Noah Hiles

Beaver County Times

7/14/22

This week, the Beaver County Times' sports staff will rank the top 30 performances of the 2021-22 high school sports season. From gutsy championship efforts to individual milestones, the athletes in the Beaver Valley kept us busy all year. Now, we reflect on whose performances stood out the most. We wrap up with numbers five through one.

3. Quaker Valley's Thiero delivers despite injury in WPIAL semifinals

When WPIAL basketball fans remember Quaker Valley star and Kentucky commit Adou Thiero's biggest moments, they'll likely talk about his gutsy performance in the WPIAL Class 4A semifinals. Matched up against Lincoln Park, one of his team's biggest rivals, with a trip to the Petersen Events Center on the line, there was already plenty of pressure on the Quakers' 6-foot-5 guard. And that pressure existed prior to him breaking a growth plate in his right thumb. Having missed the postseason the year prior due to a knee injury, Thiero not only played through the pain, but delivered one of his best all-around showings of the season.

The senior led Quaker Valley to a 74-63 win, tallying 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for a triple-double in the process. "He's a tough, tough, tough competitor," Quaker Valley head coach Mike Mastroiaanni said of Thiero following the win. "He was playing in this game if he was allowed to. Once the doctors said he could, nothing else mattered to him. He wasn't letting this game go by. It's not in his makeup as a player." Thiero's incredible efforts would continue, helping the Quakers win their first WPIAL title since 1997 and reach the PIAA Class 4A Championship game.

MORE: Thiero, Frank dig deep and deliver to send Quaker Valley to WPIAL finals

RELATED: Adou Thiero's parents came to America to chase a dream. Now he has his own bright future

By: Chris Harlan 
Friday, May 6, 2022 | 12:09 AM

Adou Thiero and Markus Frank formed a dynamic duo for Quaker Valley, which celebrated the most successful boys basketball season in school history this winter.

The two Quakers and their coach added another reason to celebrate Friday.

Thiero and Frank each earned first-team all-state honors in a statewide vote of sportswriters, and Mike Mastroianni was named coach of the year in Class 4A after the Quakers went 27-1.

Thiero averaged 23.3 points and 10.3 rebounds, and Frank averaged 28.1 and 10. Quaker Valley won the WPIAL title and finished as the state runner-up, losing to Neumann-Goretti in the PIAA finals.

Lincoln Park teammates Brandin Cummings and Meleek Thomas also earned all-state recognition. Cummings was named to the second team and Thomas earned a spot on the third.

Neumann-Goretti sophomore Robert Wright III earned player of the year honors after leading the Saints to the team’s ninth state title. Wright averaged 19.2 points as the leading scorer in the Philadelphia Catholic League.

2021-22 Class 4A All-State Boys Basketball

First team

Robert Wright III, 6-0, so., Neumann-Goretti

Adou Thiero, 6-5, sr., Quaker Valley

Markus Frank, 6-5, sr., Quaker Valley

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

Sultan Adewale, 6-8, jr., Neumann-Goretti

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

Second team

Brandin Cummings, 6-2, so., Lincoln Park

Izaiah Pasha, 6-6, jr., Cardinal O’Hara

Deyishon Miller, 6-5, sr., West Philadelphia

Austin Finarelli, 6-0, sr., Dallas

Masud Stewart, 6-1, sr., Neumann-Goretti

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

Third team

Meleek Thomas, 6-3, fr., Lincoln Park

Jake Hernandez, 6-4, sr., Lewisburg Area

Garrett Harrold, 6-3, jr., Penn Cambria

Tyson Thomas, 6-0, sr., Allentown Central Catholic

DiNero Washington, 5-10, jr., Collegium Charter

Edixon Gomez, 6-1, sr., Bethlehem Catholic

Player of the Year

Robert Wright III, Neumann-Goretti

Coach of the Year

Mike Mastroianni, Quaker Valley

By: Chris Harlan 
Sunday, May 8, 2022 | 12:22 PM

Quaker Valley senior Adou Thiero committed Sunday to play basketball for Kentucky and coach John Calipari, who also coached Thiero’s father at Memphis in the early 2000s.

Thiero chose the Wildcats over offers from Pitt, Maryland and Xavier, having visited all four schools in the past month. He announced his decision on Twitter.

The 6-foot-6 point guard was named the TribLive HSSN Boys Basketball Player of the Year this winter after averaging 23.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 3.9 steals and 2.3 blocks. Quaker Valley went 27-1, won the WPIAL Class 4A title and finished the season as the state runner-up.

Calipari came to Hershey in March to watch Thiero play in the state finals and offered him soon after.

Both of Thiero’s parents played college basketball. His father, Almamy Thiero, played at Memphis from 2002-06 before transferring to Duquesne. His mother, Mariam Sy, starred at NAIA school Oklahoma City and was drafted by the Washington Mystics in 2006.

MIKE WHITE

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

mwhite@post-gazette.com

Thirty years ago, when Mike Mastroianni tried for his first high school head coach’s job at Keystone Oaks, one of the other finalists was a guy in his early 20s who had just finished his playing career for the Pitt Panthers.

But it wasn’t Miller Time in the WPIAL back in 1992. Sean Miller didn’t get that Keystone Oaks job. Mastroianni did.

While Miller went on to become a well-known college basketball coach, Mastroianni found his niche at the high school level, and it’s not an overstatement to say he has become known as one of the top WPIAL coaches in decades. And this season, he is known as the Post-Gazette Coach of the Year.

Mastroianni, who coaches at Quaker Valley High School, was selected for the award from all boys coaches in the WPIAL and City League.

This season for Quaker Valley was a Mas masterpiece. A man who is 15th on the WPIAL all-time list for wins among boys coaches, Mastroianni guided Quaker Valley to a 27-1 record. He masterfully molded two seniors into one of the top scoring duos in WPIAL history while getting others to play their roles superbly. Mastroianni took Quaker Valley to only its second WPIAL championship in school history. Quaker Valley never felt a loss until the final game of the season in the PIAA Class 4A championship game, and along the way the Quakers also became one of only 26 boys teams since 1940 to win a WPIAL title with an undefeated record.

“It was just such an enjoyable year on how we played on both ends of the court,” Mastroianni said. “It was just a special group of guys who were willing to stay within their roles and enjoyed it. When you win, a lot of things happen behind the scenes, too. And that was the case with us.”

The rest of WPIAL Class 4A quaked around the Quakers this season. They won the WPIAL title with a 23-0 record and stayed undefeated until losing to powerful Neumann-Goretti of Philadelphia in the state championship.

For the season, Quaker Valley outscored opponents by an average of 72.3-49.7. Adou Thiero and Markus Frank, a pair of 6-foot-5 seniors, became the first two players from the same WPIAL team since at least 1980 to average at least 24 points a game during the regular season. Thiero is the Post-Gazette’s Player of the Year.

Seniors Jack Gardinier and Wil Dunda, and junior Dan Bartels rounded out the starting five and Mastroianni commented throughout the year about how those three were so willing to play a role and let Frank and Thiero do their thing. But Gardinier scored 36 points in a PIAA playoff game against Belle Vernon in a memorable game.

“From this point moving forward, I think those two (Thiero and Frank) have to be in every conversation about top two players on a high school team, merely based around the facts,” Mastroianni said. “But they also played the game correctly. They played through the system. A lot of times scoring stats are magnified by how many shots are taken. That wasn’t them.

“We had terrific chemistry. Not only was there an acceptance of roles by players, but other players appreciated the roles of their teammates. No one’s role was put above the other. I know that’s saying a lot.

“An example of the chemistry was Adou set our school scoring record for a game with 44 points. Then in our (WPIAL quarterfinal) playoff game, Adou hurt his thumb and sat the rest of the game. Markus had a chance to break Adou’s record and Adou was on the bench cheering for him to break it.”

Frank did break Thiero’s record with 45 points.

For Mastroianni, this was his second WPIAL title at Quaker Valley and third overall. He is one of the few coaches to win WPIAL titles at two different schools. He won his first in 1997, during his first stint at Quaker Valley. Mastroianni coached the Quakers from 1995-2003 before becoming Bethel Park’s coach. He coached Bethel Park from 2003-07 and won a WPIAL championship in 2007. He came back to Quaker Valley after that season and has been the Quakers’ coach ever since.

