Trib HSSN Boys Basketball Team of the Week: March 6, 2022

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, March 6, 2022 | 10:14 PM

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After back-to-back sub-500 seasons, the Shady Side Academy boys basketball team turned the corner last season with a young roster.

The Bulldogs finished on top in Section 3-3A with an overall record of 14-3 before falling in the WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals.

However, that may have set the stage for a golden season in 2022.

“I believe that last year was extremely important for this team,” Shady Side Academy coach David Vadnais said. “It proved that we could play with the better 3A teams on any given night. It motivated everyone to work during the offseason to get better. Guys dedicated themselves to get up before school to work out or lift. They played in different summer and fall leagues against many 5A and 6A schools. We entered the season as a better team that was motivated to play at a high level all year.”

The Bulldogs tied South Allegheny for the Section 3-3A title and entered the district postseason as the No. 3 seed with a 15-6 record.

“The guys were really excited,” Vadnais said. “(Class) 3A was so close this year that I wasn’t sure where we would be seeded. I knew that if we were going to make a deep run, we would need to beat good teams. I was pleased with how everything ended up falling. I thought the matchups benefited our strengths. Having to possibly play Washington and Aliquippa seemed daunting at the time, but I knew our team was capable of winning against any team we faced.”

After wins over Laurel and Washington in the first two rounds, SSA started last week with a showdown against the No. 2 Quips in the semifinals.

“I think it was big that we never let them stretch their lead to more than seven or eight points, and the times it did get to that margin, we immediately cut it back to three or four,” Vadnais said. “The biggest factor in the game to me was when we went 1-3-1 in the second half. We forced some turnovers and limited their ability to break our defense down off the dribble. It seemed to us that it slowed them down and we were able to gain momentum from that.”

Sophomores Peter Kramer and Eli Teslovich led the way for the Bulldogs with 21 and 14 points, respectively.

“To me, beating Aliquippa and Washington in back-to-back games was an accomplishment,” Vadnais said. “They are two storied programs, and for us to knock them off was confidence-building for the guys.”

The win put SSA in the Class 3A finals against surprise No. 8 seed Avonworth.

The title game did not start well for the Bulldogs, who only scored eight first-quarter points and trailed by five after the opening quarter.

“There might have been some nerves, but I think we just missed some makeable shots, and it allowed for them to get us on our heels on defense,” Vadnais said. “(Rowan) Carmichael hit some big shots right away that put us down. Once we got our feet under us and started to see the ball go through the hoop, a lot of little things turned for us.”

Shady Side Academy picked up the pace and outscored Avonworth, 39-17, in the second and third quarters combined.

“Our guys played extremely unselfish basketball and turned down good shots to get the ball to a teammate for great shots,” Vadnais said. “The game opened up a little in the third, and we were able to hurt them in transition.”

Once again it was Teslovich and Kramer leading the Bulldogs with a combined 38 points.

“I really thought Eli was going to have a big game,” Vadnais said. “His style of play matched up against Avonworth. I was confident that he would be able to get to the basket and finish. Peter played at an extremely high level throughout the playoffs. He averaged 21 points and almost 10 rebounds a game. He helped us win in so many different ways.”

Now it’s on to the PIAA playoffs for the first time since 2018 and the first time as WPIAL champs since 1999. The Bulldogs will face Penns Valley at North Allegheny at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

“Being able to celebrate with the team in the locker room will be what I always remember,” Vadnais said. “Teams don’t accidentally win championships. The guys put the work in and went out and earned the win. We will move to getting ready for our first round in the PIAA tournament at practice. I have no doubt that the guys will remain focused and hungry to try to make another long run in this tournament.”

2022 Trib HSSN Boys Basketball Teams of the Week

Week 9 – Deer Lakes Lancers

Week 8 – Union Scotties

Week 7 – Ellwood City Wolverines

Week 6 – Freeport Yellowjackets

Week 5 – Baldwin Highlanders

Week 4 – Penn Hills Indians

Week 3 – Carlynton Cougars

Week 2 – North Hills Indians

Week 1 – Cornell Raiders

Tags: Shady Side Academy