Familiar foes: California holds off Charleroi
Charleroi’s Sam Micelli, left, and Errict Tedrow fight for control of the ball with California’s John DeFranco during the final minutes of Monday night’s game. California won 63-60.
Charleroi’s Sam Miceli shoots during the first half of Monday night’s game against California.
California’s Kass Taylor passes to Ben Wilson during the second half against Charleroi. Wilson scored 20 points in the game with Taylor adding 19. Taylor is one point away from scoring his 1,000 career point.
The California boys basketball team cheers as a Trojan player scores and is fouled during the second half of Monday night’s game against Charleroi.
CALIFORNIA – California High School boys basketball coach Bruno Pappasergi and his Chaleroi counterpart Bill Wiltz are no strangers, having coached together for 30 years.
That likely led to a close game when their teams met Monday night in a non-section game that the Trojans held on to win, 63-60, on their home court.
“That was a great game and it was hard-fought,” said Pappasergi. “Billy’s press gave us a hard time but our kids made the plays at the end of the game that had to be made.
“I am very proud of them.”
Likewise, California’s man press caused Charleroi (2-3) fits.
“We had way too many turnovers and their man pressure took us out of what we like to do,” Wiltz said. “This is on me, though, as we have to work on our man offense more as we have seen a lot of zone.”
In addition to Pappasergi and Wiltz coaching together for 30 years, both of Pappasergi’s assistants, his son Chad and Taylor Andrisko, played for the pair at Charleroi.
What did it mean to Pappasergi to beat Wiltz?
“It means that he taught me well coming up as his assistant,” he said. “We have been in the game together for a long time and it showed that we know what to do against each other.”
California senior Kass Taylor scored 19 points and had 10 rebounds for the Trojans (5-1) but came up one point shy of scoring his 1,000th career point.
Pappasergi pointed out how Taylor is the ultimate team player and was not forcing things early when Charleroi worked hard to take him out of the game.
“That’s Kass,” Pappasergi said. “He has never been selfish and he told the team before the game that this group of seniors had never beaten Charleroi.”
With Taylor being patient, his teammates came through as Ben Wilson led the team with 20 points.
Charleroi came out strong in the first quarter and held a 17-10 lead in the closing moments until J.C. Conaway hit a three at the buzzer to trim the lead to 17-13 heading into the second quarter.
A Wilson three to start the second quarter trimmed Cal’s deficit to 17-16, but Charleroi went on a 6-0 run to take a 23-16 lead.
The Trojans followed with a 12-2 run to close the half with Taylor stealing a pass and dunking a second before the buzzer to give California a 28-25 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, Cal used another run, this time 8-2, to open a 38-31 lead with 2:40 to play in the third, and the Trojans led 42-35 heading into the fourth quarter.
Charleroi chipped away at the lead early in the fourth, but a 9-2 run by the Trojans made the score 57-46 with 4:05 remaining in the game.
However, Charleroi would not go away and went on a 13-2 run to tie the score at 59-59 with 1:13 to go on a Dremar Everette free throw.
Taylor hit a bucket with 54 seconds left to give the Trojans a one-point lead, and, after a Charleroi turnover, John DeFranco made two free throws to give the hosts a 63-60 lead with 10 seconds to go.
Charleroi pushed for a last shot and Caleb Carson’s three-point attempt from the corner went in and out.
Taylor grabbed the rebound as time expired to secure the win.
DeFranco joined Wilson and Taylor in double figures with 11, while Sam Miceli (19), Everette (15), Carson (11), and Errict Tedrow reached double figures for Charleroi with Everette adding 11 rebounds.