Mastroianni’s career record is 556-212, including a 310-81 mark in his second stint at Quaker Valley. He has won 20 games or more 15 times and made the WPIAL playoffs in 24 of his 30 seasons.

Mastroianni, 60, started thinking about wanting to coach when he was a standout player at Quaker Valley in the late 1970s. He started his coaching career when he was a student at Slippery Rock University. While Mastroianni and longtime buddies Joe Wenger and Pat Devine were cleaning up in intramurals at The Rock, Mastroianni became the eighth grade coach at Slippery Rock Middle School. Then while working as a graduate assistant in the Slippery Rock University athletic department, Butler High School varsity coach Dave Barnes brought him on his staff as the junior varsity coach. Then came a short stint as an assistant at Carnegie Mellon University, followed by three season as the JV coach at Quaker Valley.

Then Mastroianni got his first high school head coach’s job at Keystone Oaks in 1992. KO had won 14 games the three previous seasons. Mastroianni went 19-5 in his first season with the Eagles, followed by a 20-5 season in 1993-94. He became Quaker Valley’s coach in 1995 and won a WPIAL title in his second year. Mastroianni also is Quaker Valley’s athletic director these days.

Mastroianni said a number of the old, highly successful WPIAL coaches had influences on him. He coached at Quaker Valley under John Gaetano. Mastroianni also remembers going to many coaching clinics where legendary former Blackhawk coach John Miller spoke.

“Guys like Dick Black (of Mt. Lebanon) and Red Ryan (of Bethel Park) were around for a long time for the right reasons,” Mastroianni said. “Those were the right types of guys and I tried to follow them.

“But one of the things I did learn early on that I think is important is you have to understand where you are to be successful. You have to understand the school district, the community and how things go. Naturally, you have a philosophy, but it’s not like one size fits all. Everywhere is not the same. Where you work, I found you almost have to know the heartbeat of that school and the community.”

This year’s Quaker Valley team will always have a special place in Mastroianni’s heart, but this season was also extra special for him because his son, Mike, was one of Quaker Valley’s assistants. Young Mike Mastroianni, 22, is the youngest child of Mike and Karen Mastroianni, who live in in Robinson. Dad didn’t get to coach his son in high school because he played at Montour. The younger Mastroianni was a manager for the Ohio State men’s team the previous four seasons.

Mastroianni also has two daughters, Emily and Meghan. Meghan (Abbenante) is the head coach of the Moon High School girls team.

“Not having the opportunity to coach Mike during his high school days and having him return to be part of the staff was special,” Mike Mastroianni said. “What’s really rewarding his how much he contributed.”

In more ways than one, it was certainly a season Dad won’t forget.

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

First Published April 14, 2022, 5:00am

By: Chris Harlan 
Monday, February 14, 2022 | 7:02 PM

Class 4A

Favorite: Might this be the year Quaker Valley celebrates a WPIAL title? The Quakers have come close at times in the past decade. A talented pair of 6-5 seniors leads this year’s title hopes: Markus Frank (27.2 points, 9.3 rebounds) and Adou Thiero (24.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg). Coach Mike Mastroianni’s team averages 74 points but also has the best defense in 4A, holding opponents to 47.7.

Challengers: Two of QV’s section foes, Montour and Lincoln Park, also have title hopes. Montour’s stock rose quickly with late-season wins over Lincoln Park and Belle Vernon. Lincoln Park was the 2020 runner-up and has two Division I recruits in guards Brandin Cummings (21 ppg) and LA Pratt (17), a Duquesne commit. Belle Vernon was a semifinalist a year ago, and brought back top scorers Quinton Martin (19.1 ppg) and Devin Whitlock (15.2). North Catholic will try to return to the finals under new coach Jim Rocco.

Don’t overlook: Deer Lakes enters the playoffs with a little momentum after upsetting North Catholic, 74-72, on Friday.

Prediction: Quaker Valley over Montour

MIKE WHITE

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

mwhite@post-gazette.com

FEB 10, 2022

5:46 AM

Adou Thiero and Markus Frank are seniors at Quaker Valley High School, good friends who like to grab a bite to eat together whenever possible. They can often be seen together at their favorite food place, Sushi Bomb in Robinson.

But these two teenagers also belong to an elite club that has nothing to do with food, but deals with 20-somethings. Membership is low — and Thiero and Frank might soon be exclusive to the club.

This 20-something club deals with basketball, points scored and dynamic duos — and Thiero and Frank are certainly that. In fact, it’s not an overstatement to say the two make for one of the greatest scoring duos in WPIAL history, or at least the past four decades plus.

The WPIAL regular season has less than a week remaining, and Frank is averaging 27.1 points after Tuesday’s win against Beaver. Thiero is averaging 24.3. It is very likely the two will end up becoming only the fourth WPIAL duo since the 1979-80 season to both average 23 points or more during the regular season.

But there’s more. If both keep their current averages, these two Quakers will be the first since at least 1980 to both average more than 24 points a game during the regular season. Who knows? They could be the first in many, many decades to both average 24. It’s just that no one kept leading scorers for the entire WPIAL until the Post-Gazette started in the 1979-80 season.

“That’s crazy,” Frank said of the WPIAL’s scoring duo history. “Honestly, it’s an honor to know what we’re doing. When you think about it, it really is hard to have two averaging 24 or more. You have three other people on the team that you have to share the ball with. It’s more difficult than you think.”

Since 1979-80, the only tandems in the WPIAL to average 22 or more in the regular season are:

• 1998-99: Allan MacQuarrie (23.1) and Mike Decker (22.5) of Pine-Richland.

• 2010-11: Matt Palo (30.1) and Andy Carter (23.0) of Norwin.

• 2019-20: Jake DiMichele (29.0) and Dante Spadafora (22.8) of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

No matter what happens to their averages in the final week of the season, Thiero and Frank already have made a mark on WPIAL basketball. After Tuesday night’s victory against Beaver, Quaker Valley had a 17-0 record — and the A.M. Team (Adou and Marcus) has fueled the perfect Quakers.

Thiero and Frank have a certain “connection” on the basketball court, and that connection started when Thiero first came to Quaker Valley Middle School in eighth grade. The two had played against each other before while playing on youth league travel teams. Frank played for Quaker Valley while Thiero played for Avonworth, where he used to attend school until he transferred to Sewickley Academy for sixth and seventh grade. Thiero and his family then moved into the Quaker Valley district when Thiero was in eighth grade.

Frank felt an immediate connection between the two four years ago. The feeling was mutual with Thiero.

“I was one of his first friends,” Frank said. “We kind of just started talking right away, ate at the same lunch table.”

Thiero said, “We got along right away. We had a lot of the same interests and connected.”

Four years later, the thread between these two is points in basketball.

“I’m surprised it’s never happened before (1980), with two averaging 24,” Thiero said. “But I can also understand it because it’s very hard to do. Me and Markus, being able to do it, that would be a pretty good accomplishment.”

Frank and Thiero are alike in so many ways. Both are seniors. Both stand 6 feet 5 inches tall. Both scored their 1,000th career point this season, within a month of each other.

But their games are drastically different — and their career paths have been extremely different. Thiero was starting as a freshman at Quaker Valley, although he was small. He was only 5-10 as a sophomore and has grown 7 inches since then.

Thiero has turned into one of the best all-around players in the WPIAL. He can play anywhere from point guard to post-up forward. Besides his 23.8 scoring average, he is good for 8.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 4.5 steals and 2.0 blocks a game. He has 18 3-pointers and recently had a triple-double in a game.

Frank, meanwhile, wasn’t quite as developed as Thiero at a younger age. Frank became a starter as a sophomore and besides his 27.2 average, he is now averaging 9 rebounds and 3.5 steals a game. While Thiero scores in various ways, Frank is a forward who scores close to the basket. He is excellent at slashing to the hoop and finishing around the rim. He is shooting 70% from the field — and has not even attempted a 3-pointer.

“They’re the same size, but have different approaches,” Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni said. “They have different ways of scoring. But I think that’s what makes them so good for us because they complement each other very well.

“The thing with Markus is that you could tell right away when he was young that he could be a high-level kid. But Adou garnered so much attention at a young age, which he should have. It’s not like he overshadowed Markus, but Markus came on later.”

Thiero noticed an upgrade in Frank’s game last year. Before his junior season, Frank trained some with Thiero’s father, Al, who is 6-9 and played at Memphis and Duquesne. Thiero’s mom, Mariam, is 6-3 and was selected in the 2006 WNBA draft.

