Feb 27, 2015 4 min read

For the first time since 2007, a public school will be crowned WPIAL Class A boys basketball champions. Monessen and Jeannette will meet tonight at the Petersen Event Center at 7 p.m. with the title on the line.

Both coaches would not have it any other way.

“Having two public schools in the mix of this is even better,” Monessen head coach Joe Salvino said. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I’m saying anything about the other schools, but they get to do things that public schools cannot do.”

Jeannette head coach Adrian Batts agreed.

“There are so many catholic schools and charter schools that you don’t really think about it too much until you are a part of it. It’s very good for both communities,” Batts said. “The kids grew up going to these schools since they started so it’s pretty good for Jeannette and Monessen.”

Salvino drew applause and criticism last season with his comments leading up to the Greyhounds’ title game matchup against Lincoln Park, a charter school which featured Elijah Minnie and Maverick Rowan, one of the top Division I prospects in the Class of 2016.

Though people from catholic and charter schools pointed the finger at Salvino, his point is difficult to ignore. Parody has not been evident in Class A. Since Leechburg won the championship in 2007 by defeating California, public schools have not won the gold. Lincoln Park, Vincentian Academy and Sewickley Academy have each won two titles.

Regardless of the system and its drawbacks, Monessen and Salvino are making history.

Salvino has reached the WPIAL playoffs in all 31 seasons as head coach of the Greyhounds. This will be his 10th appearance in the WPIAL championship game and he’s captured four titles as head coach.

Batts is following a similar model of success at Jeannette where his son, Julian, will be the key to tonight’s game. Julian Batts, a four-year starter, is the school’s second all-time leading scorer with more than 1,700 points.

He’s averaging 23 points, 10 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game for Jeannette, which has won 12 of its last 13 games. A lefty 6-0 guard, Batts has led the Jayhawks to wins over Riverview, North Catholic and Eden Christian to reach the title game.

“Batts is obviously a big key for them,” Salvino said. “There’s no doubt about it. He’s a good player, he handles the ball, he does most of their scoring, so if we can control him and take care of the other players, I think we should be okay. That is still a task. It doesn’t just happen. You have to play good defense and make him do things he doesn’t normally do.”

If Batts is the key for Jeannette, what do the Jayhawks have to do to beat Monessen?

Head coach Adrian Batts thinks he has the answer to that question. Jeannette lost the regular season meeting against the Greyhounds, 70-58, but the Jayhawks were decimated with injuries and lacked the experience to handle Monessen’s combination of pressure on defense and incredible speed on offense.

Containing Lavalle Rush, Justice Rice, Jaden Altomore and Noah Rullo will be paramount.

“It’s going to be a different game,” Batts said. “They have some very good players. They have four very good guards. They’ll pressure and they are capable of scoring the ball. We have to handle the pressure, rebound, take care of the ball and I think we’ll have a legit shot.”

This is the first time the two teams have met in a playoff game since 2011 when Monessen defeated Jeannette, 61-60, in the WPIAL Class AA quarterfinals. The Greyhounds went on to win the WPIAL title before losing in the state semifinals.

Though the players are different, the styles of play are the same.

It will all add up to an extremely exciting game at The Pete tonight.

“I think it could be a track meet. It’s going to be a competitive game,” Batts said. “I hate to say it will be a playground type game because kids don’t play on the playground much often, but it will be something like an AAU game where two good teams are playing against each other. It should be exciting. There aren’t too many big guys on their team and we have one, so it will be more guards than anything.”