Local basketball rankings

Boys
1. South Fayette (AA) 4-0
2. Peters Township (AAAA) 4-3
3. Monessen (AA) 3-2
4. Trinity (AAA) 4-2
5. Burgettstown (AA) 3-3

Girls
1. Ringgold (AAAA) 4-1
2. South Fayette (AA) 5-0
3. Charleroi (AA) 4-1
4. Trinity (AAAA) 4-3
5. Fort Cherry (A) 5-2

Thinking out loud

No local sports story sparked more interest or generated more outrage in 2009 than the controversial decisions of a newly-elected Trinity School Board to open the coaching positions of all fall sports coaches and opt not to renew the contract of athletic director Ed Dalton following the 2009-10 school year.

As a football coach, Dalton helped turn a dormant program into a respectable one. What Trinity lacked during Dalton's 11 years was the ability to defeat top teams, the lone exception coming when the Hillers upset Penn Hills in the WPIAL playoffs.

Dalton did a lot of good for Trinity football. He made it relevant. He brought it considerable attention, even helping to land a Trinity-Thomas Jefferson game on national television.

More importantly, Dalton got players to college, whether it was Ohio State University or Waynesburg University.

To me, that's Dalton's legacy at Trinity. No local coach sent more players to college football programs the past 5-6 years than Dalton.

Wins and losses draw the most attention. At the high school level, what a coach should get credit for is the development of student-athletes. Dalton accomplished it at Trinity.

That said, no matter how many rallies students and parents organize for Dalton, his days coaching football at Trinity are over. Can anyone recall a situation where a school board reversed such a decision? If so, please share.

Dalton will coach football again, as soon as the 2010 season if he wants. If I'm an athletic director at a Class AAAA, AAA or high-level AA school searching for a football coach, I'm calling Dalton to gauge his interest.

* I'm about 50 pages into a book authored by Chartiers-Houston boys basketball coach Jerry Cypher. Once completed, I'll discuss in greater detail.

* Thanks to the late start date administered by the PIAA, the basketball season enters its third full week. Usually, a lot more is known about contenders and pretenders.

Where the California boys and Chartiers-Houston girls fall remains unsolved but both count as pleasant surprises.

California, which returns to Class A next year, entered the annual Charleroi Holiday Tournament with a 6-0 record and a 2-0 spot in Section 5-AA. The Trojans are getting strong play from a group of underclassmen, including a couple freshmen. We'll know a lot more in mid-January when California plays Burgettstown, Washington and Monessen in successive games.

The C-H girls were 4-0 before the start of the LGKG Classic at Riverside High School in Beaver County. Another team getting strong play from a group of freshmen, the Bucs do own an impressive win over Brownsville, pegged by some coaches as the favorite in Section 5-AA. Starting Jan. 4, C-H plays Serra Catholic, Washington, Fort Cherry and Clairton in consecutive games.

* Judging from comments on this blog and other sources, there's displeasure over the 3-4 start of Washington's boys basketball team.

Not sure why there's so much concern. Not only will Washington qualify for the WPIAL playoffs, the guess here is the Prexies will contend for another Section 5-AA championship. Monessen and Burgettstown are also in the mix.

Wash High's schedule is nothing short of brutal. The Prexies already played a Canon-McMillan team with four returning starters, Burgettstown, South Fayette and Peters Township.

* Speaking of Wash High, senior Bryan Thomas recently committed to Bowling Green for football. He should have an opportunity to contribute immediately. Not only is Thomas physically ready for college football, he's easily this area's most underrated player.

When considering candidates for the Observer-Reporter Player of the Year, Thomas was the only player other than South Fayette quarterback Christian Brumbaugh who entered the thought process.

* The O-R sports staff received a few complaints for not covering the rally for Dalton last week. It's understandable.

From our perspective, the rally was not a sports story. In addition, it is not our responsibility to campaign for any coach or school board member.

Greene County Sports

For years, WANB Radio in Waynesburg broadcasted the best of Greene County sports, whether it was football, wrestling, basketball or softball. Guys like Jefferson-Morgan athletic director Scot Moore, former Waynesburg High standout Lanfer Simpson and Jason Tennant called the action.

