By: Chris Harlan 
Thursday, April 29, 2021 | 6:00 PM

Lincoln Park senior Dakari Bradford and North Catholic senior Andrew Ammerman, whose teams clashed last month in the WPIAL finals, were among four WPIAL boys basketball players earning all-state honors Thursday in Class 4A.

Bradford, Ammerman and Quaker Valley junior Adou Theiro all were named the the second team on the Pa. Sportswriters All-State Team.

Belle Vernon junior Devin Whitlock received third-team honors.

The all-state teams for PIAA schools are being announced one classification per day this week ending with Class 6A on Saturday.

Neumann-Goretti senior Hysier Miller was voted as the player of the year despite his team playing only 10 games with no postseason. The 6-foot-2 point guard and Temple recruit averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists per game for the Philadelphia Catholic League power.

Bradford, who averaged 14 points per game, scored 19 in the WPIAL finals to help Lincoln Park defeat North Catholic, 65-56, on March 15.

Ammerman averaged 18.4 points and 12 rebounds for North Catholic. In the WPIAL finals, he scored a game-high 35 points with 13 rebounds and five blocks.

Thiero was a 22-point scorer for the Quakers, who reached the WPIAL 4A quarterfinals.

Whitlock averaged 21 points, five assists and five steals for Belle Vernon, which entered the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs as the No. 1 seed.

Class 4A

First team

Hysier Miller, Neumann-Goretti, 6-2, sr.

Peyton Mele, Hickory, 6-3, sr.

Anquan Hill, Archbishop Carroll, 6-8, sr.

Liam Joyce, Allentown Central Catholic, 6-6, jr.

Tyson Thomas, Allentown Central Catholic, 6-1, jr.

Trey Martin, Boiling Springs, 6-4, jr.

Second team

Andrew Ammerman, North Catholic, 6-7, sr.

Braden Bohannon, Elco, 5-11, sr.

Adou Thiero, Quaker Valley, 6-2, jr.

Connor Evans, Hickory, 6-5, sr.

Dakari Bradford, Lincoln Park, 6-5, sr.

Moses Hipps, Archbishop Carroll, 6-3, fr.

Third team

Damon Gripp, Tyrone, 6-3, sr.

Devin Whitlock, Belle Vernon, 5-9, jr.

Jayden Weishaar, Littlestown, 6-0, sr.

Alex Walinski, New Hope-Solebury, 6-4, sr.

Michael Brooks, Grove City, 6-0, sr.

Player of the Year: Hysier Miller, Neumann-Goretti

Coach of the Year: Dennis Csencsits, Allentown Central Catholic

By: Chris Harlan 
Sunday, April 4, 2021 | 2:30 PM

This year’s Trib 10 boys basketball all-star team could look a lot like next year’s team.

Of the 10 players selected, six are juniors or sophomores. That list includes Laurel Highlands sophomore Rodney Gallagher and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart junior Jake DiMichele, who earned Trib 10 honors for the second year in a row.

But don’t overlook the seniors. All four played leading roles in taking their teams to the WPIAL finals this winter.

Trib 10

Eli Yofan

Fox Chapel, G, 6-3, jr.

After a number of near misses, Yofan took Fox Chapel back to the WPIAL semifinals for the first time since 2015. He averaged 22 points per game, which ranked him among the leaders in Class 6A. The Foxes finished 20-3 and were the No. 2 seed in the playoffs.

Watch Eli Yofan highlights

Devin Whitlock

Belle Vernon, G, 5-9, jr.

One of the WPIAL’s best with the ball in his hands, the point guard averaged 21 points, five assists and five steals for Belle Vernon, which entered the Class 4A playoffs as the No. 1 seed. The Leopards finished 13-2 and reached the WPIAL semifinals.

Watch Devin Whitlock highlights

Adou Thiero

Quaker Valley, G, 6-2, jr.

Thiero was both a playmaking point guard and a scorer. He averaged 22 points for the Quakers, who went 13-5 and reached the WPIAL 4A quarterfinals. He missed QV’s playoff loss with an injury. UC-Santa Barbara and Long Island have offered him Division I scholarships.

Watch Adou Theiro highlights

Dante Spadafora

OLSH, G, 5-11, sr.

Spadafora is four-year starter at point guard who energized Our Lady of the Sacred Heart on both ends of the floor. He averaged 19 points this winter for the undefeated WPIAL and PIAA champion. He signed with West Liberty, an NCAA Division II team.

Watch Dante Spadafora highlights

Brayden Reynolds

Chartiers Valley, G, 6-3, sr.

Few in the WPIAL could score like Reynolds. He averaged 25 points per game and scored 42 in a late-season victory on New Castle’s home court. The Colts went 22-4 and reached the WPIAL finals for the first time since 2015. He lists Army among his college options.

Watch Brayden Reynolds highlights

Luke Gensler

Upper St. Clair, G, 6-0, sr.

Upper St. Clair’s talented senior class included a number of two-sport athletes that’ll play football in college, but Gensler was always basketball first. He averaged a team-best 14 points and led the Panthers to their first WPIAL title since 2005, winning Class 6A.

Watch Luke Gensler highlights

Rodney Gallagher

Laurel Highlands, G, 6-0, so.

Gallagher followed up his fantastic freshman campaign with a strong sophomore season. He averaged 19 points for the Mustangs and reached the WPIAL 5A semifinals a year after winning the title. He has a growing list of Division 1 offers for both basketball and football.

Watch Rodney Gallagher highlights

Jake DiMichele

OLSH, G, 6-3, jr.

DiMichele averaged 29 points for Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (24-0), which won WPIAL and PIAA 2A titles with an undefeated state title. If that wasn’t enough, he contributed 21 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks in the state finals in Hershey.

Watch Jake DiMichele highlights

Devin Carney

Butler, G, 6-1, jr.