“We started working out together before our junior year and I think that’s when things really started to click with him,” Thiero said. “He started to make some noise his junior year.”

Thiero has a few Division I college offers and a few more major colleges have shown interest lately. Early in the season, Mastroianni was frustrated at the lack of recruiting interest in Frank. Mastroianni believed Frank was an excellent Division II prospect, but more Division II schools are starting to show interest in Frank lately.

But college isn’t foremost on the minds of Thiero or Frank now. High school championships are.

“We want to win the WPIAL,” Frank said. “That’s the goal for a lot of people, but we have what we need to accomplish that goal. We have to win. It’s long overdue for Quaker Valley to win it.”

It will probably take a number of 20-something efforts from Thiero and Frank to win it.

“They’re both very well-liked at school and they’re both pretty funny,” Mastroianni said. “They’re good at understanding when to keep it light and when to get after it. When they’re in the gym, they’re ready to go.

“They’ve both attracted a lot of attention, but one of the best things about them is they’re humble. If you walked into the building and didn’t know who they were, you wouldn’t know all the things they’ve already done. In this day and age, when everyone wants to tell you about what’s all going on with themselves and always talk about themselves, these two are refreshing.”

In other words, Frank and Thiero have a lot of “points” in their favor.

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

First Published February 10, 2022, 5:30am

By: Don Rebel 
Friday, January 21, 2022 | 12:30 AM

What better way to begin the second half of section play in WPIAL boys basketball than with two of the top three teams in Class 4A clashing for a second time this season?

The showdown for first place in Section 2-4A takes place in Midland as No. 3 Lincoln Park hosts top-ranked Quaker Valley.

It has been a perfect season for the Quakers, who are 7-0 in the section and 10-0 overall.

The defending champion Leopards are 5-1 in the section, 8-2 overall and have won four straight games since a loss to Roswell (Ga) on the team’s trip to Florida over the holidays.

Lincoln Park’s only other setback was a 77-74 road loss at Quaker Valley.

Senior Markus Frank had a huge game for the Quakers, scoring 39 points. Sophomore Brandin Cummings had 23 points to lead the Leopards.

“It’s a great opportunity for our guys,” Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni said. “Starting the second half of section play and having an opportunity to win on the road is always big.”

You can listen to Quaker Valley at Lincoln Park on Trib HSSN at 7:30 p.m.

By: Don Rebel 
Monday, January 24, 2022 | 11:48 PM

Adou Thiero is in his fourth season playing a key role for a Quaker Valley boys basketball team that is undefeated this season and has come so close to WPIAL gold in his first few high school years.

But to be Frank, Thiero isn’t alone in being driven this season by close misses of the past as he winds down his Quakers career.

Senior Markus Frank has always played a key role in each season at Quaker Valley and is helping to steer the black and gold to a golden season in 2022.

“Adou and Markus have played together for so many years and although Markus may have not received the early attention Adou did, I think it has come to a point where you talk about them as a package,” Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni said. “They are such good friends and know each other well on and off the court.”

On Tuesday, Quaker Valley took care of business against a struggling Ambridge team, winning 89-47. Frank led the Quakers with 21 points.

“We had a big first quarter and Markus set the tone early, which is always important in section games,” Mastroianni said. “He had a big first quarter, not only scoring but on the defensive end.”

One time through the daunting Section 2-4A schedule, the Quakers were alone in first place with a 7-0 record.

However, QV started the second half of section play Friday with its toughest road test, a trip to Midland to take on defending champion Lincoln Park.

As he did in the first meeting with the Leopards, Frank lid up the scoreboard and helped Quaker Valley to an impressive 75-67 victory.

“Markus had 39 points in our home game against Lincoln Park, but his 31 at Lincoln Park might have been more impressive,” Mastroianni said. “Playing on the road in such a tough environment, in a big game, was really impressive. Every time we needed a big basket, Markus made a play for us.”

Frank’s 31 and Thiero’s 29 helped the Quakers to a win that gave them a two-game lead in the section with three weeks left.

Mastroianni believes Frank’s success on both sides of the floor is making him a much better player.

“He has always been able to score with his speed and quickness, but as an older player, he has converted his defensive play into scoring opportunities, ” Mastroianni said. “He is able to guard 1 through 5 if needed and is much improved on the defensive end.”

Experience is paying off for the team with victories in close games. Mastroianni credits his three starting seniors in Frank, Thiero and Jack Gardinier for leading the team on and off the court.

“It starts with our seniors who have worked very hard for this year and invested many hours,” he said. “They have set the tone for our gym, and they are very accountable on not taking any shortcuts. Markus is quiet by nature but is highly respected by his teammates and very well liked. He has become more vocal for him, which is a big part of our success.”

With three weeks left in the regular season and with a two-game lead, albeit in one of the district’s toughest sections, what is the mindset of Quaker Valley heading down the stretch?

“There is so much of the season left,” Mastroianni said. “Usually this time of the year, you are playing additional games a week, so you must stay present in your preparation for section games and stay on the next game in front of you.”

Just like that, the WPIAL regular season has nearly reached its conclusion, setting up what looks to be a terrific postseason in Western Pennsylvania once again. 

Here in the Beaver Valley, an impressive 20 boys and girls teams (11 on the boys' side, nine on the girls') have clinched WPIAL playoff spots across multiple classifications, making for a busy February and March of postseason basketball on the run to the Petersen Events Center March 3-5.

Though a number of area teams have already clinched playoff berths, the WPIAL will announce its official brackets and playoff pairings on Monday at 5 p.m., with the first round of the playoffs slated to start Friday, Feb. 18.

Below is a look at the 20 teams that have clinched playoff berths to date. 

Class 4A 

Section 2: Quaker Valley (19-0 overall, 14-0 in section), Lincoln Park (14-5 overall, 11-3 in section), Blackhawk (12-9 overall, 7-7 in section), Central Valley (9-8 overall, 6-8 in section)

MIKE WHITE

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

mwhite@post-gazette.com

JAN 26, 2022

11:36 AM

Quaker Valley has had its share of blowout games this season. The Quakers also have had a few close calls.

But the thing is that the Quakers have won them all — and that has now earned them a No. 1 ranking.

In the new Post-Gazette high school basketball rankings that were released Wednesday, Quaker Valley is the No. 1 team in Class 4A. The Quakers are undefeated at 12-0. They were ranked the No. 2 team since late December, but moved up to No. 1 this week after Belle Vernon, previously ranked No. 1, lost its first game of the season last week to Laurel Highlands.

Quaker Valley has been impressive, outscoring teams by an average of 72.6-45.7. The Quakers have had close wins against Lincoln Park and Montour.

Leading the way for Quaker Valley has been the terrific tandem of 6-foot-5 senior forward Markus Frank and 6-6 senior guard Adou Thiero. Frank is averaging 28 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.5 steals. He makes a living at drives and finishes around the rim, shooting a phenomenal 70% from the field.

Thiero is averaging 23.2 points, 8.7 rebounds an d 4.3 steals. He is shooting 54% from the field. Another key for Quaker Valley has been the play of senior point guard Jack Gardinier, who averages 8.5 points, 4.3 assists and 2.8 steals.

Quaker Valley is now one of only four undefeated teams left in the WPIAL. The others are North Hills (14-0), Laurel Highlands (14-0) and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (12-0).

In WPIAL girls basketball, five teams are still undefeated. They are North Allegheny (15-0), Mt. Lebanon (15-0), Blackhawk (14-0), Serra (13-0) and Union (14-0). Union is one of the biggest surprise teams in the WPIAL. The Scotties were 10-11 last season and didn’t win more than five games in the six previous seasons before that.

Here are the new Post-Gazette rankings for the WPIAL and City League:

WPIAL CLASS 4A

1. Quaker Valley 12-0

2. Belle Vernon 14-1

3. North Catholic 14-1

4. Lincoln Park 9-3

5. Montour 10-3

MIDLAND — Anyone who drove down Midland avenue on Friday night knew the deal. 

Cars parked for blocks down each side of the road. Fans roaming by the dozens into the town's historic gymnasium. The atmosphere was one of a big game, and the two teams participating — Lincoln Park and Quaker Valley — didn't disappoint. 