A group of broadcasters who worked for WANB in the past have started greenesports.net. They plan on webcasting four to five events per week and will cover the Powerade Wrestling Tournament this week.

For more information, please visit:
http://greenesports.net

WPIAL girls basketball rankings

Class AAAA
1. Mt. Lebanon 5-1
2. Bethel Park 6-0
3. Shaler 5-0
4. Fox Chapel 4-0
5. Ringgold 4-1

Class AAA
1. New Castle 5-0
2. Hopewell 6-0
3. Hampton 4-1
4. Indiana 4-0
5. South Park 5-1

Class AA
1. Sto-Rox 6-0
2. Greensburg Central Catholic 5-0
3. Avonworth 6-0
4. Beaver 4-1
5. South Fayette 4-0

Class A
1. North Catholic 4-2
2. Quigley 6-0
3. Vincentian Academy 3-2
4. Fort Cherry 4-1
5. Rochester 5-2

WPIAL boys basketball rankings

Class AAAA
1. Mt. Lebanon 5-0
2. Hempfield 5-0
3. Pittsburgh Central Catholic 5-1
4. Seneca Valley 3-1
5. Butler 6-0

Class AAA
1. Chartiers Valley 5-0
2. Hampton 5-0
3. Hopewell 5-1
4. Belle Vernon 5-0
5. Center 4-1

Class AA
1. South Fayette 3-0
2. Quaker Valley 5-0
3. North Catholic 4-0
4. Jeannette 5-0
5. Rochester 6-0

Class A
1. Sewickley Academy 4-0
2. Union 5-0
3. Serra Catholic 4-1
4. Cornell 5-1
5. Bentworth 4-1

APB, Where are they Now?

Washington High School girls basketball has made the playoffs and won the Section 5-AA championship every year since the 1999-2000 season. During the impressive run, the Prexies have produced a number of talented players.

Amber Harris started at Seton Hall after she earned Associated Press Class AA Player of the Year honors her freshmen year at Wash High. Jocelyn Floyd, one of the school's great defensive players, is logging minutes as a freshman at Duquesne University.

Others such as Tiara Bennett, Juliet Sargeant, Marguerite Sargeant and Laura Montecalvo enjoyed success at various levels of college basketball.

Vanessa Davison, one of the top players from Wash High, is the subject of this week's All Points Bulletin.

A long, lean guard, Davison was a gifted offensive player and a two-time Observer-Reporter Player of the Year (2004 and 2006). She received a scholarship to Division I Manhattan College, where she played as a freshman and sophomore.

The Varsity Letters hasn't heard from Davison since. Anyone with information regarding Davison is urged to contact The Varity Letters.

Thomas commits to Bowling Green

Washington High School senior Bryan Thomas made an oral commitment to play football at Bowling Green in the fall of 2010.

Thomas, an Observer-Reporter Elite 11 selection, helped Washington evolve from a 1-8 team in 2008 to one that qualified for the WPIAL Class AA playoffs in 2009. As a two-way starter, Thomas was a dominant defensive end, bone-crushing blocker and big-play tight end.

Bowling Green recruited Thomas (6-4, 230) as a defensive end but is considering using him at tight end.

Akron, Ohio and Toledo also offered scholarships. West Virginia, Wisconsin and Minnesota have shown interest but have not offered. According to Thomas, West Virginia is showing increased interest.

Thomas is the fourth Washington County football player to commit for 2010. Canon-McMillan's Mike Hull (Penn State), Chad Hagan (Ohio State) and Trinity's Ken Wilkins (Michigan) are the others.

Thomas, a cousin of former Wash High standout and Notre Dame starter Travis Thomas, is a three-sport athlete. He also plays basketball and runs track.

Local Basketball Rankings

The South Fayette boys look strong through three games and the Ringgold girls have been bolstered by the return of Alina Selby.

Boys
1. South Fayette (AA) 3-0
2. Canon-McMillan (AAAA) 2-0
3. Peters Township (AAAA) 2-2
4. California (AA) 5-0
5. Burgettstown (AA) 2-2
HM - Trinity (AAA) 2-2

Girls
1. Ringgold (AAAA) 4-1
2. South Fayette (AA) 3-0
3. Fort Cherry (A) 4-1
4. Beth-Center (AA) 5-1
5. Peters Township (AAAA) 1-3
HM - Trinity (AAAA) 4-2

APB, Where are they Now?