Carney averaged 30 points per game for the Golden Tornado and carried the team back to the WPIAL 6A semifinals. His highlight was a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in overtime in the quarterfinals. He lists Division I offers from Robert Morris, Bryant and St. Francis (Pa.).

Watch Devin Carney highlights

Andrew Ammerman

North Catholic, C, 6-7, sr.

Ammerman was arguably the most dominant big man in the WPIAL this winter. He led the Trojans (18-5) to a WPIAL runner-up finish in Class 4A. The center averaged a double-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds and shot 65% from the field. In the semifinals and finals combined, he had 56 points, 31 rebounds and 10 blocks.

Watch Andrew Ammerman highlights

By: Chris Harlan 
Monday, March 8, 2021 | 11:02 PM

North Catholic’s Owen DeGregorio took advantage of Monday’s mild weather to put up some shots with his dad on their outdoor hoop.

“Maybe I’ve got to do that before every game,” said the senior, who made seven 3-pointers a few hours later as No. 5 seed North Catholic defeated No. 4 Quaker Valley, 84-56, in the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals.

The 6-foot guard made at least one 3 in every quarter.

“When you’re hot, you’re hot,” he said. “Every time you make one, the next one feels that much more likely it’s going to go in. You get to a point where you’ve hit four or five, after that they’re all going in.”

His father Dave is North Catholic’s coach.

“Maybe that (backyard shoot-around) was the best coaching I did all day,” he said with a laugh.

Owen DeGregorio and teammate Andrew Ammerman led a strong inside-outside attack that proved too much for the short-handed Quakers, who played without leading scorer Adou Theiro. DeGregorio scored a game-high 21 points entirely on 3-pointers, and Ammerman, a 6-foot-6 senior, had 19 points, almost entirely in the paint.

Choosing which to defend can be hard.

“It’s not hard, it’s impossible,” Owen DeGregorio said, “because he’s such a beast down there. He demands so much attention. If he kicks out, we’ve got to knock them down.”

In all, the Trojans made 10 3-pointers.

That included two by senior Isaiah Jackson and one by sophomore Max Rottman, who scored 11 points and keyed an 11-0 second-quarter run.

“We can shoot the ball,” coach Dave DeGregorio said. “When they said, ‘Hey we’re going to take it out of (Ammerman’s) hands,’ it opened up some guys. I thought it was important that we shot well early, and we shot the ball well early.”

North Catholic (17-4) returns to the WPIAL semifinals for the sixth year in a row. They’ll visit top-seeded Belle Vernon (13-1) at 6 p.m. Thursday.

No. 2 Lincoln Park hosts No. 3 Montour in the other semifinal.

“You’ve got to enjoy this time of year,” Dave DeGregorio said. “The kids are excited. Old people like myself are excited. It’s a good day.”

Quaker Valley (13-5) had three scorers reach double figures but played without Theiro, a star junior and the team’s point guard. Theiro injured his leg in the first round and spent Monday’s game on crutches.

Jake Gardinier led the Quakers with 20 points, Markus Frank had 19, and Ian Herring added 13, but nobody else on the team scored more than two. As a 22-point scorer, they could’ve used Theiro’s offense, but also missed his knack for freeing up others.

“It’s a difficult situation (to lose Theiro) and then to play against such a high-level team,” QV coach Mike Mastroianni said. “The most important thing is what he means to us. It’s tough to lose anybody, but then someone who’s the quarterback and runs the team.”

Mastroianni said the extent of Thiero’s leg injury isn’t yet known. He was helped off the court with a noncontact injury Thursday.

Regardless, Quaker Valley matched North Catholic shot for shot through the first quarter Monday and trailed 15-14 after one.

“I thought our guys managed it well,” Mastroianni said. “I’m not disappointed. The second quarter hurt us. If we don’t tip as much, we might hang around a little bit.”

North Catholic outscored Quaker Valley, 23-13, in the second and turned a one-point lead into 11. DeGregorio grabbed momentum with a pair of 3s early in the second quarter.

Rottman scored seven consecutive points later in the quarter on a 3-pointer and two layups. QV called timeout before and after his two layups while trying to halt an 11-0 run.

North Catholic led 38-27 at half.

With rebounds and put-back baskets, Ammerman became a bigger factor after halftime, scoring 11 points in the third quarter. Still, North Catholic kept shooting 3s. The Trojans’ lead reached 57-38 midway through the third when Matt Gregor was fouled beyond the arc and made three free throws.

North Catholic led 60-47 after three.

Quaker Valley cut the lead to 11 early in the fourth on a 3-pointer by Gardinier, but DeGregorio answered with a 3 at the other end 15 seconds later. DeGregorio made three 3s in the fourth as the Trojans pulled away.

“He had himself a night,” Dave DeGregorio said.

North Catholic, a newcomer to Class 4A, won the WPIAL 3A title last season and was the runner-up in 2019. The Trojans didn’t lose to any Class 4A opponents this winter but were seeded fifth in the WPIAL bracket, a position the players felt was too low.

Section 2 teams Lincoln Park, Montour and Quaker Valley were seeded second, third and fourth.

“There’s not a little bit of a chip, there’s a big chip on our shoulders,” Owen DeGregorio said. “We shouldn’t have gotten a five. I think we proved that tonight.”

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

By: Greg Macafee 
Sunday, February 28, 2021 | 9:01 AM

For the past three years, Adou Thiero’s role for the Quaker Valley boys basketball team has been evolving.

He started as a freshman and averaged 7.5 points per game by being a shooter and distributor for a team that went on to make its third-straight WPIAL finals appearance. Then, as a sophomore last season, his game continued to change as he became more of a scorer and averaged 17.7 points per game.

Thiero has taken his game to a new level this season and has averaged 22.9 points per game while leading the Quakers to a No. 4 seed in the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs.