With some of the biggest athletic figures from the area in attendance , it was the Quakers who were the pride of the Beaver Valley on Friday evening, edging out the Leopards by a final score of 57-67. 

"Games like this are so much fun," Quakers' senior Adou Thiero said after the win. "I like playing teams that give us some competition. That atmosphere here was crazy. It's always a fun game when we play." 

The battle truly had it all. Long three pointers, powerful slam dunks, tough team defense and heroic individual efforts. Both teams clearly had skill on the floor. The difference was that one simply had more experience. 

While Lincoln Park's gifted group of guards continues to learn how to play together, the chemistry amongst the four seniors in Quaker Valley's starting lineup was visible to even the most ignorant of basketball viewers. 

From start to finish, the Quakers' top two stars — Markus Frank and Thiero — couldn't be stopped, scoring 31 and 29 points respectively. In the final two quarters of play, the rest of Quaker Valley's roster was responsible for just two field goals. It didn't matter though — Frank and Thiero's combined 39 points were more than enough to silence the rowdy Leopards crowd. 

"That was a huge win," Frank said. "Everyone on our team was so excited. It had the feeling of a big game when we arrived. It's nice to leave here smiling." 

While similar in stature (both listed at 6-foot-6 on the roster) Frank and Thiero hurt the Leopards in different ways. For Frank, every shot he took on the night came within five feet of the basket ... and nearly every single one of them fell. Creative finish after creative finish, the senior's efforts in transition couldn't be slowed down. 

"You can't stop him," Thiero said of Franks efforts near the basket. "I don't know what he does but it's just something you can't figure out. You just have to hope he misses the layup." 

Frank was asked after the game if he could remember the last time he took a shot outside the paint. Sarcastically he smiled and said, "I don't even remember to be honest." 

Thiero on the other hand shot the ball from all over. The senior point guard ended the evening with seven field goals, including a pair of three-pointers, and went 13-14 from the foul line. Quaker Valley head coach Mike Mastroianni can remember not too long ago when Thiero was just a scrawny freshman running alongside his older varsity teammates. He says efforts like the one he delivered on Friday evening show how far he's come over his high school career. 

Lincoln Park's Brandin Cummings did his best to try to counter Frank and Thiero's one-two punch, scoring 32 points in the loss. However, his lone high level production wasn't enough. 

After the loss, Leopards' head coach Mike Bariski was quick to point out a few things that were missing from his team's performance. One was controllable, the other not so much.  

"(Quaker Valley) got on the floor and got after some loose balls. They wanted the ball more than we did," Bariski said. "Those extra possessions made a difference. We went from up one to down six real quick. We have to play harder. 

FROM LOCAL DISPATCHES

JAN 29, 2022

8:13 PM

Quaker Valley will be one of only four WPIAL boys basketball teams to take an undefeated record into the final two weeks of the season. But it took a big comeback by the Quakers on Saturday afternoon to remain perfect.

Quaker Valley overcame a 19-point first-half deficit to defeat Highlands, 83-75, in the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Classic at Montour. Quaker Valley, the Post-Gazette’s No. 1 WPIAL Class 4A team, is now 14-0.

Highlands (12-5), the No. 4 team in Class 5A, held a 28-14 advantage after the first quarter and opened up a 19-point lead in the second quarter. The Rams led at halftime, 43-31.

Quaker Valley came back in the second half behind the play of seniors Adou Thiero and Markus Frank. Thiero and Frank, who both stand 6 feet 6, were a potent one-two punch as Thiero scored 40 and Frank 26. Thiero’s basket with 2:13 left gave Quaker Valley the lead for good at 74-73.

“It was just a fantastic game,” Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni said. “To Highlands’ credit, they punched us really hard and we didn’t really react. … Markus and Adou, we expect those things, and they stepped up and made senior plays. We definitely lost the first-half fight, but we won the second-half fight.”

By: George Guido 
Saturday, January 29, 2022 | 7:57 PM

Highlands was looking to spill Quaker Valley from the undefeated ranks Saturday afternoon, building up a 19-point lead at one juncture.

But the Quakers took the lead for the first time with 3 minutes left in the game and went to 14-0 on the season with an 83-75 victory.

Senior Adou Thiero scored 40 points, including 18 in the wild fourth quarter in which Quaker Valley outscored the Golden Rams, 31-15, in the Pittsburgh Basketball Club showcase at Montour High School.

Highlands led, 33-14, with 6 minutes, 35 seconds left in the second quarter and held a 43-31 halftime advantage.

“Coming into halftime, we figured out that they were just killing us on the boards,” Thiero said. “We figured get rebounds and just get to the hoop and finish, and we did that the whole second half. We just had to want it more than them.”

Thiero added 11 rebounds, five assists, two blocked shots and eight steals. The 6-foot-6 senior was 20 of 25 from the foul line, hitting seven straight at one point of the fourth quarter.

“He stepped up today and played like a senior,” said Quakers coach Mike Mastroianni of Thiero. “He’s played in a lot of games. Any time you can get a lead, you want to put the ball in his hands. He’s actually got us there making some tough shots. He’ll probably tell you he should have got 50. He left a lot out there. A lot of our other guys made a lot of stops for us. I just thought our fight was better in the second half.”

For Highlands (12-5), it was a fabulous start with all five starters scoring within the first four minutes. Cam Reigard took a pass from Carter Leri and fired in a 3-pointer with 27.5 seconds to go in the first quarter — part of a 12-0 surge — to put the Golden Rams up, 28-14.

A putback off Jimmy Kuntz’s fingertips gave Highlands the 33-14 advantage. The Golden Rams didn’t commit a turnover until the 6:28 mark of the second quarter.

‘They definitely upped the pressure on us like we talked about and, definitely, our youth showed,” said Highlands coach Corey Dotchin. “It was another learning experience, and we had three sophomores on the court for most of that time and it’s part of learning. This is what we want to do during the season, challenge ourselves.”

Highlands have lost five games this season – with three coming at Montour. The other two were in a holiday tournament. In the past 13 years, Highlands has lost five of six games there.

It looked like it would be Highlands’ day, however, as the third quarter ended with Reigard taking a long shot that hit the rim twice and fell through at the buzzer to put Highlands up, 60-52.

Marcus Frank, another 6-6 senior for the Quakers, had 26 points, 10 rebounds and a block.

Highlands was led by Kuntz with 22 points. Braydn Foster had 17, seven in the first quarter. Reigard added 13 points.

By: Ray Fisher 
Sunday, January 30, 2022 | 11:01 AM

Quaker Valley basketball players Adou Thiero and Markus Frank have established themselves as one of the top tandems in Western Pennsylvania.

They are two of the premier players in the WPIAL. Both are 6-foot-5 and both are 1,000-point career scorers.

As of Jan. 25, Thiero and Frank led QV to a perfect 12-0 record and a two-and-a-half game lead atop Section 2-4A with a 9-0 mark. QV was ranked No. 1 in Class 4A by Trib HSSN.

“Adou and Markus have played together for so many years and although Markus may have not received the early attention Adou did, I think it has come to a point where you talk about them as a package,” QV coach Mike Mastroianni told Trib HSSN. “They are such good friends and know each other well on and off the court.”

A senior guard, Thiero is a fourth-year starter who was an all-state selection as a junior. His scoring average was 23.1 pointer per game after a dozen games.

Thiero said the Quakers had a “chip on their shoulders” prior to the start of the season.

“I expect us to open a lot of eyes and prove people wrong,” he said. “People are doubting us and thinking that we won’t compete for a championship, but we’re coming in with a chip on our shoulders to prove them wrong.”

Quaker Valley has done it in impressive style, scorching opponents to the tune of 72.6 ppg while allowing just 45.7 ppg defensively.

Thiero registered 44 points Jan. 4 to break the school’s single-game scoring record of 43 established by Grant Derner in 1980, sparking QV to a decisive 88-34 section win against Hopewell.

Thiero racked up 29 points in the first half. His previous career-high for one game was 41 points last year again versus Hopewell.

“I felt good after I broke the record,” Thiero said. “I was happy that my teammates were giving me the ball and helping me score and creating shots for me. After the game, I thanked my teammates and gave my parents a hug.

“Since we’re undefeated, I want to keep it like that and come into each game with the same mindset and try to win every time.”

Frank (31) and Thiero (29) combined for 60 points Jan. 21 in a key 75-67 section victory over No. 4 Lincoln Park, giving the Quakers a regular-season sweep against their bitter rivals.

