More expected from C-H after lengthy postseason run
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter Chartiers-Houston's Jala Walker races down the court past Carylnton's Lexi Kowal during the first half of Tuesday night's game.
Alexa Williamson from Chartiers-Houston grabbed Rookie of the Year honors.
The Prexies’ Tajah Gordon, left, is one of three returning starters from the Prexies’ section championship team of a year ago.
Chartiers-Houston’s Alexa Williamson fights for possession of the ball with Bishop Canevin Sarah Green during PIAA AA girls basketball playoff action last year. Williamson, along with three other starters, returns for the Bucs this season.
When Chartiers-Houston head coach Laura Montecalvo thinks her players need a little boost during conditioning drills, she only needs to mention one score: 69-49.
The Bucs suffered the 20-point loss to section rival Bishop Canevin in the PIAA Class AA quarterfinals last March, abruptly ending their unlikely playoff run and the most successful season in program history. Chartiers-Houston won 19 games, earned the seventh seed from the WPIAL in the state playoffs and pulled off two upsets when it got there.
The success was not forgotten because of the loss, but as they try to replicate the run, the Bucs aren’t settling for being among the top-eight teams in the state.
“They all know and they all remember,” Montecalvo said of the loss to Bishop Canevin. “I think sometimes you can learn the most from losing like that. It’s been a great motivation in the offseason and in the preseason. It’s something we’re looking forward to and having another crack at it here.”
Of the eight players who appeared in that PIAA quarterfinal loss, five return this season, including four starters and one of the most promising post players in the WPIAL.
Alexa Williamson, a 6-1 sophomore forward, will lead C-H on both ends of the floor after averaging 21 points and 12 rebounds as a freshman. The Observer-Reporter all-district first-team selection grabbed double-digit rebounds in three of the Bucs’ four state playoff games, including 15 in back-to-back games.
Williamson did it all while relying on a raw skillset, so she worked throughout the summer to find more touch from within 10 feet of the basket to keep defenses honest.
“We work a lot on that to try to pull defenses out of the paint and make her a threat from other areas of the court,” Montecalvo said. “She’s come a long way. I think it’s going to be a pleasant surprise to her, and maybe not such a pleasant surprise to other people, with some of the things she’ll be a little better at this year.”
The Bucs could be better in every phase after starting three freshmen and a sophomore in the postseason, but they did suffer a few losses. Jalynn Myers, who quarterbacked the offense at point guard, and Megan Kraushaar, a reserve guard, graduated.
In an offense that will need to distribute the basketball and overcome its struggles against pressure defenses, the Bucs needed a dynamic point guard to replace Myers – one who can aggressively drive to the basket to create shots for Chartiers-Houston’s experienced players. Insert Jala Walker, who averaged 12 points and 12 rebounds as a sophomore last season. A two-year starter, Walker improved her ball-handling skills and worked with Montecalvo on how to handle pressure defenses – a problem that goes back to the loss to Bishop Canevin
Improvement has been made, but unlike last season, when the young Bucs under their first-year head coach shocked the WPIAL, no one will overlook C-H this time.
The focus could be on Williamson, Walker or the rest of a lineup that made timely shots and clutch plays on defense in the postseason, but Montecalvo is reminding them that the scrappy, relentless brand of basketball they played last season is what it takes to succeed.
“I told the kids that people are going to be expecting a lot more from them this year,” Montecalvo said. “That’s not a bad thing, but I think it’s important for them to keep in mind what got us there and not try to do anything that’s out of our abilities.”
The road back won’t be easy in Section 3-AA, which features Seton-La Salle and Bishop Canevin. The two played for the WPIAL title and the Rebels lost in the PIAA final, but it’s that rugged schedule that prepared the Bucs for a lengthy playoff run.
They just hope the results are different this time.
Washington
The Prexies won the Section 4-AA title despite having a six-player rotation and only three seniors. The program did not field a junior varsity team the past two years, but they’ll need one now.
Wash High has eight freshman and just three seniors on the varsity roster. Those seniors were a pivotal part of the preliminary round playoff win over Shenango. The Prexies will rely on seniors Tajah Gordon, Mikala Maltoney and Nicole Hoffman, and possibly two freshmen starters.
“I think people will be surprised by us, actually,” Wash High head coach Mike Maltoney said. “Winning the section last year with what we had was a big accomplishment. A lot of people didn’t realize it. We had some good players, but we weren’t deep and that hurt us. We can have a good rotation where we get some people in and give people a break if we need to.”
Bentworth
The Bearcats fell short of the playoffs last season with a 9-13 record, including a stretch of seven consecutive losses, and lost leading scorer Reilly Skerbetz to graduation.
Heather Chester, Morgan Vickless, and Tori Cicci are among the players expected to contribute for first-year head coach Ashley Clawson.
Beth-Center
The Bulldogs finished second in Section 4-AA and won a preliminary round playoff game, but also lost leading scorer and point guard Anna Bartman, who averaged 20 points per game. Sophomore point guard Kinlee Whited is one of the key returners. Sophomore Kennedy Kuhns is the only other returning starter.
Burgettstown
The Blue Devils missed the playoffs after finishing with a 10-12 record, including 3-9 in Section 3-AA, but they do return forward Katie Tarr, who averaged 10 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
Kacie Presko is also back after chipping in 5.5 points per game. Malia Castellino and Darian Transue are also expected to play key roles.
Carmichaels
The Mikes experienced growing pains in their first year back in Class AA after moving up in classification, but young players gained experience through a 9-13 season.
Caroline Cree is gone after averaging 20 points per game. Sophomores Megan Walker and Kristina Aeschbacher, along with junior Natalie McNett, are among the players expected to pick up some of the scoring slack.
Charleroi
First-year head coach Kevin Lee has plenty of talent returning. The Cougars had only two seniors last season, so the bulk of a roster that reached the WPIAL playoffs is back.
Adrianna Gottheld, Kaitlyn Riley, Aislyn Lee and Sierra Short, who could miss time because of an injury, are returning starters from a team that won 12 games.
Waynesburg
The Raiders missed the playoffs with a 2-15 record but their leading scorer, senior Kirsten Garber, is back and they only lost one senior from last year’s team, so imporvement should be at hand.