Malik Hooker is ranked by many as the best all around basketball player in the WPIAL and he is the best player on New Castle’s (26-0) third consecutive WPIAL AAAA championship team. The Red Hurricanes beat Hampton (22-4) 55-49 Saturday night at Duquesne University’s Palumbo Center.
There is no numerical measurement for pain, not in time, not in distance. But it’s safe to say the 15 members of the Hampton Talbots boy’s basketball team won’t soon recover from their agonizing loss to New Castle.
Hampton jumped out to a 13-2 lead and had their site set on upsetting their nemesis. The Talbots and Red Hurricanes have become accustomed to playing each other for the WPIAL championship. This is the third year in a row that they met in the finals.
Give the Talbots defense a ton of credit. For the most part, they held the talented Hooker in check. The Ohio State football recruit, who averages 23 points per game, was held to only 6 points.
With Ben Roethlisberger and Jamie Dixon watching from courtside, the Red Hurricanes led by the Allen brothers Stew and Drew battled back. Stew, who will play football at Duquesne University next year, had 18 points and Drew, who will play football at Robert Morris next year, had 14 points.
The game seesawed back and forth until a breakaway monster dunk late in the game by Hooker put the final dagger in the heart of the Talbots.
Several Hampton players openly sobbed, some on the court, more once they left. Even in the handshake line after this game, the players moved briskly through. They couldn’t be seen speaking or making eye contact. But once that was done, the Red Hurricanes celebrated in a manner befitting a team that had just capped off three straight WPIAL championships.
Perhaps with an asterisk.
In 2012, New Castle and Hampton both played in the WPIAL AAA classification and many basketball historians believed that they wanted no part of the Gateway basketball dynasty who won back-to-back WPIAL AAAA championships in 2011 and 2012.
Ryan Luther, Collin Luther and Hampton experienced déjà vu again on Saturday. Ryan Luther, a Pitt Basketball recruit led Hampton with 18 points.
“We were all aware of how great Gateway was in 2012,” said Ryan Luther. “I’m not sure why we waited until 2013 to make the move to AAAA. I come from a very competitive family. All my uncles played football and basketball. My cousin is Mike Shanahan who was a starting receiver for Pitt. My brother and I gave up playing football to concentrate on winning a basketball championship and New Castle beat us 3 times this year. Maybe we will face them again in the (PIAA) state tournament.”
The Red Hurricane is a disaster in the West but only a mild drizzle when it travels East.
After failing to win a state championship in 2012 and 2013, if New Castle doesn’t win the PIAA title in 2014 they would have to be labeled as overrated.
The running rebels used superior athletic ability to win
With the great Sam “Bam’ Clancy watching, senior point guard Dale Clancy led Seton LaSalle Catholic (24-1) to a 52-51 WPIAL AAA championship victory over Greensburg Central Catholic (22-3).
Clancy led the Rebels with 16 points and ruled with an iron fist, because he yelled and screamed at his teammate and refused to lose.
Greensburg Central had the size advantage with, the coaches son, 6’8 Collin Bisignani posting in the paint. But athletic 6’6 Levi Masua did a great job at both ends of the court. Led both teams with 10 rebounds.
Centurions coach Greg Bisignani has refused to give any interviews since he was brought before the WPIAL Board of Control late in January for a hearing. The hearing was to determine if he made physical contact with an official after a game.
How would the ‘Running Rebels’ fare against the 1976 Undefeated Fifth Avenue PIAA State championship team?
“This area has produced a lot of great teams,” said Sam Clancy, former star on the ‘76’ championship Fifth Avenue team, Pitt basketball all star and 13-year NFL career. “There were a lot of good teams before 1976. We had a great team. We were big and athletic and could play above the rim. I also like DeJuan Blair’s 2007 team. They reminded me a lot of our team.”
With mighty Sam Clancy in attendance the ‘Running Rebels’ did not expect coach Bisignani to get physical after the game.
Omogrosso is the next great Blackhawk point guard
Junior point guard Chassidy Omogrosso, a Duquesne recruit, scored 17 points, rebounded, dished out assists, played defense and led Blackhawk (22-2) to a 62-55 WPIAL Class AAA championship victory over South Park (21-6).
Omogrosso, was perhaps the best since, Swin Cash, future NCAA champion at Connecticut, WNBA champ and Olympic gold medalist, had a performance in 1998 for the ages. She scored 40 points to lead McKessport to a 69-52 victory against North Allegheny in the WPIAL Class AAAA final at Pitt’s Field House.