With wins over Trinity and Washington, Canon-McMillan boys basketball won its tip-off tournament and enters Section 4-AAAA play Tuesday at Mt. Lebanon with a 2-0 record.

The Big Macs return four starters – Kionte Davis, Chad Hagan, Will Glendenning and Justin Robinson – from last year's team. Davis and Hagan were selected to the Observer-Reporter All-District team.

Two years ago, Canon-McMillan qualified for its first PIAA tournament with O-R Player of the year Charles Murphy leading the way.

It's safe to say, C-M basketball isn't long on tradition but the Big Macs have produced some quality players and a few who were interesting to watch.

One player who fell a little into both categories was Anthony Polenski. A guard/forward, Polenski was a 6-3 shooting machine during his playing days with the Big Macs. When Polenski got the basketball, passing was the last option. Those days culminated with the 2001-02 season.

Polenski was named Blue Team MVP at the 2002 Washington-Greene Rotary All-Star Game and he's the subject of this week's All Points Bulletin.

Anyone knowing of Polenski's whereabouts is urged to contact The Varsity Letters.

WPIAL Girls Basketball Rankings

Class AAAA
1. Mt. Lebanon 2-0
2. Bethel Park 4-0
3. Shaler 3-0
4. North Allegheny 3-0
5. Fox Chapel 2-0

Class AAA
1. New Castle 3-0
2. Hopewell 4-0
3. Hampton 3-1
4. Indiana 3-0
5. South Park 3-1

Class AA
1. Sto-Rox 4-0
2. Beaver 3-0
3. Greensburg Central Catholic 4-0
4. Avonworth 4-0
5. Seton-La Salle 3-1

Class A
1. North Catholic 2-2
2. Quigley 5-0
3. Vincentian Academy 2-2
4. Fort Cherry 3-1
5. Rochester 3-1

WPIAL Boys Basketball Rankings

Class AAAA
1. Mt. Lebanon 3-0
2. Pittsburgh Central Catholic 4-0
3. Hempfield 3-0
4. Seneca Valley 3-1
5. Butler 3-0

Class AAA
1. Chartiers Valley 3-0
2. Moon 3-0
3. Hampton 3-0
4. Hopewell 3-1
5. Laurel Highlands 3-0

Class AA
1. South Fayette 1-0
2. Quaker Valley 3-0
3. North Catholic 3-0
4. Jeannette 3-0
5. Rochester 4-0

Class A
1. Sewickley Academy 3-0
2. Serra Catholic 4-0
3. Union 3-0
4. Cornell 3-1
5. Bentworth 3-1

Marnich a Rudy Award Semifinalist

Ringgold High School senior Bill Marnich is much more than the lone returning starter on the Rams football team for the 2009 season. He's an inspiration for teammates, coaches, opponents and any one who knows his story.

Earlier this year, Ringgold football coach and athletic director Lloyd Price nominated Marnich for the High School Rudy Award.

Named after Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, the famed Notre Dame walk-on whose life story was turned into the movie, Rudy, the Rudy Award is a $10,000 academic scholarship with $5,000 scholarship going to two runners-up.

Marnich is one of 30 semifinalists from 22 states and the only semifinalist from Pennsylvania.

To read more about Marnich, the other semifinalists and to vote for the Rudy Award, please visit: http://www.highschoolrudyawards.com/Nominees/126/Bill_Marnich.aspx

Trinity Opens Fall Coaching Positions

The Trinity School Board opened the positions of all fall coaches at Thursday's meeting, including that of head football coach Ed Dalton.

Dalton has been the Hillers' football coach and athletic director since the 1999-2000 school year. In football, Dalton compiled a 54-56 record and led Trinity to the WPIAL playoffs five consecutive seasons and six times overall. Trinity won two playoff games during that span.

Before Dalton arrived, Trinity played in four postseason games from 1922 through 1999.

Dalton's position as athletic director has also been opened.

Other positions opened were boys soccer, girls soccer, boys cross country, girls cross country, girls volleyball, boys golf and girls tennis.

For more details, read Saturday's Observer-Reporter.

