as well as his leadership were at a very high level,” Mastroianni said. “As our point guard, he is in a natural leadership position along with our senior captains.”

Thiero burst on the scene last year as a diminutive freshman guard who brought a lot of energy to a team that finished 21-5. His contributions have increased in his sophomore campaign.

“His strength is that he combines his skill set with an outstanding basketball IQ,” Mastroianni said. “He really understands the game. He is a tireless worker always looking to improve and dedicated to getting better.”

In the New Castle game, Thiero was 6 for 6 from the free throw line, making him a perfect 42 for 42 this season.

“Not sure how to compare him to other players at his young age,” Mastroianni said, “but it’s hard to beat not missing a shot.”

Only one game separates the top four teams in Section 2-4A with Quaker Valley, Ambridge, Blackhawk and Central Valley all lumped ahead of three-time defending champion New Castle.

Senior K.C. Johns scored 22 points in the New Castle win, but this Quakers team is on the young side, getting contributions from several underclassmen.

“It is early in the season and we are young team with four underclassmen starting,” Mastroianni said. “We have a lot of growth and with the highly competitive section we play in, we are looking to improve every week.”

Honorable mention:

Jared Goldstrom, Chartiers Valley

While the results aren’t what they are looking for, one Chartiers Valley basketball player is enjoying the Sunshine State. Senior guard Jared Goldstrom has started the new year with a bang, scoring 27 points on Friday and following it up with a team high 19 points on Saturday in the Colts two losses in Lehigh, Fla.

Chris Peccon, Ringgold

While Uniontown is deservedly getting a lot of positive ink in Section 3-4A, Ringgold is right there neck-and-neck for the top spot with the Red Raiders. On Friday, senior Chris Peccon scored a game-high 28 points as the Rams improved to 7-2 overall and 2-0 in the section with a win over Waynesburg Central.

Grady Munroe, Shady Side Academy

The new year started rough for a man named Brady. However that’s not the case for a young man named Grady. Senior Grady Munroe scored 27 points in Shady Side Academy’s nonsection loss to Erie. Then, less than 24 hours later, Munroe dropped in 24 points to lead the Indians past previously undefeated Springdale.

Previous Trib HSSN Players of the Week:

Week 2 – Camden Polak, Steel Valley

Week 1 – Jake Hoffman, Mt. Lebanon

Don Rebel hosts the Rebel Yell podcasts for HSSN.

Guard Adou Thiero combine for 52 points in Quakers' 74-63 victory

MIKE WHITE

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

mwhite@post-gazette.com

JAN 3, 2020

10:32 PM

Talk about a big youth movement.

New Castle and Quaker Valley, two top WPIAL teams, had five sophomores and a freshman in the starting lineups Friday night in Sewickley.

The difference in this showdown was one of the young guys played like a seasoned senior and Quaker Valley’s “old guy” had a quicker step than anyone who guarded him.

Sophomore guard Adou Thiero was terrific for Quaker Valley and senior guard K.C. Johns also had a big game. The two combined for 52 points as Quaker Valley defeated New Castle, 74-63, in a Class 4A Section 2 contest in front of a packed house at Quaker Valley.

“Can Do” Adou, a 5-foot-10 combo guard, made three 3-pointers in the first 3:30 of the game, finished with a game-high 30 points and extended his perfect streak of made free throws this season to 42 of 42. Johns is a 6-2 guard who also can play the point or off the ball. He scored 22 points and made 7 of 8 free throws.

Between Theiro and Johns, they made 18 of 26 shots and 13 of 14 free throws. Sophomore forward Markus Frank added 15 points as Quaker Valley, the Post-Gazette’s No. 2 WPIAL Class 4A team, lifted its record to 7-1 and 3-0 in section. New Castle, the three-time defending WPIAL 4A champ and ranked No. 3, dropped to 5-4 and 1-2.

“We couldn’t guard them,” New Castle coach Ralph Blundo said. “If you want to beat this Quaker Valley team, you have to guard the ball well. We’ve guarded the ball well for 10 years, but we didn’t guard it well against them. We were trying, but give credit to Quaker Valley.”