Omogrosso is like a coach on the court and that is not surprising for a Blackhawk point guard. Sean and Archie Miller were great point guards at Blackhawk and are now successful Division I college basketball coaches.
By Grade, the Blackhawks’ girls basketball team does not appear to have much experience. There are only two seniors on the team and more that half the roster is made up of freshmen and sophomores. This team will be favored to win the championship again in 2015.
Senior Halle Denman has scored more than 1,000 career points and led the Cougars with 21 points. Allison McGrath led South Park with 19 points.
Penn Trafford makes history
The Palumbo center was a showcase for some familiar faces in the WPIAL championship games contested March 1, but it also saw some new champions’ step into the spotlight.
The Penn Trafford girls’ basketball team was flying high a week ago after finally earning its first trip to the WPIAL championship in school history. That moment of excitement was replaced with a quick dose of reality.
Penn Trafford (20-6) fought back from a 15-point deficit to win the schools first ever WPIAL AAAA championship 56-45 over Hempfield (17-9).
Hempfield had a comfortable 40-30 lead at the end of the third quarter and in the fourth the Spartans’ GPS System went down and they couldn’t find the basket.
Maria Palarino led the lady Warriors with 21 points and Monica Burns led the lady Spartans with 19 points.
Hempfield will play City League champion Obama Academy Friday in the first round of the PIAA playoffs.
Back to Back to Back for Vincentian
When you talk about offensive talent in the WPIAL, the first name in the conversation has to be Brenna Wise. At 6-foot-1, Wise often looks like an accomplished college player and not some young high school junior.
Wise scored 25 points, 13 rebounds and 6 block shots to led Vincentian (22-3) over Serra Catholic (23-3) 66-46 to win the WPIAL Class A championship for the third year in a row.
It is Wise strength and fortitude to push beyond limitations that allows her to maximize her potential, but she is not a one-lady show.
Super sophomore’s point guard Torrieonna Cash and Mala Joiner both had 11 points each. Katie Sieg led Serra with 14 points.
The defending champion lady Royals is a name that speaks for itself—She is the Queen of WPIAL basketball and whenever she plays the stars come out to watch.
“I was so impress with the talent on both Serra and Vincentian,” said coach Karen Hall, CCAC Women’s Basketball coach and WPIAL Hall of Famer. “I’m here to scout and I am pleased with the quality of play.”
Wise, Cash and Joiner are on a collision course for a state championship. And they will do it with class and quality.
PIAA Boys Basketball Tournament
The Associated Press
Matchups for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association boys basketball tournament, beginning with Saturday’s first round. First number is district and place, second is season record.
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CLASS AAAA
FIRST ROUND
Saturday, March 8
Chester (1-1, 22-5) vs. Carlisle (3-7, 18-8) at Lower Merion (1-2, 29-3) at Coatesville High School, 4:30 p.m.
Hazleton (2-1, 21-4) vs. Stroudsburg (11-3, 16-11) at Berwick Middle School, 5 p.m.
West Chester Rustin (1-4, 17-10) vs. Central York (3-4, 24-4) at Coatesville High School, 3 p.m.
Parkland (11-1, 21-5) vs. Central Bucks West (1-8, 15-12) at Bethlehem Freedom High School, 7:30 p.m.
Roman Catholic (12-1, 22-4) vs. Oxford (1-9, 22-7) at Archbishop Carroll High School, Radnor, 3:30 p.m.
Hershey (3-3, 18-8) vs. Lower Merion (1-5, 21-7) at Milton Hershey School’s Spartan Center, 5 p.m.
Conestoga (1-3, 24-5) vs. La Salle College (12-3, 19-6) at Spring-Ford High School, Royersford, 3 p.m.
Cedar Crest (3-2, 25-5) vs. Spring-Ford (1-7, 24-4) at Milton Hershey’s Spartan Center, 6:30 p.m.
York (3-1, 22-6) vs. Haverford (1-10, 16-11) at Dallastown High School, 6:30 p.m.
Emmaus (11-2, 18-8) vs. Abington (1-6, 22-5) at Parkland High School, Allentown, 7:30 p.m.
Pennsbury (1-2, 22-5) vs. Wilson (3-5, 26-3) at Council Rock South High School, Holland, 4:30 p.m.
