O-R Athlete of the Week: Shane Cornali, Fort Cherry

Name: Shane Cornali
School: Fort Cherry
Grade: Senior
Sport: Basketball
Cornali’s week: Five points was all Cornali needed to reach 1,000 for his high school basketball career entering last Tuesday’s matchup with Jefferson-Morgan.
He wanted to achieve the milestone on his home court and he got it out of the way quickly with the 1,000th point coming on a steal and score.
“I was wondering how it was going to happen,” Cornali said. “I was happy I didn’t have a big number. If it was in the teens or something I would’ve been worried I wouldn’t get it that night.”
Turns out he would’ve, because he finished with 19 points and 22 rebounds in a 47-43 win over the Rockets, who came into the night unbeaten in Class 2A Section 3 play.
Following a stoppage to celebrate achieving 1,000 points, during which he got a basketball that he gave to his mom in the stands, Cornali went back to work and helped Fort Cherry earn an important victory.
“I thought it was going to be tough stopping the game, because that could stop the momentum, but it really wasn’t for us,” Cornali said. “I feel like it helped us, because we were in good rhythm before the game stopped and we were able to continue it and play fast.”
A few days later, he posted another double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds in a win over West Greene, capping off an impressive week.
With those two wins Fort Cherry put itself right in the thick of the section title race.
“It feels like we’re getting back to where we should be, winning games,” Cornali said. “That (West Greene) game was a tough one, because we started the game off really hot, but they started to close in during the second and third quarters. They took the lead at one point, but we were able to get it done in the end.”
Surging forward: For the second year in a row Fort Cherry is coming off a WPIAL Class A football championship and going right into basketball, so there’s some experience with jumping right from one sport to another.
That doesn’t make it any easier, however.
Cornali said it’s taken some time to get back into basketball mode, but the Rangers, who made it to the state semifinals last year, have won five straight.
“I think we’re getting to a place where the chemistry is good and the pace of play is improving,” Cornali said.
Four-sport athlete: Cornali’s future in athletics is on the football field, and he has several offers, including Robert Morris, Edinboro and Clarion, but in high school he has a sport for every season.
In fact he participates in two in the spring.
He’s a left fielder on the Fort Cherry baseball team and he runs track. He was a member of the Rangers’ 4×100 relay team that won state gold last spring.
Playing two sports in one season is hectic, but Cornali has found a good balance.
“The coaches are pretty good for both sports,” Cornali said. “They are lenient about splitting up practice time if I have to go from one sport to another on the same day. There weren’t any big conflicts last year, so it worked out.”
Farm living: When Cornali isn’t playing sports, he’s likely working at his family’s farm.
There’s always plenty to do when he has time to help out.
“We raise pretty much everything,” Cornali said. “Cows, pigs, goats, chickens. We pretty much got it all here.”
Compiled by Jerin Steele.