Thiero played point guard most of the first half, but it was Johns who took over at the point in the second half as Thiero moved off the ball. Then Quaker Valley has Jack Gardinier, another sophomore who can handle the ball.

Thiero averages 18.3 and Johns 17.5 while Frank leads in scoring at 18.5. Thiero and Johns were part-time starters a year ago when Quaker Valley lost to New Castle in the WPIAL title game for the third year in a row.

“K.C.’s role has changed significantly this year,” Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni said. “We lost two 1,000-point scorers from last year [Ryan Stowers and Dan Conlan], but it isn’t a surprise to us coaches what K.C. is doing. We just didn’t need him to do that last year, but we knew he was capable of being a playmaker.”

Thiero was making plays everywhere early in the game. He could be a handful for the rest of the WPIAL if he grows some in the next few years.

“I think he’s pretty good at his size now,” Mastroianni said with a laugh.

Thiero had 19 points in the first half and the Quakers outscored New Castle, 16-7, in the final 4:30 of the half to grab a 40-29 halftime lead.

The lead grew to 14 points at one point in the second half, New Castle came back and sliced the deficit to 54-48 early in the fourth. But New Castle could get no closer. Quaker Valley spread the court on offense, showed patience on almost every possession and eventually had a player make a play off a drive.

“I try to do my part, but I think our young guys play like seniors, too,” Johns said.

Freshman guard Isiah Boice led New Castle with 19 points, junior forward Sheldon Cox added 18 and sophomore guard Mike Wells 16. New Castle shot only 37 percent (11 of 30) from the field in the first half.

“I thought Adou making those shots early was big,” Mastroianni said. “Just with a young team, understanding our history with New Castle, to feel some confidence and settle in early was big.”

Mike White: mwhite@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mwhiteburgh.

By: James Dotson
Saturday, January 4, 2020 | 8:50 AM

It did not take Quaker Valley long to say adieu to New Castle on Friday night.

In fact, the Quakers said it three times in the first three-and-a-half minutes.

Quaker Valley sophomore Adou Thiero drained three 3-pointers in the opening 3:23. He finished with 30 points as the No. 2-ranked Quakers defeated No. 5 New Castle, 72-61, in a Section 2-4A home game.

“I think (those first four threes) were really crucial, especially for Adou, one of our scorers to make shots and see the ball go in,” Mastrioanni said. “He’s a confident guy and a really high-level shooter, and playing ahead gave us confidence.”

Thiero did a little bit of everything for Quaker Valley. After hitting the trio of 3-pointers early, Thiero drove to the hoop almost at will. The 5-foot-10 sophomore finished with six 2-point buckets and six rebounds. He also was 6 for 6 from the free-throw line, making him now a perfect 43 for 43 on the season from the charity stripe.

“We thought maybe we could gap them a little bit more tonight,” New Castle coach Ralph Blundo said, “and then they make four 3s to start the game, and now you have to go out and guard them a little bit more. Credit to them. They played fantastic. We weren’t very good guarding the ball, and we’ll improve on that. I believe that.”

With the ‘Canes defense having to play tighter defense after the early 3s from Thiero and K.C. Johns, the Quakers were able to take advantage of the open space in the lane and get easy baskets in the paint. When shots didn’t fall, Quaker Valley still drew fouls got to the free-throw line. The Quakers shot 16 free throws in the second quarter and 22 in the game, twice as many as New Castle attempted.

“In the second half, we said to push the ball up on the dribble and try to go after them,” Mastrioanni said. “Our ball movement and our push is part of our game.

“All three of our guards are capable point guards. We have three guys who can really handle the ball. They’re young, but very capable guys.”

An 8-0 Quaker Valley run midway through the quarter extended the lead to double-digits. New Castle, which never led in the game, cut the deficit to eight in the third quarter but got no closer.

Thiero led all scorers 30 points, Johns followed with 22, and Markus Frank added 15 points and eight rebounds for Quaker Valley.

Sheldon Cox paced new Castle with 18 points and seven rebounds. Michael Wells followed with 14 points and freshman Isiah Boice had 11. The ‘Canes have lost consecutive section games for the first time in Blundo’s 10-year tenure, and have now fallen in four of their last five.