“When you have a player that plays young as a freshman, as a coach, it sort of puts you on a little journey, and it’s really fun to see how they progress every year in so many different areas,” Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni said. “What’s usually typical of a player that young is they dedicate a lot of time, because they’ve already put so much time into their game to play young and they know there is no other way. Adou is just a perfect example of that.”

Although Thiero has risen to the occasion in the past, he’s put together a breakout season. On Feb. 8, he scored a career-high 41 points against Hopewell. A little over a week later on Feb. 17, he scored 32 against Beaver. He put together another 32-point performance five days later against Montour in a double-overtime loss.

“He’s got the capability, and he’s a scorer in so many facets,” Mastroianni said. “As a young guy, we brought the ball to him more because he was younger and we had some guys around him that could do that. He was basically a shooter. Now he’s still an outstanding shooter, but he’s added so many things to his game.”

Thiero scored 25 or more points in seven games this season and has helped the Quakers earn an overall record of 12-4. Some of those performances came in some of Quaker Valley’s biggest games as well.

He scored 26 points in a win over No. 2 Lincoln Park on Feb. 18 and tallied 27 in a nine-point win over section opponent Blackhawk.

He said that his production this season has come from the work he put in over the summer. After hitting a growth spurt, his physical attributes have also allowed him to get to the rim a lot more consistently as well.

“My finishing at the hoop a lot better this year,” Thiero said. “Last year, I mainly shot threes and got to the hoop a couple times and got foul shots. But this year, I think I’ve been getting to the hoop a lot more and then shooting whenever the defender gives me the room.”

Coming into this year, after the graduation of a few seniors last season, Thiero knew that he was going to have to play a bigger role. He put in the work during the offseason and added a few things to his game, like a quicker first step and his bounce around the rim, so that he could play the role his team needed him to.

So far this year, he’s done just that.

“I figured for me to take it to the next level, I’d have to take it up one or two steps this season and just add to my game,” Thiero said. “I just wanted to be able to do more for my teammates and not let other teams do things to stop me.”

College teams are starting to take notice as well. A few days after Thiero’s 41-point game against Hopewell, he received his first Division I offer from Long Island. He said it was a good feeling to get his first offer, but it’s also just the beginning.

“It was definitely a great feeling just to know a school out there recognized the work I’ve been putting in,” Thiero said. “But now I just have to put in even more work to just keep it and show people why I got it.”

With a first-round bye, the Quakers are set to play the winner of No. 13 Derry and No. 20 Southmoreland at 6 p.m. Thursday at Quaker Valley.

Greg Macafee is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Greg by email at gmacafee@triblive.com or via Twitter .

By: Don Rebel
Monday, February 22, 2021 | 8:19 PM

For most WPIAL basketball teams, the final week or so of the regular season is a sprint to the finish with the hopes of a section title or at least a district playoff berth waiting at the finish line.

For Quaker Valley, the end of this crazy 2021 season has been a marathon with eight games on the final 10 days of the schedule.

It may be a long, tough stretch with six of those games against teams that are or were ranked in the HSSN top 5 this season, but the Quakers seem to be enjoying it according to head coach Mike Mastroianni.

“The grind is actually helping the Quakers and is something we really needed,” he said.

Leading the way on most nights is talented junior guard Adou Thiero.

Thiero ended up with 113 points this past week in five games, four of them wins, for an average of over 22 points per game.

The Quakers’ five-day work week began with a 67-64 loss to Lincoln Park. Two days later, QV avenged that home loss with a 72-64 win over the Leopards in Midland. Thiero scored 46 points in the two games, including 26 points in the victory.

“I think what stood out for me in both games was not necessarily Adou’s scoring, but more on how he managed the games and controlled the pace for us,” Mastroianni said. “He is an outstanding scorer, and we needed him to score, but his game management was even more important to our team success.”

In between the Lincoln Park games on Wednesday, the Quakers beat Beaver, 64-52, as Thiero led all scorers with 32 points.

“We actually were coming off of a close lose and had an away game in a difficult place to play,” Mastroianni said. “He made a number of tough finishes in a game where we needed them all.”

The week ended with two impressive performances by Quaker Valley.

On Friday, QV crushed section foe Central Valley, 62-33. The Warriors had entered the game with a 10-2 overall record. Then on Saturday in a nonsection contest, Quaker Valley defeated visiting Mt. Lebanon, 63-54.

“In a very demanding week for us, he found himself in the second half of both of those wins and made winning plays,” Mastroianni said. “His play on both ends of the floor against Mt. Lebanon was the key to our second half come back and win.”

Thiero made a splash on the QV program two years ago as a diminutive 5-foot-10 point guard who played a key role in the Quakers’ 21-5 season in which they reached the WPIAL Class 4A finals, only to lose to New Castle.

He continues to grow physically, now close to 6-2. With his growth in height, Thiero’s game is growing as well.

“The physical maturation has made him a better scorer because he score in more ways,” Mastroianni said. “He is way more than just a high level 3-point shooter. He gets to the rim and uses the rim efficiently and is a great finisher. He has an outstanding knack for the ball coming off of the rim and rebounds well.”

Thiero certainly isn’t flying solo on the score sheet. While the Quaker are enjoying great contributions from several players this season, joining Thiero on a nightly basis among the scoring leaders is junior Markus Frank.

“I think the both of them have played together for so long that they have a good understanding of each other on the court,” Mastroianni said. “Markus is the healthiest he has been all season and has been playing well the last few weeks and taking pressure off of Adou.”

Quaker Valley looks to finish strong with three more section games this week, at Montour on Monday, at Hopewell on Tuesday and home to Central Valley on Wednesday.

“With all of the starts and stops, we really never felt like the season started for us and we were in the first week of February,” Mastroianni said. “It has put us in more situations and our roles are more defined and our continuity is so much better.”

