Swart scores 48, gets one final win at home
Washington’s Nate Swart goes for two of his game-high 48 points at the Washington-Greene County High School Senior All-Star Game Friday night at Washington High School.
The white team’s assistant coach Shane Tankavitch and head coach Drew Denham shake hands with Ringgold’s Jared Yahnite and Chartiers-Houston’s Matthew Macek during the first half of the Washington-Greene County High School Senior All-Star Game Friday.
The red team’s Clayton Yeates of Peters Township gets two points for his team during the first half of the all-star game.
Anything you can do, Nate Swart will try to do better. At least, that’s what he thinks.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a drill in practice, an all-star dunk contest or a game, Swart, the Washington High School senior hates to lose.
Though his high school basketball career won’t officially end until after he plays in the Roundball Classic later this month, Swart wanted to win one more game on his home court.
During school Friday afternoon, he even told a teammate that he planned to score 50 points in the Washington-Greene County High School Senior All-Star game – whatever it took to leave Wash High with a victory.
Well, he didn’t quite reach 50, but the University of Toledo football recruit came close and got his wish. Swart scored a game-high 48 points – one shy of the game record – to help the White team walk away with a 119-115 victory in the 32nd year of the event.
California’s John Tyler scored 49 points in the 2011 game, which was played at Trinity High School.
“With this being my last game at this gym and to do it in this game, this is pretty special,” Swart said. “It was a special night.”
It certainly was. Swart scored 23 points in the first half and 25 in the second. It was enough to earn him the Most Valuable Player award for his team. Peters Township’s Nick Valentic won the honor for the White with a team-high 31 points.
As Swart used his 6-4, 225-pound frame to move defenders through the post for easy baskets, his head coach for the game, Drew Denham, wasn’t surprised. Denham, a former standout at Mapletown who played in this all-star game in 2003, guarded Swart in practice this week.
Like the White team Friday night, it didn’t go well for Denham.
“Nate wasn’t going to let our team lose,” Denham said. “He was a man among boys tonight. You could see in practice that he’s a guy that loves to constantly compete, even in drills at practice. He probably grabbed 20 rebounds tonight, too. He’s a special athlete.”
Wash High’s Markel Pulliam chipped in 22 points, McGuffey’s Shaun Sanders had 15 and Waynesburg’s Ronnie Howard 11 for the Red, which led 59-57 at halftime.
The lead was traded throughout the second half and Valentic, who also won the three-point shootout, gave the White a two-point advantage with just over five minutes remaining with a three-point play.
Swart answered by scoring 13 of his team’s final 19 points to secure the win. Though he averaged 16.1 points per game as a sophomore for Wash High, Swart’s scoring decreased the past two years.
Nights like Friday were never on his mind as a stout defender in the Prexies’ zone defense, but Swart didn’t mind. All Swart cares about is winning and Wash High did a lot of that this season – reaching the second round of the PIAA playoffs and eclipsing the 20-win plateau.
“When I was scoring, our teams weren’t very good,” Swart said. “I was happy with what we did the last two years. I didn’t care about the poitns. I’m glad I got to go out the way I did with a great season.”
Peters Township head coach Gary Goga, who coached the White, was happy to end the basketball season the way he did – coaching a group of seniors who helped the Indians reach the playoffs.
Valentic was followed in double figures by Clayton Yeates with 23 points. Kelson Marisa added 13 and Ben Doyle, who won the dunk contest, had 17 to represent the Indians. McGuffey’s Nick Haynes and Wash High’s Anthony Popeck each chipped in 13 points for the White.
Peters Township’s big night included 15 second-half points from Yeates.
“My group of seniors was a special group,” Goga said. “They’re a great group of kids from great families. It was a pleasure to coach them one more time. It was a heckuva honor. This game wasn’t nearly as pressure-filled as our section games, but it was definitely competitive.”