The QV tandem scored 22 points between them in the fourth quarter; Thiero went 9 for 10 from the foul line in the final three minutes.

Frank made his first nine shots to start the second half and finished with 20 points after halftime.

“Every game, we’ve been playing the right way and it shows,” Frank said, “and I hope it continues to be that way.”

Frank hit the 1,000-point mark in career scoring Jan. 25 in a 71-33 section win against Central Valley, becoming the 14th boys basketball player in school history to reach the coveted milestone.

“Scoring 1,000 points was one of my personal goals,” he said.

Frank finished with 24 points for the Quakers, who were led by Thiero’s game-high 31 points against CV. Thiero eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in career scoring in December.

Quaker Valley has reached the WPIAL final four in each of the past five seasons but has not been able to win the championship trophy in 25 years.

From 2017-19, the Quakers advanced to the finals only to lose to New Castle.

Frank and company want to change that dynamic.

“We want to win the section then, at least, win the WPIAL,” he said. “Keep an eye out for us.”

QV also beat Lincoln Park, 77-74, earlier this season as Frank turned in a career-high 39-point performance against the Leopards.

“Markus had 39 points in our home game against Lincoln Park, but his 31 at Lincoln Park might have been more impressive,” Mastroianni said. “Playing on the road in such a tough environment, in a big game, was really impressive. Every time we needed a big basket, Markus made a play for us.”

Frank also netted a game-high 24 points, including the tying basket and winning free throw with 15 seconds to go, in a thrilling 47-46 section win over a then-undefeated Montour squad.

Frank and Thiero are joined in QV’s starting lineup by senior guards Jack Gardiner and Wil Dunda and junior forward Daniel Bartels, the team’s leading rebounder. Joey Coyle, a sophomore, and Troy Kozar, a junior, are top backcourt reserves.

By: Chris Harlan 
Saturday, January 22, 2022 | 12:40 AM

Quaker Valley’s Markus Frank has a knack for scoring around the rim from angles that seem almost impossible, yet he makes them with ease.

And he makes them in a hurry.

“At least once a practice, he’ll make a shot and we’ll all find ourselves looking at each other and laughing, saying, ‘What was that?’” Quakers coach Mike Mastroianni said. “He just has a knack around the basket. He understands angles.”

The 6-foot-5 senior was sharp Friday night, but Lincoln Park wasn’t laughing.

Frank scored a game-high 31 points and Adou Thiero had 29 as No. 1 Quaker Valley stayed undefeated with a 75-67 victory over No. 3 Lincoln Park in Midland. The QV teammates combined for 22 points in the fourth quarter, negating any late rally started by the Leopards’ Brandin Cummings, who scored 30 points.

“I’ve kind of always had that knack,” Frank said of his skills around the rim, “but I work on it, too.”

Frank made his first nine shots to start the second half, some in transition and many with contact in a game that turned physical early — and had few whistles.

He scored 20 points after halftime.

“You can’t let him dribble full-speed ahead like a freight train and get past half court,” Lincoln Park coach Mike Bariski said, “because then there’s nothing you can do.”

One of Frank’s freight-train layups came with about four minutes left, at a time when Quaker Valley was clinging to a one-point lead. Thiero scored another driving layup about 30 seconds later for a 64-59 lead, putting the Quaker in position to win the game with free throws.

Thiero went 9 for 10 from the foul line in the fourth quarter — all in the final three minutes.

The win gave Quaker Valley (11-0, 8-0) a regular-season sweep of Lincoln Park (8-3, 5-2) and kept the Quakers alone atop the Section 2-4A standings.

“You never try to get ahead of yourself because the section is so good,” Mastroianni said. “But obviously winning here helps us out. We’ll enjoy it for a day and tuck it away.”

Lincoln Park played without freshman starter Meleek Thomas, who was sidelined with an ankle injury, and lost sophomore Vincent DePaula to a wrist injury in the game.

Cummings tried to rally Lincoln Park with second-half 3s. One of Cummings’ 3s cut Quaker Valley’s lead to 60-59 in the fourth, but the Quaker Valley did a good job of slowing the tempo whenever Lincoln Park got momentum.

The Leopards scored more than four consecutive points only once in the second half.

“If we’re getting runs and runs and runs, we want to keep it going fast,” Thiero said. “But when they’re getting runs, we wanted to slow the game down, so everyone can calm down. The adrenaline and everything lowers a little bit.”

Mastroianni said his Quakers played largely man defense when they defeated Lincoln Park, 77-74, on Dec. 23. This time they deployed four different zone defenses.

“We thought we had to do something to keep them off balance,” Mastroianni said.

Quaker Valley led 21-16 after one quarter before Lincoln Park grabbed the lead with consecutive second-quarter 3-pointers by Cummings, who finished with six 3s.

Lincoln Park led 32-31 at half.

“We wanted to do a couple of things if we got the lead to more than one possession, but we didn’t get it,” Bariski said. “It’s not the end of the world. We’re moving forward.”

Quaker Valley started the second half with a 12-5 run with all 12 points scored by Frank and Thiero. The Quakers led 53-47 after three.

“This game was about pace,” Mastroianni said. “Lincoln Park wants to go. … We were just trying to disrupt the pace a little bit. I think we just did it enough.”

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

FROM LOCAL DISPATCHES

JAN 22, 2022

12:17 AM

There is only one unbeaten team left in Class 4A, and Quaker Valley made sure it stayed that way for at least another night.

The Class 4A No. 2-ranked Quakers (11-0, 8-0) made a strong case for the top spot in Class 4A with a 75-67 road win at Class 4A No. 3 Lincoln Park (8-3, 5-2) Friday night. With the win, Quaker Valley now has swept the season series against its section rival, having defeated the Leopards at home Dec. 23.

Belle Vernon is the only team ranked above the Quakers in Class 4A, but the Leopards lost their first game of the season at Class 5A No. 1 Laurel Highlands Wednesday, 76-67.

Markus Frank led the way for Quaker Valley with a game-high 31 points, including 21 in the second half, and Adou Thiero was not far behind with 29 of his own. For Lincoln Park, star sophomore Brandin Cummings did his part with 30 points in the defeat. All three players are averaging more than 20 points per game so far this season.

“I think quite simply it’s been eight quarters of very high-level basketball,” Quakers coach Mike Mastroianni said about the season series vs. the Leopards. “We made some good decisions in the fourth quarter. Our efficiency in the fourth quarter was really good. Our shot selection gave us a little bit of separation. Just two high-level teams.”

By: Tribune-Review
Tuesday, January 11, 2022 | 11:38 PM

Markus Frank and Adou Thiero each recorded a double-double to lead No. 1 Quaker Valley to a 66-36 Section 2-4A boys basketball win over Blackhawk on Tuesday night.

Frank had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Thiero recorded 20 points and 12 rebounds. Jack Gardiner added 12 points for the Quakers (8-0, 5-0), who jumped out to a 22-10 lead on the Cougars (7-4, 3-2) in the first quarter.

By: Don Rebel 
Friday, January 7, 2022 | 11:42 PM

It wasn’t pretty at times, but in the end, it was just perfect for Quaker Valley.

Senior Markus Frank scored a game-high 24 points, including the tying basket and the winning free throw with 15 second left, as the visiting Quakers remained undefeated with a 47-46 comeback win over previously unbeaten Montour.

“It was definitely a slugfest between two teams that know each other well,” Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni said. “I think these games get to that because they all know each other well. Laying out every possession, kind of like a playoff game. We found enough at the end.”

The Quakers trailed the Spartans, 46-41, with a minute left and with possession of the basketball.

“I liked our timeout there at 1:06. Our huddle was very level,” Mastroianni said. “Our guys didn’t panic, and our senior guys made some senior plays.”

After the timeout, the tide started to turn.

Frank made one of two free throws, but Montour turned the ball over when Vason Stevenson slipped and the ball flew out of bounds.

Quaker Valley got the ball and set off a wild sequence in which the combo of Frank and Adou Thiero missed seven shots and/or tips in a span of 10 seconds. However, the Quakers’ Jack Gardinier followed with a clean putback that cut the Spartans’ lead to two points.

“It was like the 12th round and we finally threw a haymaker,” Mastroianni said of the efforts on the glass in that sequence by his players. “We’re undersized a little bit, but our fight is really good. We’ve been in a lot of fights together.”