Bill Allmann

Times Sports Correspondent

MIDLAND — Allen Iverson would have loved to have been a member of the Quaker Valley High School boys’ basketball team. 

The NBA Hall of Famer was known to his generation for his outstanding skills, but has been immortalized by his sneer when asked about practice – and Quaker Valley doesn’t practice. 

The Quakers simply don’t have time. They are in the midst of a stretch of five games in as many days and seven games in eight days. 

Thursday night – in their third straight game – they upset Lincoln Park in Midland, avenging a three-point loss two days earlier. The Quakers won 72-64. The game tied both teams in the loss column with Central Valley and Montour with two each but a lot of games remain to be played. 

“We need to play games more than practice,” said veteran Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni. “We’re definitely better than we were and we have guys that are still developing into their roles. 

“I felt good in our locker room after the loss to Lincoln Park. I liked our response, while we’re still learning on the court.” 

The Quakers didn’t need to just respond to the loss earlier in the week, they needed to respond to a fast start by Lincoln Park, playing on their senior day. Lincoln Park opened a 9-2 lead in the first three minutes but, four minutes later, Adou Thiero hit a three-pointer for Quaker Valley put the Quakers ahead 15-13 and they never trailed again. 

“It was a lot of fun to play,” said Thiero, a junior who finished with 26 points, after scoring 20 two nights earlier. “We wanted to get them back for the other night. 

“We’re happy to be playing all the time, we waited so long to get started – we’ve been wanting to play since November. When we play AAU, we play a lot of games so we know that we need to go home, get our rest, and eat well.” 

In fact, when Dakari Bradford scored from close in with 2:20 left in the game, Quaker Valley’s lead was a single point at 65-64, but the Quakers finished with a 7-0 run – five points by junior Markus Frank and two by Thiero. 

“Playing a team the second times in three nights is actually easier for me,” said Frank, who scored 29 this time after 19 two nights earlier.  

Ian Herring was the next highest scorer for Quaker Valley with eight in his first start. Lincoln Park was led by freshman Brandon Cummings and senior Dakari Bradford with 17 each and Ali Brown with 10. 

Herring was starting in place of Jack Gardinier, out with an injury of unknown duration. 

One thing was for sure, though – he wouldn’t be missing any practices.   

By: Tribune-Review 
Friday, February 19, 2021 | 12:22 AM

Markus Frank scored 31 points to lead No. 4 Quaker Valley to a 72-64 victory over No. 2 Lincoln Park in Section 2-4A boys basketball Thursday night, avenging a loss from earlier in the week.

Adou Thiero added 26 for Quaker Valley (9-3, 8-2). Dakari Bradford and Brandon Cummings scored 17 apiece for Lincoln Park (11-5, 9-2), which won Tuesday’s meeting between the teams, 67-64.

Fox Chapel 79, Greensburg Salem 34 — After jumping out to a 27-6 lead in the first quarter, Fox Chapel extended its winning streak to 12 with a Section 3-6A victory. JP Dockey led the Foxes (14-2, 8-1) with 12 points and five steals, and Jake DeMotte added 11 points and five steals. Cade Cavanaugh led Greensburg Salem (0-9, 0-7) with 10 points.

Franklin Regional 61, Kiski Area 53 — Kadyn Hannah scored 18 points to help Franklin Regional (6-4, 6-2) earn a Section 3-5A win. Luke Kimmich added 12 points for the Panthers. Calvin Heinle led the Cavaliers (4-12, 1-9) with a game-high 19 points, and Jason Flemm scored 11.

Frazier 61, California 30 – Led by 16 points from Colton Arison, 15 from Owen Newcomer and 14 from Luke Santo, Frazier (14-3, 8-1) won a matchup of top teams in Section 4-2A. Nate O’Savage led California (3-3, 3-2) with 13 points.

Laurel 59, Freedom 27 – Sam Haswell scored 22 points and Marcus Haswell had 18 to carry Laurel (9-8, 4-4) to a nonsection win. Carter Slowinski led Freedom (0-12, 0-7) with 11 points.

OLSH 82, Nazareth Prep 31 – Jake DiMichele scored 38 points and Dawson Summers had 10 points and 17 rebounds to lead Class 2A No. 1 OLSH (16-0, 11-0) to a nonsection win. Emmanuel Dotson led Nazareth Prep (3-11, 2-4) with seven points.

Rochester 58, New Brighton 42 – J.D. Azulay scored 20 points and Devon Hemer added 17 to help Rochester (11-3, 7-1) to a nonsection win. Sal Laure added 11. Nya Greene led New Brighton (6-8, 3-5) with 14 points.

Upper St. Clair 69, Gateway 39 – Luke Gensler, Tanner O’Grady and John Sukernek scored 10 points each to lead Class 6A No. 1 Upper St. Clair (12-1, 3-0) to a nonsection win over Gateway (7-6, 5-4).

By: Chris Harlan
Tuesday, February 16, 2021 | 10:33 PM

Brandin Cummings gave Lincoln Park the lead with a gutsy 3-pointer in the closing minutes, made two clutch free throws in the final seconds and led his team in scoring for the third game in a row.

Oh, and he’s a freshman that comes off the bench.

Cummings scored 15 points, and Lincoln Park went 5 for 6 from the foul line in the final 36 seconds Tuesday night to finish off a resilient 67-64 section victory at Quaker Valley that needed all 32 minutes.

Yes, the 6-foot-3 guard is talented enough to start, but why mess with a good thing?

“I’m a guy who believes in karma,” said Lincoln Park coach Mike Bariski, pointing to the leopard-print socks he wears every game. “He’s coming off the bench because we’re winning with him coming off the bench. Should he probably be in the starting lineup? Yeah, sometimes he probably should. But I’m not messing with my karma.”

The hectic fourth quarter had three lead changes, two ties and nobody was ahead by more than five.