Local Basketball Rankings, Preseason

Received a surprisingly strong response last year with local basketball rankings for boys and girls. Why not do it again?

Boys
1. South Fayette (AA)
2. Monessen (AA)
3. Washington (AA)
4. Canon-McMillan (AAAA)
5. Peters Township (AAAA)
Next in line:
Burgettstown (AA)

Girls
1. Peters Township (AAAA)
2. Trinity (AAAA)
3. Washington (AA)
4. Ringgold (AAAA)
5. Beth-Center (AA)
Next in line:
McGuffey (AAA)

PIAA Football Rankings

Didn't think these things were still being released.

Pennsylvania high school football rankings from the Patriot-News of Harrisburg for the week of Tuesday, November 10, with school’s district in parentheses, followed by the school’s record and last week’s ranking. NR means not ranked. Honorable mention teams listed alphabetically.

CLASS AAAA Rec Pvs
1. La Salle College HS (12) 12-1 4
2. Ridley (1) 13-1 8
3. State College (6) 11-2 7
4. Cumberland Valley (3) 12-2 9
5. Bishop McDevitt (3) 12-1 1
6. Easton (11) 13-2 5
7. North Penn (1) 13-1 2
8. Woodland Hills (7) 12-2 3
9. Gateway (7) 12-1 6
10. Bethel Park (7) 10-2 10
Honorable mention
Avon Grove (1) 11-2, Cardinal OHara (12) 8-3, Central Dauphin (3) 9-3, Downingtown East (1) 10-3, Downingtown East (1) 10-3, Downingtown West (1) 10-3, East Stroudsburg South (11) 10-2, George Washington (12) 8-3, McDowell (10) 8-3, Neshaminy (1) 9-3, North Hills (7) 6-6, Parkland (11) 10-3, Penn Manor (3) 10-3, St. Josephs Prep (12) 9-3, Wilson (3) 11-2.

CLASS AAA Rec Pvs
1. Selinsgrove (4) 14-0 1
2. Manheim Central (3) 14-0 2
3. West Allegheny (7) 12-2 5
4. Archbishop Wood (12) 11-2 NR
5. Pottsgrove (1) 14-1 3
6. Hopewell (7) 12-1 7
7. Allentown Cent. Catholic (11) 12-2 4
8. Susquehanna Twp. (3) 12-2 8
9. Interboro (1) 12-1 9
10. Thomas Jefferson (7) 11-1 10
Honorable mention
Abington Heights (2) 11-2, Bayard Rustin (1) 11-1, Cathedral Prep (10) 11-3, Conrad Weiser (3) 10-3, Dallas (2) 10-2, Daniel Boone (3) 9-3, Franklin Regional (7) 8-3, Grove City (10) 8-4, Hershey (3) 9-3, North Pocono (2) 9-2, Owen J. Roberts (1) 11-2, West York (3) 11-2, Wilson Area (11) 11-1.

CLASS AA Rec Pvs
1. Lancaster Catholic (3) 13-1 1
2. West Catholic (12) 13-1 2
3. Greensburg Central Catholic (7) 12-2 3
4. Wilmington (10) 13-1 4
5. Forest Hills (6) 13-1 5
6. North Schuylkill (11) 13-1 9
7. Dunmore (2) 12-1 6
8. Aliquippa (7) 11-1 7
9. Beaver Falls (7) 10-2 8
10. Loyalsock (4) 10-4 10
Honorable mention
Bedford (5) 7-7, Bok (12) 10-1, Center (7) 9-2, Delone Catholic (3) 11-2, Freeport (7) 8-2, General McLane (10) 11-1, Hughesville (4) 10-2, Keystone Oaks (7) 10-2, Lewisburg (4) 11-2, Littlestown (3) 9-3, Martinsburg Central (6) 10-2, Northern Lehigh (11) 10-3, Panther Valley (11) 9-3, Shady Side Academy (7) 8-2, Sharon (10) 10-3, South Fayette (7) 10-1, Sto-Rox (7) 8-3, Towanda (4) 11-1, Tyrone (6) 10-3.

