Observer-Reporter Athlete of the Week
Name: Ethan Beachy
School: Canon-McMillan
Class: Senior
Sport: Basketball
Beachy’s week: Continuing the late-season success into the postseason, Beachy helped lead Canon-McMillan to a pair of unexpected victories.
In the opening round of the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs, Beachy scored 14 points as the Big Macs rallied from a 10-point deficit to start the fourth quarter to defeat No. 10 North Allegheny in overtime, 61-59.
“Being in that position before helped a lot,” Beachy said of deficits the Big Macs have faced in the past. They rallied from a double-digit deficit to defeat Peters Township late in the season and came back from 22 points in a section game last year against Bethel Park.
“We always talk about doing the little things. Coming back, you just have to get it done. We’ve learned from falling in those situations before. I had no doubts we were going to make a push. It was just a matter of if we had enough time left.”
Beachy then led all scorers with 25 points in Saturday’s quarterfinal upset of second-seeded Latrobe, 83-62, handing the Wildcats their first loss to a WPIAL team all season.
“We knew their game plan going into it,” Beachy said. “We knew what (Latrobe) wanted to do. We knew what we had to do, got it done and earned the big win. I was getting those easy layups and getting fouled. The points kept adding up. It felt great.”
Streaking: The two playoff victories that advanced Canon-McMillan into the semifinals for the first time in school history extended its winning streak to seven games.
The Big Macs also clinched a spot in the PIAA tournament.
“This is the first time we’ve played our way in,” said Canon-McMillan coach Rick Bell. “The other two times since I’ve been here we relied on others to pull us in. We earned it; that’s why it’s gratifying. We’ve done it.”
Beachy was one of four players for C-M to reach double figures against Latrobe, avenging a loss in the second game of the regular season to the Wildcats. Three players finished with double-digit point totals against North Allegheny.
“I was really happy for him because there have been times this year where he has struggled with his shot,” Bell said of Beachy. “We’ve continued to tell him, ‘Shooters shoot.’ He knows how to score.”