Yet, in a crazy schedule twist, the teams will meet again in 48 hours when the Section 2-4A contenders rematch Thursday night in Midland. Second-ranked Lincoln Park (11-4, 9-1) has Wednesday off, but this was the first of five games in five days for fifth-ranked Quaker Valley (7-3, 6-2).

“The more games we can get in here in the next two weeks, we’re going to get better,” QV coach Mike Mastroianni said. “We need to play.”

Quaker Valley’s Adou Thiero scored a game-high 20 points and Markus Frank added 19. The Quakers took a 5-2 lead early in the first quarter and held it until midway through the fourth.

Their largest lead was 38-32 in the third.

Lincoln Park had five scorers in double figures led by Cummings, whose late 3-pointer broke a 53-53 tie with about 4 minutes left, putting the Leopards ahead for good. Joe Scott scored 14 points, L.A. Pratt and Dakari Bradford each had 12 and Elias Bishop added 10.

Cummings, the brother of former Lincoln Park star Nelly Cummings, has scored 51 points combined in his past three games. He finished Tuesday with three 3s.

“What he is, is a pure scorer,” Bariski said.

Cummings said he’s fine with his role.

“I’ve been in the gym. I’m putting my work in,” he said. “I’m glad to show it on the court.”

Clinging to a one-point lead, Cummings made two free throws with 36 seconds left and Bishop added two more with 28 seconds to lead 66-61. When Quaker Valley cut the lead to three, Lincoln Park’s Ali Brown made one of two free throws with 5 seconds left.

Overall, Lincoln Park went 12 for 18 from the free throw line including 7 for 10 in the fourth.

“We’re a very good free throw shooting team,” Cummings said. “Earlier in the season, there were some instances where we did miss those clutch free throws. As the season goes on, we’re starting to get more comfortable down the stretch.”

Quaker Valley led 17-14 after one quarter, 33-28 at half and 48-46 after three. But Lincoln Park stole the lead with a quick 10-4 run early in the fourth that included consecutive 3s by Pratt and Cummings to lead 56-53.

Three layups by Bradford pushed Lincoln Park’s lead to 60-55.

“We’re not really as big as we have been in the past,” Mastroianni said. “Rebounding is always an issue for us. We got a couple of stops but we weren’t able to keep them off the boards.”

Quaker Valley narrowed the gap to 62-61 on a layup by Frank with about a minute left but couldn’t get any closer. The Quakers made only one shot in the final 2 minutes.

“We were down at halftime, and we were able to fight back and get a big win,” Bishop said. “Our team showed a lot of heart and determination.”

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

Bill Allmann

Times Sports Correspondent

LEETSDALE — Just when it seemed the COVID-19 pandemic couldn’t do anything more to affect this year’s high school basketball season, there’s one more new wrinkle. 

The two teams atop Section 2-4A met Tuesday night at Quaker Valley and they’ll meet again Thursday at Lincoln Park.  

Lincoln Park won the first of the unusual home-and-home series 67-64, in comeback fashion. Lincoln Park, now winners of eight straight, is now 11-4, 9-1 in section play while Quaker Valley is 7-3, 6-2. 

“We saw them on film, so we knew they were extremely quick, extremely talented, and played extremely hard,” said Lincoln Park coach Mike Bariski. “But with Mike Mastroianni coaching you wouldn’t expect anything less. He’d get five guys from a gym class to play hard because that’s what he expects of them. 

“I think we were a little nervous at first and let them get ahead, but we whittled away at them, made our outside shots, and hit our free throws.” 

Maybe it was nerves, maybe it was Quaker Valley, but, either way, the Quakers had an 11-0 run early in the first quarter and kept the lead until there were less than six minutes left in the game. At that point, senior Eli Bishop broke a 49-49 tie with a free throw and the Leopards only trailed by one point for 10 seconds the rest of the way. 

“This was a really big win for us,” said Bishop, one of five Lincoln Park players in double figures with 10 points. “We knew we had to play good defense and play smart basketball. 

“I’ve never played here before so I came in with an open mind.” 

Another player who had never played a high school game at Quaker Valley before was freshman Brandin Cummings, but that didn’t seem to bother him, either. The Leopards’ leading scorer with 15 points, he hit three three-pointers in the second half – the final one putting Lincoln Park ahead for good at 56-53 with 4:19 left.  

“We have confidence we can get a three at any time,” said Cummings. “We weren’t scared at all that we were behind at halftime – we always feel we’re in the game. We’re feeling confident and getting better all the time.” 

Joe Sager

Times Sports Correspondent

LEETSDALE – Most high school basketball teams are in the back stretch of their schedule at this point in the season.

Quaker Valley just hit the midpoint – and in quick fashion. The Quakers’ 91-72 Friday home win over Ambridge completed seven of the team’s 14 WPIAL Section 2-4A games.

With its season delayed and paused because of COVID-19, Quaker Valley (7-2 overall, 6-1 section) had some catching up to do with the rest of the pack. In a span of a week, the squad played five games and went 4-1.

“We’re doing OK. Sure, it’s tough on the legs, but we love going out and playing,” said Quaker Valley’s Will Dunda, who scored 12 points against the Bridgers (3-5 overall and section), who have had their own delays this season. “We like going out there and working our tails off as much as we can. We love winning. We try to do that as much as we can. We have a great coach in Coach (Mike) Mastroianni, who is helping us recover after each game.”

Quaker Valley led for the duration of the game, but gave up a season-high 72 points.

“I didn’t think tonight we had our energy level,” Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni said. “Our two games during the week, against Blackhawk and Hopewell, I thought our energy was much better. I feel like we never got into a good flow. We scored a lot of points, but gave up a lot, too. That’s not going to take us too far. When you’re in high school, you want to play. If you’re in high school, you should be able to go play like five games a day. People might say we didn’t have our legs because we played all these games before, but that’s an excuse and not a reason.”