CLASS A Rec Pvs
1. Clairton (7) 13-1 1
2. Farrell (10) 14-0 2
3. Bishop McCort (6) 13-0 3
4. Tri-Valley (11) 10-4 9
5. Rochester (7) 12-1 5
6. Bellwood-Antis (6) 11-1 6
7. Laurel (7) 10-2 7
8. Clarion (9) 10-4 NR
9. Southern Columbia (4) 9-5 4
10. Millersburg (3) 10-4 8
Honorable mention
Avonworth (7) 8-3, Cameron County (9) 10-1, Conemaugh Twp. (5) 10-1, Coudersport (9) 9-3, Curwensville (9) 9-3, Line Mountain (4) 8-3, Mercer (10) 8-4, Mercyhurst Prep (10) 10-1, North Catholic (7) 9-3, Penns Manor (6) 10-2, Portage (6) 10-1, Sharpsville (10) 10-3, St. Pius X (1) 8-5, Steelton-Highspire (3) 8-3, United (6) 9-2, Upper Dauphin (3) 10-2.

2009 O-R All-District Football Team

Observer-Reporter Player of the Year
Christian Brumbaugh, South Fayette
Junior, QB

O-R Elite 11
Quentin Briggs, Charleroi
Sophomore, RB

Lashawn Bryant, Trinity
Senior, DT

Jeff Davis, South Fayette
Junior, RB

Chad Hagan, Canon-McMillan
Senior, RB/DB

Austin Hancock, Peters Township
Junior, QB

Michael Hull, Canon-McMillan
Senior, LB/FB

Gary Kiefer, Fort Cherry
Junior, RB/LB

Logan McAnany, McGuffey
Senior, LB/RB

Nick Shuman, McGuffey
Senior, FB/LB

Jake Sofran, Beth-Center
Sophomore, LB/FB

Bryan Thomas, Washington
Senior, DE/TE


O-R All-District Team
Avella
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Nathan Carl Jr. 5-9 210 OL
Damon Cupp Jr. 6-5 195 WR
Jared Magon Jr. 6-1 175 WR
Jesse Noble Sr. 5-8 160 DB


Bentworth
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Ben Gregg Sr. 6-3 200 QB
Colton Korpus Sr. 6-1 220 DL
Dave Sumney Sr. 6-0 200 OL

Beth-Center
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Chuck Bowser Sr. 5-10 170 TE/FS
Sal Faieta So. 6-1 190 QB/LB
Jordan Kinder Sr. 5-8 165 RB/DB
Tyler Miller Sr. 6-5 275 OT/DT
Matt Schneider Sr. 5-9 230 OT/DT
Zander Shashura Sr. 5-9 160 C/LB
Jake Sofran So. 5-10 205 FB/LB
Frank Vorhes Sr. 6-1 185 G/DE

Burgettstown
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Zach Bertolotti Sr. 6-0 205 LB
Dylan Bongiorni So. 6-2 170 DB
Tyler Pavan Jr. 5-9 165 DB
A.J. Roner Sr. 5-5 155 RB
Andrew Todd Sr. 6-2 190 TE
Tim Wilson Sr. 5-11 205 OL

California
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Dakota Conway Jr. 5-9 170 WR/DB
D.J. Martinak Sr. 5-11 165 QB/DB
Preston Shaw Sr. 6-0 180 OL/LB
Wade Stinnett Sr. 6-1 205 TE/LB
Brad Tonini Sr. 6-0 200 RB/LB

Canon-McMillan
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Dom Broglia Sr. 6-2 275 OT
Luke Campbell Sr. 6-0 220 TE
Chad Hagan Sr. 6-2 227 RB
Michael Hull Sr. 6-1 220 LB
Alec Schram Jr. 5-7 140 DB
Robert Semulka Jr. 5-10 225 OG
Tommy Valerio So. 5-8 160 K

Carmichaels
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Kody Decker Sr. 5-10 155 DB
Zach Doman Sr. 5-10 250 OL/DL
Anthonie Farrer Sr. 5-9 160 RB
Jonathan Krall Jr. 5-11 155 QB
Seth Krall Jr. 6-0 155 WR
Zach Mudell Jr. 5-10 170 LB

Charleroi
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Cory Altemara Jr. 5-11 215 FB/LB
Quentin Briggs So. 5-10 205 RB
Ray Campbell Sr. 5-10 235 OL/DL
Jake Linn Sr. 6-1 238 TE/LB
Kyle Shannon Jr. 5-9 188 WR/DB