Montour still led by two points with 41 seconds left; however, the first pass after the ball was inbounded went sailing into the stands and the Quakers were in a position to tie the game with the basketball.

After working their half-court offense, Quakers junior Wil Dunda missed a 3-pointer, but Frank was again Johnny on the spot and put back the rebound for the tie and was fouled on the play with 15 seconds left.

Frank hit the free throw and the Quakers led, 47-46.

Montour had two more cracks, including a 3-point shot by Diaun Pinkett that missed, as the Quakers sealed the deal on an impressive comeback road victory.

Three days after setting the Quaker Valley school record for points in a game with 44 against Hopewell, Therio was held in check with only 12 points.

Montour (7-1, 3-1) was led by Pinkett 14 points. Stevenson scored 13 points while Tyriq Eleam added 10 for the Spartans.

Quaker Valley (7-0, 4-0) sits alone in first place in Section 2-4A. It’s still early days in a tough section, but Mastroianni likes where his team is a week into 2022.

“You can’t get too far ahead and can’t celebrate because there are too many big games,” he said. “But anytime you can go on the road and get a big road win against someone as good as Montour, it’s obviously a nice win.”

Parth Upadhyaya

Beaver County Times

McKees Rocks — It’s hard to tell which version of Markus Frank is quieter, the one on the court or the one off of it.

The sort of season that Frank, the 6-foot-5 Quaker Valley High School senior forward, is having so far has somewhat forced him into the spotlight. Through the team’s 7-0 start, the Quakers’ star is the third-leading scorer in Pennsylvania at 29.8 points per game. Still, he doesn’t really have much to say.

“Did you get five? That’s probably four more than I thought you would get,” said Quakers’ head coach Mike Mastroianni after practice on Thursday when a reporter walked into his office following an interview with Frank that barely lasted five minutes.

It’s the same during games.

When Frank corralled a missed 3-pointer from teammate Will Dunda and made the put-back layup to give his team a one-point lead with 14.5 seconds left in Friday’s 47-46 win over WPIAL Class 4A foe Montour, he barely displayed any emotion. In fact, it wasn’t until the game was all but decided with 0.8 seconds left that he finally wore anything other than a straight face. It’s this same even-keel demeanor that’s allowed Frank to not be rattled by his new-found stardom. It’s what’s led to monstrous performances on a nightly basis.

“I just try to stay calm and collected,” Frank said after finishing with 24 points in the road victory over the Spartans. “If I get worked up, I don’t want that to show and affect the rest of the team. So, the rest of the team can just play their game and I can play my game. I just try my best to stay under control.”

But it isn’t just Frank’s disposition that’s quiet. It’s the way he impacts games, too.

So far this season, Frank has scored 26, 35, 26, 29, a career-high 39 and 24. Watching him in action, though, it isn’t easy to realize that he’s racking up those kinds of numbers. His game isn’t flashy — there are no windmill dunks, fadeaway 3-pointers or ankle-breaking crossovers. Most of Frank’s points come right near the basket, on fastbreak layups and off of offensive rebounds.

Mastroianni joked after Friday’s contest that Frank’s 24 points “looked like six.” But “that’s how he scores,” the 30th-year head coach added.

Teammate Adou Thiero, a senior guard who scored a school record 44 points in Frank’s absence on Tuesday in the Quakers’ blowout win over Hopewell, worked out with Frank consistently last offseason. The two primarily focused on ball handling, finishing at the rim and perimeter shooting. Thiero isn’t the least bit shocked by the start to this season that Frank has had.

“It was known that he was going to come out and show everyone what he can do this year,” Thiero said Thursday. “So, I wasn’t really surprised by it. I was expecting it.”

The fact that it’s their senior season, and that Quaker Valley hasn’t made it to the WPIAL title game since their freshman year in 2018, is what Thiero credits for sparking Frank’s scoring rampage. Thiero and other teammates might’ve seen spurts of it last winter. But this year, Frank — who averaged 17.8 points per game last season — has made it clear what caliber of player he is.

While Frank has continued to be a man of few words, his development as a leader has made him become more vocal at times.

“He was always a quiet guy and everybody liked him,” Mastroianni said. “Now he goes to the quiet guys and initiates things, which is always good to see. … You see him around, picking up younger guys.”

On the court, Mastroianni adds that scoring isn’t the only department in which Frank has exhibited a tremendous amount of growth. Sure, points are an easy stat for one to highlight. Frank’s improved versatility — being able to bring the ball up to initiate the offense and switch onto guards defensively when needed — have been just as valuable to the Quakers, though.

Frank takes pride in the ways in which his overall game has blossomed from the time he was a freshman.

“I feel like I play a lot more under control,” he said. “Freshman and sophomore year, I played all right. There were a lot more things I could’ve worked on. And junior and senior year, I’ve been working on those things.”

All of it has led to the Markus Frank everyone sees today.

Still, as the spotlight on him has gotten brighter, he’s remained “regular old Markus.” And maybe that, more than anything else, has been the reason he’s been as successful as he has through this early stretch of the season.

Montour gave Quaker Valley all it could handle all night long.

That was until the Quakers got frank with the Spartans in the closing seconds.

Senior Marcus Frank dropped in a game-high 24 points, but the most important basket was the go-ahead putback with less than 15 seconds remaining in regulation that gave Class 4A No. 2-ranked Quaker Valley (7-0, 4-0) a 47-46 win over No. 3 Montour (7-1, 3-1) in a battle for first place in Section 2.

Adou Thiero, who went for 44 earlier this week against Hopewell, chipped in 12 for the Quakers.

By: Don Rebel 
Wednesday, January 5, 2022 | 7:34 PM

We allowed three weeks for teams to flex their muscles at the start of the 2022 season. Now it’s time to see which teams are showing off the most early season power.

The weekly Trib 10 power rankings slot the elite teams from around WPIAL boys and girls basketball.

With these rankings, classifications are thrown out the window and teams are ranked as if playing one big super district tournament.

Starting off the power rankings at No. 1 are a pair of big-school rivals as North Hills tops the boys this week and North Allegheny is once again perched on top in girls hoops.

Here are the first power rankings with overall records from this season.

Boys Trib 10

1. North Hills Indians, (7-0)

2. Laurel Highlands Mustangs, (7-0)

3. Quaker Valley Quakers, (6-0)

4. Central Catholic Vikings, (6-2)

5. New Castle Red Hurricane, (5-1)

6. Belle Vernon Leopards, (9-0)

7. North Catholic Trojans, (7-0)

8. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Chargers, (6-0)

9. Lincoln Park Leopards, (4-2)

10. Montour Spartans, (7-0)

Times Sports Staff

Each week, the Beaver County Times' sports staff will rank the top 10 boys and girls basketball teams in our coverage area. These rankings do not indicate the best team in the area. (Programs in higher classifications will almost always have the upper hand against ones from lower classifications.) Instead, they rank which teams we believe, pound-for-pound, have the best shot at winning a WPIAL and PIAA championship. The Times' Top 10 will be updated every Monday.

Boys Basketball Top 10: Week of Jan. 3

Rank, Team, Classification, Record

1. OLSH (2A), 5-0

2. Quaker Valley (4A), 5-0

3. Ellwood City (3A), 7-2

4. Lincoln Park (4A), 4-2

5. Aliquippa (3A), 4-3

6. Blackhawk (4A), 5-3

7. West Allegheny (5A), 5-3

8. Beaver Falls (3A), 3-3

9. Cornell (1A), 4-4

10. Beaver Area (4A), 4-4

The scoop: While a few boys teams from the Beaver Valley look to have a solid shot at winning a WPIAL and PIAA title this winter, no team has better odds than OLSH. The defending Class 2A state champions take a 45-game winning streak into the new year, a mark just 12 games shy of tying the all-time WPIAL record, which was set by Uniontown from 1963-65 and matched by Washington from 1983-85. The Chargers have a firm grip on Class 2A but Quaker Valley has arguably been the most impressive basketball team in the WPIAL so far this season, landing it in the No. 2 spot. The Quakers' big win over Class 4A foe Lincoln Park on Dec. 23 is ultimately why we have them ahead of Ellwood City — the defending WPIAL Class 3A champion — who has also started the season strong. After Lincoln Park at the No. 4 spot, there is little separation between teams No. 5 through No. 10 based off of their current resumes. Expect that to change with each squad playing in key section matchups this week.

