PT's title shows local hoops is on the upswing

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Winning the WPIAL boys basketball championship in the state's highest classification did more than establish Peters Township as one of the top athletic programs in the state.

The Indians' 60-54 victory over Mt. Lebanon Saturday night at the Palumbo Center officially confirmed the significant strides this once basketball-barren are has made.

Sure, some may argue it couldn't have gotten much worse than it was five, six or even 12 years ago.

Others believe high school basketball hasn't been this good in nearly two decades, back when the Ringgold and Washington boys and girls continually added banners to the rafters.

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Count this writer among the latter.

While championships proved difficult to win, there's no disputing the steady progress boys and girls basketball has made within the coverage area.

The reasons are numerous:

n Thanks to a number of quality head coaches, players are learning from some of the best teachers around;

n More players are specializing in basketball, playing the sport throughout the year.

n Thanks to AAU basketball, which has grown considerably in Washington County over the past decade, and a highly competitive Brownson House summer league, opportunities to play year-round against high levels of competition exist.

That's right, the sports once considered an afterthought, even a bit of a joke, is rising rapidly. Heck, the argument can be made that basketball has moved ahead of wrestling - the king of winter sports in southwestern Pennsylvania - in terms of success.

Now, it's time to make others pay attention.

Peters Township's victory should make people take notice. How well the boys and girls teams at Washington and South Fayette perform at the PIAA level could enhance a burgeoning reputation.

"If you look at South Fayette and Washington, those two teams are very impressive," Peters Township coach Gary Goga said Saturday night, moments after holding the WPIAL Class AAAA championship trophy high above his head in front of a surprisingly large contingent of Peters Township followers.

"I hope people know there's good basketball being played down here. Winning this can only help out."

The Indians ended a long basketball championship drought.

The last time a local team won a WPIAL championship came in 1992 when the Washington girls won the Class AAA title. The last time a boys team won the WPIAL came in 1990 when Ringgold (AAAA) and Washington (AA) fielded dominant teams.

This season, three boys teams - Peters Township, South Fayette and Washington - each won more than 20 games. Carmichaels came awfully close, ending its season with 19 victories. The South Fayette girls enter the state playoffs with 20 victories.

Peters Township may have knocked down the WPIAL door, but a few others knocked in recent years.

The girls team at Peters Township reached the WPIAL Class AAAA championship a year ago. The season before that, California's boys team lost a heartbreaker in the Class A championship.

Three straight years with a representative at the WPIAL championships is rare.

It could become common.

Mike Kovak can be reached at mkovak@observer-reporter.com.

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