Chartiers-Houston
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
D.J. Denny Jr. 6-0 165 WR
Nathan Grandelis So. 6-1 245 DL
Thomas Hairston Sr. 6-2 195 LB
Zach Hamilton So. 5-10 165 PK
Joey Joscak Sr. 5-10 185 LB
Dan Lis So. 5-10 170 DB
Anthony Oliver Sr. 5-9 160 LB

Fort Cherry
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Ryan Babirad So. 6-2 175 WR
Jordan Crowley Sr. 6-1 285 OL
Corey Garry So. 6-1 235 LB
Tanner Garry So. 6-2 180 DB
Nick Hurley Jr. 5-11 170 WR
Gary Kiefer Jr. 5-11 190 RB
Justin Richards Sr. 5-10 170 LB
Mike Silla Sr. 6-2 255 DL

Jefferson-Morgan
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Taylor Barchiesi Sr. 5-9 163 K
Derek Haiden Sr, 5-9 170 FB/LB
Thomas Jordan Sr. 6-1 951 G/DE
Ryan Knight Sr. 6-1 195 RB/LB
Hans Lubich Sr. 5-10 150 RB/DB
Brent Moskola Sr. 6-3 170 TE/DB
Josh Schinkovec Sr. 6-4 200 TE/DB
David Sisler Sr. 5-11 215 G/LB

Mapletown
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
William Cox Jr. 6-1 170 WR/DB
Cory Minnick Sr. 6-0 200 QB/LB
Jarrett Porterfield Sr. 6-1 175 WR/DB

McGuffey
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Trenton Bedillion Sr. 5-11 170 RB/DB
Adam Fischer Sr. 6-1 220 OL/DL
Tyler Kerns Sr. 6-0 185 RB/DB
John Leasure Jr. 6-2 230 OL/DL
Taylor McAdoo Sr. 5-11 185 TE/LB
Logan McAnany Sr. 6-1 190 RB/LB
Nick Shuman Sr. 5-11 210 FB/LB
Derrick Whipkey Jr. 5-8 165 QB/DB

Monessen
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Nick Bolias Jr. 5-10 160 WR/DB
Trae Cook Jr. 5-8 178 RB/DB
Brett Crenshaw Jr. 5-11 179 RB/DB
Stephen Jarabeck Sr. 6-0 187 G/LB
ShelDon Miller Sr. 6-1 190 RB/LB
Mike Pace Jr. 6-2 340 T/DT
James Shuma Sr. 6-1 270 T/DE
Josh Stepoli So. 6-5 215 G/DT
Terrance Stepoli Jr. 6-4 205 QB/DE

Peters Township
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Andrew Erenberg So. 5-9 185 RB
Chris Freyder Sr. 5-10 210 OG
Nevin Hagman Jr. 6-3 245 OT
Austin Hancock Jr. 6-3 218 QB
Dylan Heitmeir Sr. 5-9 170 DB
Brandon Hoffman Sr. 6-1 215 WR
Boyd Jones Jr. 5-10 270 C
Will McClure Jr. 6-1 200 LB
Justin Simpson Sr. 6-2 210 DL

Ringgold
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Nick DePalma Jr. 5-11 239 DL
Derrick Fiore Jr. 5-10 178 DB
Skyler Fransko So. 5-10 145 K
Damond Goggins Jr. 5-8 179 LB
Dylan Patch Jr. 5-10 183 ATH
Neal Rands Jr. 6-0 181 LB
Ryan Rosenfeld Sr. 5-10 162 WR

South Fayette
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Dan Black Sr. 5-11 245 C
Christian Brumbaugh Jr. 6-3 195 QB
Tyler Challingsworth Jr. 5-10 150 DB
Tanner Cortad Jr. 6-3 200 LB
Jeff Davis Jr. 5-10 165 RB
Nick Faraci Jr. 6-3 250 OG/DT
Jon Gardner Sr. 5-7 170 WR/LB
Steve McElhinny Sr. 6-0 235 OT/DE
Eric Myers Jr. 6-1 190 TE
Justin Ramous Sr. 6-0 160 DB
Ryan Ross Sr. 5-9 180 WR
Nolan Spicer Jr. 6-3 230 OT/DE
Chris Williams Sr. 6-0 170 LB