MIKE WHITE

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

mwhite@post-gazette.com

Markus Frank didn’t make a shot outside of 5 feet Thursday night. He didn’t need to. It was Quaker Valley’s way of speaking Frankly.

Frank had a career night at the rim, putting almost 40 on the No. 1-ranked team in WPIAL Class 4A.

Frank, a senior forward at Quaker Valley, scored a career-high 39 points to lead the Quakers to a 77-74 victory against Lincoln Park in a terrific early-season WPIAL Class 4A Section 2 contest.

A packed house at Quaker Valley watched the game come down to the final seconds. Lincoln Park sophomore Brandin Cummings missed an off-balance 3-pointer with 5 seconds remaining and Quaker Valley rebounded to clinch the win.

Frank make a living around the basket against Lincoln Park (3-1 overall, 1-1 in section, the Post-Gazette’s top-ranked Class 4A team. Quaker Valley spread the court in a five-out offense and Frank often got to the rim, no matter who guarded him. He also scored on fast-break points and rebounds. He made 18 of 23 shots from the field, including 11 in a row from the second quarter until midway through the fourth.

“To be honest that’s how he usually plays,” Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni said.

Well, he doesn’t “usually” score 39, but he is averaging 31 this season and few teams have been able to figure out how to keep the 6-foot-5, 185-pound Frank away from the rim. He has a quick first step, a burst of speed in the transition game and a keen sense to find the ball on missed shots.

“That’s my game,” said Frank, a four-year varsity player. “I’ve been shooting layups my whole four years here. Why stop now? When people play too close to me, I just blow right by them.”

Mastroianni said, “He just has an uncanny knack around the rim. It’s very hard to explain. We’re used to seeing it. The thing about him is he’s quick and fast. Usually, a player is fast or quick in short space. He’s both. He gets from half court to the rim as fast as any kid we’ve ever had.”

Frank’s effort should help Quaker Valley move up in the rankings. The Quakers (5-0, 2-0) came in ranked No. 4 in Class 4A.

“Man, there were some big shots from both teams,” Mastroianni said. “What a high level game for Dec. 23. That was a good five dollars spent if you bought a ticket.”

Besides Frank’s 39, Quaker Valley senior guard Adou Thiero scored 15 and senior guard Jack Gardinier added 11. Thiero, who stands 6-5 and is one of the WPIAL’s top players, scored only two points in the first half. He was guarded sometimes by Lincoln Park senior guard L.A. Pratt. It was a matchup worth watching because Pratt, a Duquesne University recruit, is another one of the WPIAL’s top players. Pratt finished with 16 points. Cummings, a sophomore guard, led Lincoln Park with 23 points, including five 3-pointers. Freshman guard Meleek Thomas added 13.

The game turned into two teams playing five-out on offense and players simply trying to beat their defenders one-on-one.

“My assistant coaches kept trying to call different plays, but I told them that’s not the issue,” Mastroianni said. “We needed to figure out a way to stop them. It wasn’t what we were doing at the offensive end.”

The game went back and forth throughout. Frank’s basket gave Quaker Valley a 70-65 lead in the fourth quarter, but Lincoln Park grabbed a 71-70 advantage with 2:32 left on Pratt’s two free throws. Gardinier hit a big 3-pointer to give Quaker Valley the lead with two minutes left and Frank scored off a rebound to make it 75-71. Cummings made a 3-pointer with 32 seconds remaining to cut the lead to one. Thiero’s two free throws put the Quakers back ahead by three, which set up Cummings’ final shot. He came off a screen to the right wing and his 3-pointer was off target.

“To me, it seemed like a game of five-point runs,” Mastroianni said. “You just hope it sort of flips the right way. We sort of got the late run.”

The two teams will meet again later in the season at Lincoln Park.

“This is a huge win, especially at Christmas time,” Frank said. “You don’t want to lose before Christmas time or you’re just going to be in a bad mood the rest of the time.”

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

First Published December 23, 2021, 11:04pm

Noah Hiles

Beaver County Times

Each week of the high school sports season comes with numerous entertaining storylines for fans to look forward to. Here are five things to watch for this weekend in the Beaver Valley. 

1. Battle of unbeatens in Class 4A

It's no secret that WPIAL Section 2-4A contains some of the best talent in the state, featuring at least three teams that have legitimate chance for a deep run in the PIAA playoffs. Two of those three are set to face off on Friday night. 

Montour (7-0, 3-0) will host Quaker Valley (6-0, 3-0) in a game that will not only put the winner in sole possession of first place in the section, but as an early leading candidate for the top seed in the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs.

The Quakers own perhaps the best win any team in Class 4A has earned this year, edging Lincoln Park out for a 77-74 victory at home on Dec. 23. Senior Adou Thiero enters Friday's battle coming off of the best performance of his high school career, scoring a school-record 44 points in his team's 88-34 win over Hopewell on Tuesday. Paired with senior Markus Frank, the third leading scorer in the state, and you have a duo that is tough to beat. 

Montour on the other hand has been dominant as a whole, winning six of their seven games this year by double-digits. The Spartans best win this year comes over Highlands, a program some believe has a shot to compete for the WPIAL Class 5A crown. 

Bill Allman, Special to the Times

LEETSDALE — Typically, high school basketball doesn’t reach its top performance level until after the calendar turns to a new year. 

The high school boys’ basketball teams of Quaker Valley and Lincoln Park chose to break that tradition, however, and gave a sold-out crowd at Quaker Valley’s gym an instant classic. The Quakers prevailed 77-74 in a game that saw 14 lead changes, seven ties, and 10 runs of five points or more. Between the two teams, there was only one missed free throw.

It came down to the final seconds, too, as the Quakers couldn’t even think of breathing deep until senior Jack Gardinier sank two free throws with 17.5 seconds left. It was a one-and-one situation but his teammates had enough confidence in him that they didn’t even consider the possibility of a rebound on the first and stayed in place. 

"We’ve been working hard in the gym to be ready for this — I think that game was between the best two teams in the WPIAL, not just Class 4A but the whole WPIAL. It’s fun to play here at home; I think we have the best student section around.” 

The distinction of being the best two teams would be hard to prove but the records lend credence to the claim. Quaker Valley improves to 5-0 (2-0 in Section 4A-2), while Lincoln Park falls to only 3-1 (1-1) while both play a tough non-conference schedule.     

"Everyone is playing tough games in non-section to get ready because of how tough the whole class is," said Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni. "This schedule is going to test everyone.  

"It was a game of runs and we got a late one, thanks to Markus (Frank). He just gets to the rim and scores. He’s been playing varsity since he was a freshman, and every day, I still shake my head about what he’s able to do. He’s quick and fast both, and not a lot of guys can do that."

Frank had a lot of people shaking their heads in the Quaker Valley gym as he made moves that didn’t seem humanly possible and did it with ease. He finished with a career high 39 points and the Quakers needed them all — his last basket provided the 74th and 75th points, which are important when Lincoln Park finished with 74. His game was balanced, too — scoring 11 in the first quarter, eight in the second, eight in the third, and 12 in the fourth. 

"To be honest, it really didn’t feel like 39," said Frank, a 6-6 senior. "I knew they were playing me close but it’s not really pressure — we’ve been playing together for years, so we know what we can do. 

"As for me, now that I know I can score 39, I’ll have to raise the bar." 

Frank’s performance was one of many outstanding ones in the game — in addition to Gardinier, teammate Adou Thiero also scored 13, and Dan Bartels was the only player with double digits in rebounds with 10. 

For Lincoln Park, sophomore Brandin Cummings had 23, senior L.A. Pratt had 14, and freshman Meleek Thomas had 13. 

By: Don Rebel 
Thursday, December 23, 2021 | 4:21 PM

Even though it’s only two days until the holiday weekend, there are two more big section basketball games to be played before the first gifts are unwrapped.

On the boys side, the lone Thursday section game is a showdown in Section 2-4A as No. 1 Lincoln Park visits No. 2 Quaker Valley.

For five straight years, Quaker Valley has reached the WPIAL final four but has not been able to win that elusive gold medal in 25 years.

In three years from 2017-2019, the Quakers reached the finals, only to lose to New Castle.