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, February 6, 2021 | 8:06 PM

Class 6A

Rk., Team, W-L, Last

1. Upper St. Clair, 9-1, 1

2. North Allegheny, *9-2, 2

3. Fox Chapel, 10-2, 3

4. Hempfield, 6-3, 4

5. Penn-Trafford, 7-4, NR

Out: Mt. Lebanon (5-5, 5)

Class 5A

Rk., Team, W-L, Last

1. New Castle, 12-1, 1

2. Chartiers Valley, 13-1, 2

3. Mars, 9-1, 4

4. Highlands, 9-1, 3

5. Laurel Highlands, 6-3, 5

Out: none

Class 4A

Rk., Team, W-L, Last

1. Belle Vernon, 8-1, 5

2. North Catholic, 11-3, 1

3. Lincoln Park, 7-4, 2

4. Montour, 7-3, 3

5. Quaker Valley, 4-2, 4

Out: none

Class 3A

Rk., Team, W-L, Last

1. South Allegheny, 7-2, 1

2. Neshannock, 11-0, 2

3. Aliquippa, 7-2, 3

4. Avonworth, 9-1, 4

5. Washington, 7-3, NR

Out: Brentwood (8-2, 5)

Class 2A

Rk., Team, W-L, Last

1. OLSH, 12-0, 1

2. Greensburg Central Catholic, 9-2, 4

3. Springdale, 9-4, 2

4. Sto-Rox, 6-4, NR

5. Carlynton, 8-2, 3

Out: Jeannette (7-3, 5)

Class A

Rk., Team, W-L, Last

1. Bishop Canevin, 7-3, 1

2. Eden Christian, 9-1, 2

3. Imani Christian, 7-2, 4

4. Rochester, 7-2, NR

5. Union, 3-1, 3

Out: Leechburg (3-3, 5)

*Saturday night game not included

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

Joe Sager

Times Sports Correspondent

LEETSDALE – Quaker Valley believes it has plenty of potential.

The Quakers just haven’t had many chances to show it in the midst of a global pandemic.

The program’s season has been stopped and started a few times because of COVID-19 concerns. Quaker Valley opened its season Jan. 8, but was shut down again after Jan. 19 win at Ambridge. The Quakers finally returned to game action Friday and beat Blackhawk, 74-65, in a WPIAL Section 2-4A battle.

“It’s been difficult,” Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni said. “Blackhawk is a section rival and a well-coached team and they always play well. It’s always a big game. To have them out of the gate is good. That we were able to find ourselves is a good thing.”

Quaker Valley (4-1 overall, 3-1 section) overcame a 37-33 halftime deficit to upend the Cougars (3-4, 1-4).

“I think we’re a team that needs to get in a rhythm to play well. Just going off and on and off and on has been pretty hard,” Quaker Valley’s Jack Gardinier said. “This game was tough, especially for me. I was breathing pretty hard, especially in the first half. But, I think we got into a rhythm in the second half.”

By: Greg Macafee
Monday, January 25, 2021 | 8:09 PM

The Quaker Valley boys basketball team is going to have to go through another break this season after announcing a shutdown due to covid-19 protocols on Monday.

No. 4 Quaker Valley (3-1, 2-1) had its game against No. 1 Lincoln Park (3-3, 2-0) scheduled for Friday postponed to Monday, but it won’t be played for at least a week now.

The Quakers also announced that games against Central Valley (Tuesday), Hopewell (Friday, Jan. 29) and North Hills (Saturday, Jan. 30) are postponed for the time being.

This most recent shutdown came at a difficult time for the Quakers as they were just starting to get back into a rhythm after Gov. Tom Wolf put a “pause” on high school sports in mid-December.

Quaker Valley lost to Montour, 55-54, on Jan. 8 but rebounded to win three straight games. The Quakers beat Bishop Canevin (51-47), Beaver (57-26), and most recently, Ambridge (86-49). Their game with Lincoln Park, which moved up to WPIAL Class 4A this season, was set to be their toughest matchup this season and a good measuring stick for the team moving forward.

Through their first four games, junior guard Adou Thiero has led the Quakers in scoring with 16 points per game. Junior swingman Markus Frank has scored 14.5 points per game.​​​​​​​

Greg Macafee is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Greg by email at gmacafee@triblive.com or via Twitter .

By: Greg Macafee
Sunday, January 24, 2021 | 8:01 AM

On Jan. 8, the Quaker Valley boys basketball team started their season with a 55-54 loss to Montour in a Section 2-4A game at home.

The Quakers didn’t fret, though. They had led for most of the game before the win slipped through their fingers in the second half. So like most teams Mike Mastroianni has coached over the years, the Quakers just got back to work, and it has paid off.

They followed with a four-point nonsection win over Bishop Canevin on Jan. 12 before earning a convincing 57-26 win over Beaver.

Juniors Markus Frank and Adou Thiero scored 19 and 17 points, respectively, and they held Beaver to five points or fewer in each of the final three quarters.

After their contest against Ambridge on Jan. 19, the Quakers improved to 3-1, and Mastroianni was happy with how they responded after the opening loss.

“We’re definitely playing better, but I still think we’re in the finding-it-out stage,” Mastroianni said. “We still think we are not at the place that we were prior to the shutdown, but we’re heading in the right direction.”

In their four games, the Quakers have gotten production from across the board. Thiero and Frank have scored 16 and 14.5 points per game, respectively, and Jack Gardinier is at 8.3. But Mastroianni said he is getting a lot of production from other guys in his lineup.

“As much as we talk about the guys that are returning for us, we have four other guys that are new in our rotation, and they are the ones that are actually rounding it in and doing some good things for us as well,” Mastroianni said. “They are just adapting to their roles within our team.”