Trinity
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Dusty Avolio Sr. 6-0 165 WR
Ty Billie Jr. 6-1 180 P
Ben Brownlee Sr. 6-5 231 OT
Lashawn Bryant Sr. 5-10 270 DL
Joe Havrilak Sr. 6-0 175 DB
Hunter Landock Sr. 6-0 330 OG
Kyle McWreath Jr. 6-0 225 LB
Ryan Moore Sr. 6-4 285 OT
Larry Woods Sr. 5-10 175 LB

Washington
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Julien Anderson Jr. 6-1 183 WR/DB
Zach Barnes Jr. 6-1 220 FB/LB
Marquis Brown Sr. 5-10 160 QB/DB
Laquan Edwards Sr. 5-11 249 OL/LB
Luke Pleta Sr. 5-11 235 OL/DT
Bryan Thomas Sr. 6-4 230 TE/DE

Waynesburg
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Matt Kabay Sr. 6-0 160 DB
John Sinnott Sr. 6-1 230 RB
Mark Stillwagon Sr. 5-7 155 LB

West Greene
Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Curtis Jones So. 5-10 185 RB/LB
Dillon Main Jr. 6-0 160 RB/DB

New basketball coaches for 2009-10

Boys
Fort Cherry – Brent Fleissner
Washington – Mark Gaither (pictured)
Waynesburg – Dave Sarra


Girls
Jefferson-Morgan – Ellen Hildebrand
McGuffey – Amanda Burchett
Monessen – Gina Naccarato
Peters Township – Kyra Kaylor
Trinity – Jackie Kotchman

2008-09 O-R All-District Basketball

Boys Player of the Year – Nick Wilcox, Peters Township

Boys All-District
Big School (AAAA-AAA)
First team
Name, School Yr. Pos. Avg.
Dave Bassi, Ringgold Sr. F 15.0
Kionte Davis, Canon-McMillan So. G 15.1
Steve Radke, Peters Township Sr. C 8.7
Nick Wilcox, Peters Township Sr. G/F 21.2
Craig Wolcott, Peters Township Jr. G 14.8

Second team
Name, School Yr. Pos. Avg.
Matt Czulewicz, McGuffeySr. F 11.4
Chad Hagan, Canon-McMillan Jr. F 13.0
Phil Horensky, Peters Township Jr. G 5.0
Sean McKnight, Trinity Sr. F 10.5
Josh Valentic, Trinity So. G 13.2

Small School (AA-A)
First team
Name, School Yr. Pos. Avg.
Robert Anderson, Washington Sr. G 11.2
Zach Bellhy, Fort Cherry Sr. G 22.5
Nick Bryant, Washington Sr. G 17.1
Mike Lamberti, South Fayette So. F 15.6
Troy Wilson, Washington Jr. F 13.7

Second team
Name, School Yr. Pos. Avg.
Mike Burroughs, South Fayette Jr. C 10.7
Ian McCombs, Carmichaels Sr. F 13.0
Ryne Niemiec, Beth-Center Sr. G 24.2
Eli Obade, Charleroi Sr. C 16.4
Joe Silko, South Fayette Sr. G 10.5


Girls Player of the Year – Emily Correal, Peters Township

Girls All-District
Big School (AAAA-AAA)
First team
Name, School Yr. Pos. Avg.
Emily Correal, Peters Township Sr. C 20.3
Danielle Gilmore, Trinity Sr. G 10.0
Samantha Higgins, Peters Township Sr. F
Emily Schartner, Ringgold Sr. G 17.5
Elise Schober, McGuffey Sr. G 11.9

Second team
Name, School Yr. Pos. Avg.
Jennie Affinito, Ringgold Sr. G 10.0
Emily Hansen, Canon-McMillan So. G 10.2
Chelsea McWreath, Trinity Sr. G 9.0
Ashley Morran, Trinity Jr. F 11.8
Marissa Pattison, McGuffey Jr. G 13.1

Small School (AA-A)
First team
Name, School Yr. Pos. Avg.
Jordan Duke, Carmichaels Sr. F 17.0
Jocelyn Floyd, Washington Sr. G/F 20.8
Marissa Miles, Fort Cherry Sr. G 16.5
Megan Sowers, Beth-Center Jr. G 15.0
Joelle Yamber, Avella Sr. C 11.7