New Castle and Quaker Valley have played against each other for the WPIAL Class 4A championship each of the last three seasons. While there is plenty of experience from three consecutive trips to the Petersen Events Center, the youth of both teams is what has stood out through the first half of the season, both in good and bad.

Both the Red Hurricanes and the Quakers start one senior and have multiple freshmen and sophomores getting involved.

“I think both of us take a lot of pride on our programs,” Mastroianni said, “not just having a good team every once in a while. It’s really a credit to the next group up.”

Atop a perennial juggernaut of a section, Mastroianni refuses to look too far toward the rest of the section season.

“We have Hopewell Tuesday,” he said. “It’s a long year. In this section, when you can win at home, you feel good. Any time you can get a home win, you take it.”

By: Don Rebel
Friday, January 3, 2020 | 12:07 AM

New Castle has won three straight WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championships. In all three title games, the Red Hurricane knocked off rival Quaker Valley.

Now the ‘Canes and Quakers meet for the first of two regular season meetings on Friday.

In 2017 finals, New Castle cruised to a 73-58 win over Quaker Valley. The Canes had four players in double-digit scoring, led by Gino Smith’s 23 points.

In 2018, Quaker Valley swept New Castle in the regular season and entered the title game with a perfect 23-0 record. Yet the Red Hurricane raised gold again as Lorenzo Gardner scored 15 points and Marcus Hooker pulled down 15 rebounds in a 57-52 win.

Once again last year, the Quakers swept the Red Hurricane in the regular season with 19 and 3-point victories only to lose in the 4A finals. Drew Cox scored 20 points in a 60-54 New Castle win.

So far this season, Quaker Valley is 2-0 atop Section 2-4A and 6-1 for the season while New Castle is 1-1 in the section and 5-3 overall.

Back in the saddle

Friday is a busy night of section play around the WPIAL in boys basketball.

Some of the standout contests include Bethel Park hosting Peters Township in Section 2-6A with both teams looking for their seventh overall win.

First place is up for grabs in Section 3-5A when Hampton visits Shaler. Both the Talbots and Titans are tied for first place with 3-0 section records.

Defending WPIAL 3A champion Lincoln Park hosts Beaver Falls with the top spot in Section 1-3A up for grabs. The Leopards are 3-0 in the section while the visiting Tigers are a half-game back at 2-0.

Crowded at the top

Hampton will visit Gateway on Friday in a girls basketball battle between two of the top four teams in Section 2-5A.

The Talbots are on top with a section record of 2-0, a half-game in front of the 2-1 Gators.

Two other teams with their eye on first place are Mars (3-1) and Plum (2-1).

What’s surprising about Hampton being on top is that while they are undefeated in section play, out of the section, the Talbots are 1-6.

Don Rebel hosts the Rebel Yell podcasts for HSSN.

By: Don Rebel
Wednesday, January 1, 2020 | 9:41 PM

We ring in the New Year with the first Trib HSSN basketball power rankings of 2020.

On the boys side, the 10 teams remain the same with some serious shuffling going on from the initial rankings and only one team remaining in the spot it had before the holidays.

Fox Chapel takes over the top spot from Butler, which suffered three losses the last two weeks and dropped to No. 7.

The top six spots on the girls side remains the same, however two new teams have checked in to the Trib Ten since before the holidays.

Peters Township and Thomas Jefferson checked out, and Rochester and Southmoreland debut this week.

Here are the latest rankings with the overall records followed by where that team was ranked last week.

Boys Trib Ten

1. Fox Chapel Foxes, (9-0), (3)

2. Mount Lebanon Blue Devils, (7-3), (2)

3. Penn Hills Indians, (5-2), (4)

4. Highlands Golden Rams, (8-1), (8)

5. Lincoln Park Leopards, (7-2), (5)

6. Pine-Richland Rams, (7-2), (6)

7. Butler Golden Tornado, (5-4), (1)

8. Mars Fightin’ Planets, (6-2), (7)

9. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Chargers, (9-0), (10)

10. Quaker Valley Quakers (6-1), (9)

Out: None

Girls Trib Ten

1. Chartiers Valley Colts, (8-0), (1)

2. Bethel Park Black Hawks, (8-0), (2)

3. North Allegheny Tigers, (6-0), (3)

4. North Catholic Trojans, (6-0), (4)

5. Trinity Hillers, (7-1), (5)

6. Central Valley Warriors, (7-0), (6)

7. Rochester Rams, (9-1), (NR)

8. Blackhawk Cougars, (7-2), (7)

9. Beaver Bobcats, (7-1), (8)

10. Southmoreland Scotties, (9-0), (NR)

Out: Peters Township, Thomas Jefferson

Don Rebel hosts the Rebel Yell podcasts for HSSN.