Sophomore guard Ian Herring scored 15 points against Ambridge, and Will Dunda hit three 3-pointers in the second quarter against Beaver. Nico Guild and Malcom Jordan also have been contributing.

But as the season carries on, Mastroianni is looking for his guys to get back to the level of cohesiveness that the longtime basketball coach loves to develop. He said they were at a good place before the hiatus, and they are looking to get back to that place.

“There’s little pieces within the chemistry that we are still getting better at,” Mastroianni said. “But I’m really pleased and proud of all the guys and especially the new guys with how they’ve adapted into their roles.”

Before the shutdown in mid-December, Mastroianni said 6-foot-7 center Guild broke a finger during their scrimmage, and he is just getting back into the swing of things.

The Quakers also had an interesting situation during their matchup with Ambridge as they scored 86 points but none from the free-throw line. Mastroianni said it was the first time in school history that had happened.

“That’s a unique stat for sure, but it wasn’t like we weren’t attacking either, and, if you watch the game, that’s probably what makes it even more peculiar,” Mastroianni said. “It wasn’t like we were playing all around the perimeter and not around the basket because we probably actually had more shots around the basket than the perimeter (that) night.”

Although the Quakers are improving, Mastroianni said there is a long way to go.

“We’re not close to where we want to be defensively, and I don’t think as a coach you are ever pleased, but we have a lot of things that we could be much much better at, so that’s probably the biggest thing,” Mastroianni said.​​​​​​​

Greg Macafee is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Greg by email at gmacafee@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Andrew Chiappazzi

Beaver County Times

AMBRIDGE - The Ambridge boys basketball team is not the last team in the WPIAL to get its season started.

In fact, the Bridgers aren't the last in Beaver County - a late pause for Central Valley gave the Warriors that piece of unfortunate pandemic era trivia. But while Ambridge may not be the last to finally take the floor, as it did Tuesday night against Quaker Valley, the Bridgers might have more road in front of them any of their other late-arriving peers.

Playing with just two of its projected starters, Ambridge's season opener against the Quakers quickly turned into a showcase of how far apart the two neighboring schools are. Quaker Valley rolled to an 86-49 win and appeared to be rounding into form as the preseason favorite in Section 2-4A. 

"I don't think the rust is completely gone, but we're in a much better place than we were," Quake Valley coach Mike Mastroianni said.

Perhaps the strongest evidence that Quaker Valley is at least starting to round into form came in its ability to generate offense off of its press. Anchored by the long arms of the likes of Adou Thiero, Markus Frank and Ian Herring, Quaker Valley repeatedly turned Ambridge over and scored in transition. 

Bill Allmann

Times Sports Correspondent

LEETSDALE — In his first 28 seasons of coaching, Quaker Valley’s Mike Mastroianni has coached 726 games – some of them on a stage as big as the state championship. 

But none were quite like his 727th - Friday’s season opener at home against Section 4A-2 rival Montour. There was no bench – just chairs strategically scattered about the sideline. There were few spectators and all had been screened. Every whistle that was heard wasn’t blown – some were push button, instead – and everyone in the building (including players) wore a mask. The basketballs were changed periodically and wiped down.  

It was high school basketball in 2021. 

“It was definitely different,” said Mastroianni of his team’s 55-54 loss to the Spartans. “A few minutes into the first quarter, though, it just became a basketball game. 

“The circumstances were definitely no factor in the outcome.” 

The outcome, though, could hardly have been predicted by that early play. After one quarter, the Quakers led 21-14 and the game looked like any January section rivalry game – well-played and hard-fought.  

Unfortunately for Quaker Valley fans, though, the pace didn’t continue – the Quakers only scored 22 in the whole second half. 

“Parts of the first half looked like we wanted to look,” said Mastroianni. “But it didn’t stay that way. Both teams were sloppy at times but we were a little more sloppy – give Montour credit, it had something to do with that.” 

In the first half, the Quakers had runs of nine and 10 points and only five turnovers in building a 32-24 lead.  

In the second half, though, Montour had the scoring runs and Quaker Valley had the turnovers, although Quaker Valley did regain possession to have a desperation shot at the buzzer that missed the mark. 

Conceivably, the masks could have had something to do with the pace and the quality of play. They all started in position but, in some cases, they looked like chin guards by the end of the halves. 

“It’s difficult to tell the effect of the masks,” Mastroianni said. “It has a different effect on each player and you can’t really tell.  

“We didn’t have practice for weeks, too, so it’s hard to know what shape everyone is in.” 

On the positive side, the Quakers did get 19 points from Markus Frank, 18 from Adou Thiero, and nine from James Davis. The loss also didn’t hurt the Quakers’ playoff and championship chances – because every team qualifies for the playoffs. 

“I think that opening the playoffs was definitely the right thing to do,” said Mastroianni. “We have no idea how many games we’ll get to play, how many teams will be healthy to play. 

“We’re even thinking of finding teams just to be able to play a game. We may be playing games without even preparing to play them – that’s never happened before.” 

That’s a phrase that’s likely to be repeated often over the next few months.   

By: Chris Harlan 
Monday, December 7, 2020 | 9:29 PM

This will surely be a boys basketball season like no other.

WPIAL teams are set to tip off Friday and embark on a masked journey through a schedule likely to change many times as the year progresses.

Teams all have hopes of hoisting a WPIAL championship trophy in March, much like last year’s boys basketball champions — Butler (Class 6A), Laurel Highlands (5A), Highlands (4A), North Catholic (3A), OLSH (2A) and Vincentian Academy (A).

Here is a rundown of players to watch, team rankings and other notable facts for Class 4A boys basketball. Check out a breakdown of each class this week on the TribLive High School Sports Network. Click here to see Class 6A and 5A.