Second team
Name, School Yr. Pos. Avg.
Chelsea Evans, Washington Jr. G 10.2
Kaitlyn Novak, Mapletown Sr. G 15.4
Aly Lee, Charleroi Sr. G 12.8
Paige Uram, South Fayette Sr. G 10.5
Sidney Walter, Fort Cherry Sr. G 9.2

Alderson leaves C-H baseball

Dan Alderson, the most successful baseball coach in Chartiers-Houston High School history, had his resignation accepted by the school board Monday night.

Alderson went 133-44 in nine seasons as Bucs head coach. He spent the previous six years as an assistant with the baseball team. During his tenure as head coach, Alderson won three section titles and coached in two PIAA Class A semifinals and the 2005 WPIAL championship game at Consol Energy Park.

"Most people enjoy fishing, hunting and golfing," Alderson said Tuesday. "This was my fishing, hunting and golfing. It's something I had a passion for."

Alderson resigned to spend more time with his two daughters, Kaci (8) and Kelli (3). Alderson's wife Tricia coaches the Chartiers-Houston softball team.

For more details, read Wednesday's Observer-Reporter.

APB, Where Are They Now?

Our last All Points Bulletin, issued for former California High School boys basketball player Shane Tonkavitch, was answered by Tonkavitch himself. Thanks for the update Shane and best of luck to you.

This week, we're looking for former Canon-McMillan boys basketball player Justin Moore.

Moore's story was an interesting one. He started for Bethel Park as a freshman before he ended up at Canon-McMillan, where his transfer made headlines sparked meetings with the WPIAL.

A talented power forward, Moore experienced an up-and-down varsity career with the Big Macs and he landed in prep school. From there, Moore matriculated to Division II Edinboro University, where he was a key player for the Fighting Scots.

Anyone knowing Moore's whereabouts is urged to contact The Varsity Letters.

A different list

Checking for stats on MaxPreps.com and a link caught my attention. Got to wonder if the writer watched all these games.

http://www.maxpreps.com/news/WVoYed1GEd6UswAcxJTdpg/pennsylvania--ranking-the-high-school-football-title-games-from-w-pa.htm

All-State/All-WPIAL soccer

The following local players earned All-State and All-WPIAL soccer honors. Both are determined by coaches.

Boys
All-State
Nate Troscinski, Peters Township

All-WPIAL
Ryan Bowen, Peters Township
Charlie Swisher, Peters Township
Doug Perino, Canon-McMillan
Brandon Malloy, Beth-Center
Zach Hamilton, Chartiers-Houston

Girls
All-State
Megan Junker, Peters Township
Shelli Spamer, Peters Township
Taylor Schram, Canon-McMillan

All-WPIAL
Taylor Parisse, Canon-McMillan
Marissa Pattison, McGuffey
Devon Burkholder, Peters Township
Heather Holeva, South Fayette
Amanda Hill, Trinity

Hoopfest

The Special Olympics partners with members of the Tri-County Athletic Directors Association and the Observer-Reporter each year to sponsor Hoopfest, a collection of high school basketball games featuring many of the area's top teams. All proceeds benefit Special Olympics.

Hoopfest takes place on Saturday, Dec. 19 and this year the event will be held at three venues – Washington High School, Monessen High School and Laurel Highlands High School.

The schedule is:
at Washington High School
6 p.m. – Washington boys vs. Trinity
4 p.m. – Washington girls vs. Peters Twp.
2 p.m. – Peters Township boys vs. Burgettstown
Noon – Fort Cherry boys vs. Chartiers-Houston

at Monessen High School
6 p.m. – Monessen boys vs. Canon-McMillan
4 p.m. – Monessen girls vs. Fort Cherry
2 p.m. – McGuffey boys vs. West Greene
Noon – McGuffey girls vs. Jefferson-Morgan

at Laurel Highlands High School
3:15 p.m. – Albert Gallatin boys vs. Mapletown
1:30 p.m. – Chartiers-Houston girls vs. West Greene
Noon – Albert Gallatin girls vs. Laurel Highlands