Martin Luther King (12-2, 23-5) vs. Cumberland Valley (3-6, 19-7) at South Philadelphia High School, 3:30 p.m.
New Castle (7-1, 26-0) vs. Bethel Park (7-5, 18-6) at Chartiers Valley High School, Bridgeville, 3 p.m.
Altoona (6-1, 13-9) vs. North Allegheny (7-4, 21-4) at Hollidaysburg High School, 5:30 p.m.
Allderdice (8-1, 19-5) vs. Hampton (7-2, 22-4) at Obama Academy, Pittsburgh, 3 p.m.
McDowell (10-1, 22-3) vs. Kiski Area (7-3, 17-6) at General McLane High School, 4 p.m.
SECOND ROUND
Wednesday, March 12
QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, March 15
SEMIFINALS
Tuesday, March 18
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 22
At Giant Center, Hershey, 8 p.m.
CLASS AAA
FIRST ROUND
Friday, March 7
Neumann-Goretti (12-1, 22-4) vs. Berks Catholic (3-5, 24-5) at Archbishop Ryan High School, Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
Shamokin (4-1, 22-3) vs. GAR Memorial (2-3, 20-6) at Shikellamy Field House, Sunbury, 7:30 p.m.
Pittston (2-2, 18-8) vs. Bishop McDevitt (3-3, 26-2) at Wyoming Area Secondary Center, 6 p.m.
Allentown Central Catholic (11-1, 27-0) vs. West York (3-6, 24-4) at Allentown Allen High School, 7:30 p.m.
Abington Heights (2-1, 25-1) vs. Central Columbia (4-2, 17-7) at Lackawanna College, Scranton, 7:30 p.m.
Manheim Central (3-2, 24-4) vs. Archbishop Carroll (12-3, 21-4) at Garden Spot High School, New Holland, 8 p.m.
Philadelphia Electrical (12-2, 16-11) vs. Blue Mountain (11-3, 21-6) at Archbishop Carroll High School, Radnor, 7:30 p.m.
Holy Ghost Prep (1-1, 22-6) vs. Bermudian Springs (3-4, 22-4) at Cheltenham High School, Wyncote, 8 p.m.
Susquehanna Twp. (3-1, 19-7) vs. Imhotep Charter (12-3, 20-6) at Central Dauphin East High School, Harrisburg, 8 p.m.
Pottsville (11-2, 23-5) vs. Lower Moreland (1-2, 16-9) at Blue Mountain High School, Schuylkill Haven, 7 p.m.
Somerset (6-1, 16-8) vs. Lancaster Mennonite (3-7, 20-7) at Richland High School, Johnstown, 6 p.m.
Chartiers Valley (7-2, 24-2) vs. Strong Vincent (10-3, 17-8) at Baldwin High School, Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.
Central Valley (7-1, 22-3) vs. Mars (7-6, 15-9) at Moon High School, Coraopolis, 7:30 p.m.
Erie East (10-2, 20-5) vs. Thomas Jefferson (7-3, 22-3) at Mercyhurst University, Erie, 7:30 p.m.
Punxsutawney (9-1, 14-9) vs. Uniontown (7-4, 21-2) at DuBois Middle School, 7 p.m.
Farrell (10-1, 22-3) vs. Montour (7-5, 16-8) at Sharon High School, 7:30 p.m.
SECOND ROUND
Tuesday, March 11
QUARTERFINALS
Friday, March 14
SEMIFINALS
Tuesday, March 18
CHAMPIONSHIP
Friday, March 21
At Giant Center, Hershey, 8 p.m.
CLASS AA
FIRST ROUND
Saturday, March 8
Constitution (12-1, 23-5) vs. Columbia (3-3, 16-9) at South Philadelphia High School, 5 p.m.
Lewisburg (4-1, 23-3) vs. Mid Valley (2-3, 22-4) at Shikellamy Field House, Sunbury, 7:30 p.m.
Bristol (1-1, 16-9) vs. High School of the Future (12-4, 21-3) at Council Rock South High School, 3 p.m.
Scranton Holy Cross (2-2, 20-6) vs. Hanover (3-2, 19-7) at Scranton High School, 6 p.m.
Wilkes-Barre Meyers (2-1, 19-7) vs. Towanda (4-3, 23-4) at Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, 6 p.m.