FROM LOCAL DISPATCHES

DEC 28, 2019

10:32 PM

Joe Pustover hit five of West Allegheny’s 12 3-pointers and finished with 23 points, while Jackson Faulk had seven of his 24 in the fourth quarter as West Allegheny (5-4) dealt Class 4A No. 2 Quaker Valley (5-1) its first loss with a 92-82 come-from-behind non-section victory.

Indians junior guard Liam Routch also came alive in the fourth quarter with 13 of his 16 in the final frame as the Indians overcame a 69-65 deficit after three quarters.

K.C. Johns helped Quaker Valley to its early lead with 18 of his game-high 26 in the first quarter.

BRAD EVERETT

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

beverett@post-gazette.com

DEC 26, 2019

6:45 AM

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’s 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.

Lighting a fire under this team is getting over its WPIAL championship hump. The Quakers have lost to New Castle in the final each of the last three seasons.

“We try not to think about it too much, but yeah, we’d be lying if we didn’t say it motivated us,” Gardinier said. “Ultimately, we want to get back and get the job done.”

By: Don Rebel 
Monday, December 23, 2019 | 7:42 PM

The final pre-holiday Trib HSSN weekly boys basketball state rankings are here with few changes from the original top five.

A pair of District 2 teams were bounced and are the only teams to drop out of the original rankings.

They are replaced by WPIAL teams Penn Hills in 5A and Quaker Valley in 4A.

The top-ranked teams of Kennedy Catholic, Archbishop Wood, Archbishop Carroll, Lincoln Park, Math, Civics and Sciences and Vincentian Academy remain on top of their classifications.

Here is the latest PIAA top five in each of the six classifications through Sunday, Dec. 22. Teams are listed with record, district and last week’s ranking.

Class 6A

1. Kennedy Catholic (4-0) (10) (1)

2. Roman Catholic (3-1) (12) (2)

3. Pennridge (6-0) (1) (3)

4. Coatesville (4-0) (1) (4)

5. Butler (5-1) (7) (5)

Out: None

Class 5A

1. Archbishop Wood (3-3) (12) (1)

2. Milton Hershey (5-0) (3) (5)

3. West Chester East (6-1) (1) (3)

4. Penn Hills (5-1) (7) (NR)

5. Mars (6-2) (7) (2)

Out: Abington Heights (2)

Class 4A:

1. Archbishop Carroll (4-0) (12) (1)

2. Monsignor Bonner/Archbishop Prendergast (5-1) (12) (3)

3. Imhotep Charter (3-3) (12) (2)

4. Hickory (4-2) (10) (5)

5. Quaker Valley (5-0) (7) (NR)

Out: Scranton Prep (2)

Class 3A:

1. Lincoln Park (6-1) (7) (1)

2. Camp Hill Trinity (5-0) (3) (2)

3. Neumann-Goretti (6-1) (12) (3)

4. Loyalsock Township (5-0) (4) (4)

5. Bishop McDevitt-Wyncote (2-1) (12) (5)

Out: None

Class 2A:

1. Math, Civics & Sciences (5-1) (12) (1)

2. Bishop Guilfoyle (3-0) (6) (2)

3. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (7-0) (7) (3)

4. Executive Education (4-1) (11) (4)

5. Constitution (2-5) (12) (5)

Out: None

Class A:

1. Vincentian Academy (3-1) (7) (1)

2. Elk County Catholic (5-0) (9) (2)

3. Bishop Carroll (2-1) (6) (3)

4. Shade (6-0) (5) (4)

5. Sankofa Freedom Academy (2-5) (12) (5)

Out: None

By Andrew Chiappazzi 

Posted Dec 20, 2019 at 10:41 PM

Quaker Valley turned up the heat on Central Valley in the fourth quarter and came away with a 72-64 win to improve to 5-0.