Lincoln Park has had the Midas touch when it comes to WPIAL titles, winning back-to-back 3A titles in 2018 and 2019 before moving up to 4A last season and beating North Catholic, 66-57, for a third title in four years.

Two of the top players in the district will square off with senior Adou Thiero for the Quakers and sophomore Brandon Cummings for the Leopards.

Thus far this season, defending champion Lincoln Park is 1-0 in the section and 3-0 overall while Quaker Valley is 1-0 in section and 4-0 overall.

You can hear the game on Trib HSSN at 7:30 p.m.

By: Ray Fisher 
Saturday, December 4, 2021 | 11:01 AM

The Quaker Valley boys basketball team has two important characteristics: The Quakers are talented and experienced.

That should lead to some difficult times for opponents this winter.

Adou Thiero, Markus Frank, Jack Gardinier and Wil Dunda are returning senior starters. All are 6-feet tall or taller.

“We return four seniors who have played in our program for four years and have significant game and program experience,” QV coach Mike Mastroianni said. “Any other season, this would be a nice advantage and great starting point. But this season, our section opponents all return three to five starters, as well as including Lincoln Park, Montour, Blackhawk, Central Valley, Hopewell, Beaver and Ambridge. Our section will be highly competitive.”

Thiero, listed as a 6-6 guard, and Frank, a 6-6 forward, provide the Quakers with one of the top 1-2 combinations in the WPIAL. Thiero averaged 21.8 points last season; Frank averaged 17.1. Both were lauded as Trib 10 Boys Basketball All-Stars.

Thiero was a second-team all-state selection last season. He is a fourth-year starter for the Quakers, who went 13-5 and reached the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals. Thiero missed QV’s playoff loss with an injury.

“Adou is returning to form and has worked hard in the offseason after suffering a season-ending injury last year,” Mastroianni said. “We will ask Adou to help us in all areas, and he is excited to accept the challenge. We will look for his leadership, as well as our other seniors.

“Markus Frank, Jack Gardinier and Wil Dunda bring back a lot of experience and a combined leadership that is a great starting point.”

Thiero scored 25 or more points in seven games last year, including a sizzling career-high 41-point performance Feb. 8 in an 84-48 section win against Hopewell.

A few days later, he received his first Division I offer from Long Island. UC-Santa Barbara also has offered Thiero a scholarship.

Others looking to make an impact for the Quakers this season include 6-3 junior forwards Daniel Bartels and Jackson Kerley, 6-1 junior guard Troy Kozar, 6-1 sophomore guard Joey Coyle, 6-1 junior guard/forward Noah Jordan and 5-10 sophomore guard Izzy Emerson.

Last year, after Gov. Tom Wolf put a “pause” on high school sports in mid-December, the Quakers were forced to take another break because of covid-19 protocols after playing only four games.

This is Mastroianni’s 23rd season as QV’s coach and 30th overall as a head coach. 

The Quakers have won two section titles in the past four years and have qualified for the playoffs for 17 consecutive seasons.

From 2009-10 to 2018-19 (10 seasons), Quaker Valley won 20 or more games nine times and was a WPIAL finalist from 2016-17 to 2018-19 (three seasons).

Lincoln Park (12-2), which won the WPIAL championship, Montour (11-2), QV (10-3) and Central Valley (8-4) were the top four teams in Section 2-4A last season, followed by Blackhawk (4-6), Ambridge (4-9), Hopewell (1-12) and Beaver (1-13).

There are nine former QV hoopsters continuing their careers at the next level.

Bill Allmann

Special to the Times

By: Jonathan Bombulie 
Monday, December 6, 2021 | 3:50 PM

Class 4A is where the stars play in WPIAL boys basketball.

Starting with defending champion Lincoln Park, most of the top teams in the class have at least one Division I prospect on the roster.

By March, it might come down to which collection of talent comes together best as a team.

If history is any guide, predicting a finals matchup between Lincoln Park and North Catholic wouldn’t be the worst idea. Those teams have met in the WPIAL championship game four out of the last five years, including the last three in a row.

Here is a look at the players and teams to watch in Class 4A.

Preseason Player of the Year

Adou Thiero, Quaker Valley

6-4, senior, guard

21.8 ppg last season

Players to watch

Brandon Cummings, Lincoln Park

6-2, So, G, 11.5 ppg

Markus Frank, Quaker Valley

6-6, Sr., F, 17.8 ppg

LA Pratt, Lincoln Park

6-5, G, Sr., 13.9 ppg

Meleek Thomas, Lincoln Park

6-3, G, Fr.

Devin Whitlock, Belle Vernon

5-9, Sr., G, 21.9 ppg

Preseason Top 5

1. Lincoln Park (19-6 last season)

Lincoln Park has won five WPIAL championships since 2012, including last year’s, and with a backcourt loaded with Division I prospects, there’s no reason to think the Leopards won’t add a sixth in the spring. Senior LA Pratt has grown a few inches to 6-5 and committed to Duquesne. Brandin Cummings emerged as a star in the postseason as a freshman last year and has an offer from South Carolina, among others. The most exciting talent could be 6-3 freshman Meleek Thomas, a North Hills transfer who has offers from Pitt and St. John’s before stepping on a high school court.

2. Quaker Valley (13-5)

If there’s a Class 4A team with the star power to hang with Lincoln Park, it’s Quaker Valley. The Quakers have a formidable one-two punch in Adou Theiro and Markus Frank, both of whom averaged more than 17 points per game last year. Quaker Valley bowed out of the playoffs in the quarterfinals last year with Theiro watching from the sidelines with a knee injury. He’s back and undoubtedly will be motivated to right that wrong.

By: Jerin Steele 
Saturday, July 24, 2021 | 8:01 AM

The Quaker Valley boys basketball team returns four starters, but with each new year, there can be a tweak in how each player’s role is defined.

There could be an added responsibility or a change in focus for each player, and for Quakers coach Mike Mastroianni, the best time hash that out is in the summer.

In the process, the Quakers played some stiff competition in the New Castle league and the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Summer League and racked up some wins.

“Even though we have some players returning, we’re asking them to do some more things or different things than we did in the past,” Mastroianni said. “At the same time, we’re adding players in and asking them to do things that we need. We emphasized that during the summer every game, because if you aren’t working on those things then I feel you are wasting those games. It’s not about continuities or plays or anything like that. It’s about what roles they will play.”

Quaker Valley made the semifinals of the PBC’s 4A-6A league and lost to Fox Chapel.

Jack Gardinier, Will Dunda, Markus Frank and Aidou Thiero, who are all going into their senior season, are the four returning starters for the Quakers. Ian Herring, a rising junior, saw significant time off the bench.

Thiero did not participate in summer league action after suffering a severe leg injury in Quaker Valley’s first-round playoff win over Derry.

Mastroianni said Thiero is healthy and working out again, but they felt it was best for him to not return to play in the summer. Thiero, who has Division I offers from Long Island and UC Santa Barbara, led the Quakers in scoring at 21.8 points per game last season.

With Thiero out, opportunity arose for some of the returners to grow as leaders and at the same time provided extra minutes for some younger players.

Joe Coyle, a rising sophomore, stared two-thirds of the summer league games. Donny Bartles, a rising junior, started at center nearly the entire offseason. Mastroianni also credited Troy Kozar, another rising junior, for having a great offseason.

Each one was working on the role the coaching staff envisions for them.

“Someone may have defended a wing last year, and this year we could be asking them to defend the post and rebound defensively,” Mastroianni said. “Or, maybe last year we started two 6-foot-5 guys that were our tallest players and someone else was our third-tallest guy and now they are the second-tallest guy, so we need them to rebound more.

“Someone else may not have been a ball handler last year and now they may be our secondary ball handler. Those things are all important when you are developing continuity and putting the pieces of the puzzle together for next season.”

Quaker Valley participated in a couple of shootouts and a weekend team camp at Geneva as well as the PBC and New Castle league.

Between the New Castle league and the PBC, the Quakers played Pine-Richland, New Castle, Bishop Canevin, Canon-McMillan, North Hills, Fox Chapel, Franklin Regional and Penn-Trafford among others. They scored a pair of wins over both Pine-Richland and Bishop Canevin and one over New Castle. All three teams were in WPIAL finals a season ago.

“Both leagues afforded us a high-level competition,” Mastroianni said. “We played against a lot of quality teams and our young guys got to the opportunity to play against them for the first time.”