Bongiorni ruled ineligible by WPIAL

The WPIAL Board of Control ruled Thursday that Dylan Bongiorni, who transferred from Burgettstown to West Allegheny in January, is ineligible for sports because the move was made, at least in part, for athletic purposes.

Bongiorni left Burgettstown nine games into the basketball season. He was averaging 19.7 points per game and left the team in the midst of a four-game stretch in five days. The sophomore was also the Blue Devils' starting quarterback the past two seasons and passed for more than 1,000 yards as a freshman.

Bongiorni can not play sports for West Allegheny until one year from the transfer date.

West Allegheny can appeal the WPIAL's decision to the PIAA Board of Control.

Stepoli transfers to GCC

Monessen's chances of qualifying for the PIAA Class AA boys basketball playoffs a fourth consecutive year took a hit when sophomore forward/center Josh Stepoli left the team late last week and transfered to Greensburg Central Catholic.

Stepoli averaged a double-double for Monessen, the second-place team in Section 5-AA with a 9-2 record. The Greyhounds are 13-4 overall and on a two-game win streak after being blown out at home by Washington.

Monessen, which plays up in classification and plans to stay in Class AA according to head coach Joe Salvino, already clinched a spot in the WPIAL playoffs.

His brother, Terrance Stepoli, quit the basketball team in early January and previously transfered to Greensburg Central Catholic. His sister Samone Stepoli was cited for disorderly conduct last week for her role in a fight that took place during halftime of a boys basketball game between Washington and Monessen Jan. 29.

Thinking out loud

The Observer-Reporter has learned that Trinity football coach and athletic director Ed Dalton is a finalist for the varsity football coaching position at Norwin High School.

Norwin finished 5-5 in 2009 with a 2-4 record in the Class AAAA Foothills Conference.

Dan Conwell previously coached at Norwin.

* With the recent transfers of Dylan Bongiorni (pictured) from Burgettstown to West Allegheny, which happened Friday, and Terrance Stepoli from Monessen to Greensburg Central Catholic, expect significant backlash.

It's already begun in Burgettstown, which, arguably, lost its best high school athlete.

Bongiorni started at quarterback as a freshman and sophomore for the Blue Devils and, with Burgettstown moving up to Class AA, his absence will be felt. Through 10 games with the Burgettstown basketball team, Bongiorni averaged 19.7 points per game.

Burgettstown is not expected to sign off on the transfer, which means a meeting with the WPIAL Board of Control is likely to determine if the transfer was for athletic intent. Burgettstown athletic director Jon Vallina and boys basketball coach Brendan Cypher both said that the move to West Allegheny was something they've heard since Bongiorni's freshman year, repeatedly.

Monessen athletic director John Sacco said the school won't contest the transfer of Stepoli, who was kicked off the boys basketball team during a loss at Washington on Jan. 5. Stepoli, like Bongiorni, was also a starting quarterback for the football team.

Since Stepoli's departure, Monessen is 7-0.

* Got to feel bad for the Ringgold girls basketball team and chances are head coach Nick Mandich feels jinxed.

First, standout forward Alina Selby suffers a season-ending knee injury five games into the season. Selby didn't play as a junior with a knee injury suffered last the 2008 volleyball season. Then, Ringgold lost point guard Alana Resanovich with a knee injury. Resanovich also missed time last year due to injury.

With those two, Ringgold looked primed to contend for third or fourth place in Section 4-AAAA behind heavyweights Mt. Lebanon and Bethel Park.

Hooks at Aliquippa

Zach Hooks started the 2009-10 school year at Charleroi High School armed with a full scholarship offer from the University of Pittsburgh football team. The 6-7, 290 junior has the size and footwork of a major Division I offensive lineman.

Hooks struggled through the Cougars' football season despite Charleroi coming this close to making the WPIAL Class AA playoffs from the Interstate Conference, which produced WPIAL champion and PIAA runner-up Greensburg Central Catholic. The possible Division I lineman failed to make his all-conference team.

A starting center as a sophomore on Charleroi's basketball team, Hooks never appeared in a game for the Cougars and reports surfaced that he transfered to Aliquippa. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/s_661442.html

On Jan. 12, Scout.com did a feature story on Hooks, who was participating in the U.S. Army Scouting Combine in San Antonio, Texas and refers to him as "Charleroi (Pa.) junior offensive tackle/defensive tackle."
http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p=2&c=937117&ssf=1&RequestedURL=http%3a%2f%2frecruiting.scout.com%2f2%2f937117.html

Judging from today's Post-Gazette, it's safe to say the Valley Independent's story on the Aliquippa transfer was correct.http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10020/1029548-364.stm