WPIAL Class 4A

Preseason Player of the Year

Devin Whitlock

Belle Vernon

5-9, Jr., G, 19.9 ppg

Players to watch

Dakari Bradford

Lincoln Park

6-4, Sr., F, 12.0 ppg

Markus Frank

Quaker Valley

6-5, Jr., F, 17.1 ppg

Ryan Lang

Knoch

5-11, Jr., G, 17.2 ppg

LA Pratt

Lincoln Park

6-3, Jr., G, 14 ppg

Adou Thiero

Quaker Valley

5-10, Jr., G, 17.5 ppg

Preseason Top 5

1. Quaker Valley (17-6 last season)

Junior guard Adou Thiero will make this team go, but the Quakers have talent around him. Juniors Markus Frank and Jack Gardinier and senior James Davis all played significant minutes a season ago. Frank was the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 17.4 points and also 6.7 rebounds. The Quakers lost New Castle from their section but added Lincoln Park.

2. Lincoln Park (23-5)

The Leopards were the WPIAL Class 3A runners-up a season ago, before the PIAA competitive-balance rule forced them into a higher classification. Dakari Bradford and LA Pratt give the Leopards two talented scorers to build around, but they must replace a strong 2020 graduating class led by Isaiah Smith and Andre Wilder.

3. Belle Vernon (20-8)

Also nicknamed the Leopards, Belle Vernon brings back two starters from last season’s WPIAL Class 4A runner-up team: Whitlock and senior Jake Haney, a 5-9 guard. The lineup doesn’t match the height of last winter’s roster, but 6-3 freshman Quinton Martin should make an immediate impact. The multi-sport athlete already has a football scholarship offer from Pitt.

4. North Catholic (26-2)

The Trojans won the WPIAL Class 3A title last season but graduated almost everybody from that senior-heavy championship lineup. But don’t count out coach Dave DeGregorio’s team. They’ll rely on seniors Connor Maddalon, Owen DeGregorio, Isaiah Jackson and Andrew Ammerman, a 6-7 forward.

5. Knoch (19-4)

The Knights return all-section guard Ryan Lang, who was instrumental in the team tying Highlands for the Section 1 title last season. Lang is back for his junior season but the team must find scoring to replace Scott Fraser, a 17-point guard who graduated.

Notable

• There will be a new champion in WPIAL Class 4A. Defending champion Highlands moved up to Class 5A this season.

• New Castle also jumped to Class 5A, eliminating another recent champion from the classification. The Red Hurricanes won three consecutive WPIAL Class 4A titles from 2017-19.

• North Catholic and Lincoln Park combined to win the past four WPIAL Class 3A titles. North Catholic won last season and in 2017. Lincoln Park won consecutive titles in 2019 and ’18.

2020-21 Alignment

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

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

By: Greg Macafee 
Sunday, November 29, 2020 | 11:01 AM

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By this point in the year, the Quaker Valley boys basketball team is used to having close to 60 offseason games under its belt, and although they may not matter in the grand scheme of things, those games are crucial.

From spring shootouts to summer team camps and leagues, along with a few tournaments in the fall, the Quakers are used to using those out-of-season games as growing opportunities. It’s a time for players to learn their roles and come together so they can hit the ground running when the season starts.

Due to covid-19, the Quakers didn’t have that opportunity this season, although they may be in a better spot than most teams.

“When you are playing all those games, you are starting to identify your roles and we didn’t, but we’re fortunate,” Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni said. “We’re bringing four guys back that played quite a bit last year, so having that experience level, playing in games, will help us a lot.”

After losing to eventual Class 4A runner-up Belle Vernon in the WPIAL quarterfinals last season, the Quakers are back with a lot of experienced players who played quality minutes and helped the team to an overall record of 17-6.

Junior guard Adou Thiero will be one to watch for the Quakers as he returns to the starting lineup for the third straight year. He led the Quakers in scoring last season with 17.7 points and also pulled down 4.3 rebounds and tallied 3.4 assists a game. He was also a terror on the defensive side of the ball, averaging 2.4 steals per game.

“We’re looking at (Adou taking another step forward), but we’re also looking at a combination of guys,” Mastroianni said. “Adou does a lot of things at a high level, though. He handles the ball, manages the team, and he does a lot of things.

“The approach of the other teams is going to be a little different for him too, so there’s going to be an adjustment period for him. But having experienced guys around him is definitely going to help out a lot for sure.”

Along with Thiero, the Quakers will also return juniors Markus Frank and Jack Gardinier and senior James Davis, who all played significant minutes for the Quakers last season. Frank was the team’s second-leading scorer with 17.4 points per game, and he also pulled down 6.7 rebounds.

Gardinier, who will man the backcourt with Thiero, averaged 8.7 points a game last season and will look to play an even bigger role as a junior. Davis filled in for Jonathan Weir last season when the senior center went down with a thumb injury and played a vital role.

While having that much experience back should help the team come together early on, it will also play a major part in what the Quakers can do as the season goes on.

“These guys understand the program and the expectations,” Mastroianni said. “There’s a sense of those years when they were young. We really played a lot of underclassmen last year, so to have that experience back is helpful, especially in the times when we’re dealing with a lot of other stuff.”

Throughout his time at Quaker Valley, Mastroianni has been known to get his team up and down the floor. The Quakers are always on the run, and that’s been the case for several years. With a young team that’s quick and long, this season might be one of Quaker’s fastest yet.

“We are going to play fast, and we would be foolish not to because we are a fast team,” Mastroianni said. “Our team speed is actually going to be really good this year, so we definitely want to run, but in our league, you still have to be able to play half-court. There are so many good teams and good coaches that are going to force you to be able to do that.”

With a tough section schedule that will now include Lincoln Park and Montour, the Quakers know they will need to pick up on the defensive side of the ball, which is been one of their focuses as they get started with practice.

“Defensively, we have to be more consistent, and we’re trying to get better at that,” Mastroianni said.

Greg Macafee is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Greg by email at gmacafee@triblive.com or via Twitter .