CENTER TWP. – For over three quarters of play against Central Valley Friday night, Quaker Valley was content to sit back in its half-court defense.

The Quakers occasionally offered some token pressure to try to speed Central Valley up, but there wasn’t a concerted effort to force turnovers or trap the Warriors.

But during a timeout five minutes into the final frame, the Quakers looked at head coach Mike Mastroianni and said, ’It’s time.”

Quaker Valley launched its press at the perfect time, as the Quakers forced a succession of turnovers that keyed a 12-0 run and pushed Quaker Valley to a 72-64 win.

“We knew at some point we were (going to press),” Mastroianni said. “We knew we were going to be in foul trouble, so we knew we couldn’t do it early.”

Three sophomores helped spark Quaker Valley’s fourth quarter push. Guards Adou Thiero and Jack Gardinier and forward Markus Frank harassed Central Valley from the second the ball was inbounded. With Quaker Valley down 49-47, Thiero and Frank scored on three straight fast breaks to help the Quakers take a 53-49 lead.

“It’s what we do,” Gardinier said of the press. “We’re fast.”

“We just look into their eyes, see where they’re going to pass, jump every single place they can go,” Thiero added. “We’re just there, ready for everything.”

By the time Central Valley’s Brandon Graham stopped the bleeding with a basket with 3:56 left, Quaker Valley held a 59-51 lead. The press had lasted all of about 90 seconds of the game clock, but it had done the damage Quaker Valley had been hoping for.

“We knew coming in here – tough place to play, Division I player, high level athletes at every spot, high level bench with a great coach,” Mastroianni said. “We sort of had to save something and we were hoping at that point that they’d be wearing down.”

Quaker Valley iced the game at the line, as the Quakers sank 17 of their 19 free throws in the fourth quarter and 28 of 32 for the game.

“It’s just practice,” Gardinier said. “We lock in every single time we do the free throw drill and we take it very seriously at practice. It’s repetition.”

The Quakers’ strong defensive effort wasn’t limited to the fourth quarter. Behind a box-and-one defense that featured a roaming Gardinier, Quaker Valley held Central Valley star Isiah Warfield off the scoreboard until 50 seconds remained in the second quarter.

Warfield eventually finished with 16 points, but the Quakers hounded him every step of the way.

“In the box-and-one, I knew I had guys behind me. So if he got a step on me, they were going to help me,” Gardinier said. “I tried to nag him a little bit, get in his head. But that doesn’t really mean too much because he’s a good player, so you just have to D him up.”

Quaker Valley built a 16-9 first quarter lead behind that defense, though Central Valley whittled it away and eventually took a 44-43 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The Warriors (1-2, 0-1 Section 2-4A) were playing in only their third game of the season after getting a late start due to the prolonged run to the state football championship. Besides Warfield’s 16 points, Graham finished with 12 points and Chase Morrison chipped in 10.

Quaker Valley, meanwhile, is off to a 5-0 start despite having graduated two 1,000-point scorers in Ryan Stowers and Danny Conlan. Senior K.C. Johns and Gardinier had 19 points, while Thiero scored 18 and Frank scored 13.

“I think we’re in a good spot. We’ve had a couple good practices and we have some young guys,” Johns said. “The young guys are starting to step up and we’re really starting to mesh as one team, which is good.”

FROM LOCAL DISPATCHES

DEC 10, 2019

9:45 AM

Quaker Valley boys basketball coach Mike Mastroianni became the 20th coach in WPIAL history to win 500 games Monday night, when he led the Quakers past Albert Gallatin, 54-51, in a non-conference matchup. Mastroianni is in his 28th season as a head coach. The victory raised his record to 500-203. In addition to leading the Quakers, Mastroianni has coached Bethel Park and Keystone Oaks and has led Quaker Valley and Bethel Park to WPIAL titles.

“I’m humbled to be associated with those guys and stand beside them,” Mastroianni said of joining the 500 win club. “A lot of them are guys that I look up to.”