West Catholic (12-2, 11-13) vs. Palumbo (12-5, 17-6) at Philadelphia University, 5 p.m.
Camp Hill Trinity (3-1, 12-12) vs. Loyalsock (4-2, 24-3) at Central Dauphin East High School, Harrisburg, 7:30 p.m.
Notre Dame-Green Pond (11-1, 17-9) vs. Del-Val Charter (12-3, 17-7) at Parkland High School, Allentown, 6 p.m.
Seton-LaSalle (7-1, 25-1) vs. Penns Valley (6-4, 19-6) at Penn Hills High School, Pittsburgh, 5:30 p.m.
Brookville (9-1, 11-14) vs. Mercyhurst Prep (10-3, 18-7) at Clarion University, 7 p.m.
Richland (6-1, 20-5) vs. Quaker Valley (7-6, 21-3) at Central Cambria High School, Ebensburg, 5:30 p.m.
Fairview (10-2, 22-3) vs. Aliquippa (7-4, 18-6) at General McLane High School, Edinboro, 6 p.m.
Conemaugh Twp. (5-1, 21-5) vs. Summit Academy (7-5, 16-6) at University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown, 7 p.m.
Central Martinsburg (6-2, 17-8) vs. Beaver Falls (7-3, 18-7) at Altoona Fieldhouse, 5:30 p.m.
Greensburg Central Catholic (7-2, 22-3) vs. Bald Eagle Area (6-3, 20-5) at Hempfield High School, Greensburg, 5:30 p.m.
West Middlesex (10-1, 20-5) vs. Neshannock (7-7, 18-6) at Slippery Rock University, 7 p.m.
SECOND ROUND
Wednesday, March 12
QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, March 15
SEMIFINALS
Tuesday, March 18
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 22
At Giant Center, Hershey, 2 p.m.
CLASS A
FIRST ROUND
Friday, March 7
New Hope Academy (3-1, 14-9) vs. Sankofa Freedom (12-3, 9-16) at Dallastown High School, 7:30 p.m.
Old Forge (2-1, 11-12) vs. Pius X (11-2, 19-4) at Wyoming Area Secondary Center, 7:30 p.m.
New Media Charter (12-2, 14-5) vs. Phil-Mont Christian (1-2, 19-5) at Archbishop Carroll High School, Radnor, 6 p.m.
St. John Neumann (4-1, 27-0) vs. Greenwood (3-4, 18-7) at Williamsport High School, 7 p.m.
Church Farm (1-1, 23-4) vs. Lebanon Catholic (3-3, 17-8) at Cheltenham High School, Wyncote, 5 p.m.
Mahanoy Area (11-1, 24-2) vs. Galeton (4-3, 20-5) at Martz Hall, Pottsville, 7:30 p.m.
Mount Calvary (3-2, 22-4) vs. Sullivan County (4-2, 19-6) at Central Dauphin East High School, Harrisburg, 6:30 p.m.
Math, Civics & Sciences (12-1, 11-14) vs. Delco Christian (1-3, 9-16) at South Philadelphia High School, 7:30 p.m.
Lincoln Park Charter (7-1, 25-1) vs. Johnsonburg (9-3, 23-4) at North Hills High School, Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.
Bishop Guilfoyle (6-2, 19-6) vs. Forbes Road (5-2, 16-8) at Altoona Fieldhouse, 8 p.m.
Elk County Catholic (9-2, 23-4) vs. Homer-Center (6-3, 22-3) at Clarion University, 6 p.m.
Cochranton (10-1, 21-3) vs. Vincentian (7-4, 22-3) at Meadville High School, 7:30 p.m.
Bishop Carroll (6-1, 25-0) vs. Clarion-Limestone (9-4, 22-4) at Richland High School, Johnstown, 7:30 p.m.
Monessen (7-2, 20-6) vs. Erie First Christian (10-2, 15-9) at Chartiers Valley High School, Bridgeville, 7:30 p.m.
Berlin Brothersvalley (5-1, 23-2) vs. Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic (7-3, 15-10) at University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown, 7:30 p.m.
Ridgway (9-1, 20-6) vs. Eisenhower (10-3, 15-9) at Clarion University, 7:30 p.m.
SECOND ROUND
Tuesday, March 11
QUARTERFINALS
Friday, March 14
SEMIFINALS
Tuesday, March 18
CHAMPIONSHIP
Friday, March 21
At Giant Center, Hershey, 2 p.m.
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