Getting to the milestone was no easy task. The Quakers (2-0) led from start to finish, but the Colonials (1-2) were able to close the gap by outscoring Quaker Valley, 24-10, in the fourth quarter. The Colonials twice cut the deficit to three, but never drew closer. Markus Frank’s 23 points led the Quakers. Nate English led Albert Gallatin with 14.

By: Greg Macafee 
Monday, December 9, 2019 | 9:40 PM

It was a matter of when, not if, Quaker Valley boys basketball coach Mike Mastroianni would get career win No. 500.

It happened Monday night as the Quakers held off Albert Gallatin to escape with a 54-51 victory and deliver Mastroianni another milestone victory.

Entering the season, Mastroianni needed two wins to reach the milestone as he had an overall record of 498-205, a .708 winning percentage. On Saturday, the Quakers beat Sharpsville, 68-44, at the Lincoln Park Hall of Fame tournament at Geneva College.

In the past three years, the Quakers have played in three WPIAL Class 4A title games, twice made a run to the PIAA semifinals and produced an overall record of 72-11.

On Monday, two sophomores led the way for the Quakers as Markus Frank scored 23 points and Adou Thiero added 12.

By: Greg Macafee 
Friday, December 6, 2019 | 4:37 PM

PreviousNext

During his time at Quaker Valley, boys basketball coach Mike Mastroianni has built a culture that has allowed the program to reach new heights of success.

In the past three years, the Quakers have played in three WPIAL Class 4A title games, made a run to the PIAA semifinals twice and produced an overall record of 72-11.

Mastroianni has been around the Quaker Valley program for longer than the past three years, but its recent success is just an example of the impact that he’s had.

In fact, he’s had enough of an impact that in the 28th year of his head coaching career, Mastroianni is approaching career win No. 500. Entering this season, the longtime Quaker Valley coach has an overall record of 498-205 and a .708 win-percentage.

Mastroianni said he didn’t get into coaching to chase numbers; he just wanted to have an impact on his players.

“Basketball is a connection I have with players that gives me an opportunity to be a life coach for them,” Mastroianni said. “It’s a passion for the sport I still have, and they are young guys that have a passion and love for the sport. The connection is basketball, to teach life lessons for them.”

That connection gives him the opportunity to help players through a sport he loves and fulfill a passion he’s had since he was a college student.

“It’s just been a passion and I’ve been fortunate enough to coach this long, and I still enjoy it as much as I did when I first started,” Mastroianni said. “It’s really a number, it’s not anything I’ve put a whole lot of thought into, and maybe it just means I’ve been doing for quite a while.”

In 1998, Mastroianni hit the century mark with a 20-point win over Avonworth. Eight years later, he got No. 200. Since then, it’s been about a four or five-year gap between 100-mark wins.

He got No. 400 on Jan 30, 2015 against South Side. So, when will No. 500 come?

Well, the Quakers start their season with the Lincoln Park Hall of Fame tournament at Geneva College on Saturday. Then, they are on the road for two games at Albert Gallatin and Bishop Canevin before their first home game of the season against Beaver on Dec. 17.

With the team Mastroianni has, that milestone marker will assuredly come in the first part of the season because despite the loss of big time scorers like Ryan Stowers (22.8 ppg) and Danny Conlan (16.7 ppg), the Quakers still return a plethora of talent this season.

“Our make-up will be different, our approach will be different, but that’s what makes it fun,” Mastroianni said. “We still have a lot of guys that were in the program that were on varsity. We’ll definitely be a little younger, it will definitely be a challenge, we’ll have to play different, but we’re definitely excited.”

A senior class of K.C. Johns, Jonathan Weir, Nathan Blackmer and John Auth provides stability across the roster. The Quakers will also have a few underclassmen, such as sophomores Adou Thiero, Jack Gardinier and Markus Frank, who will provide youth and talent to build for the future.

But the Quakers’ roster also gives them an opportunity to do something they’ve always done.

Run.

“We always want to do that, we always want to create that,” Mastroianni said. “To be honest, we are probably built for that. We have three guards that could really play point at any time. So we definitely want to continue to play that way when the opportunity presents itself.”