26th Cager Classic gives players fun, no-pressure atmosphere for high school finales

By: Jerin Steele
Wednesday, March 22, 2023 | 4:59 PM

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Butler girls basketball coach Mark Maier got a taste of the Cager Classic when his oldest daughter, Makenna, played in the event last year.

Now Maier is getting his first opportunity to participate in the long-standing All-Star game.

Maier will coach the East girls team at the 26th Cager Classic weekend, which is Friday and Saturday at Highlands.

Friday will feature a skills competition that begins at 7 p.m. The games tip off Saturday starting with the girls, with introductions at 5:15 and the game at 5:30. The boys game will follow.

There’s a practice night scheduled for Thursday.

Maier was blown away with the pageantry of last year’s event and is excited for the opportunity to coach.

“It’s really cool,” Maier said. “I have two girls from Butler on the team this year, Justine Forbes and Hannah Aldridge and when they found out they were invited to the Cager Classic they said, ‘Man I get to play another high school game.’ It’s the last high school game that they’ll play. Mostly everybody’s season ends in a loss in the playoffs or in the regular season. Now they get to be in an atmosphere where there’s no pressure, and you get to suit up with other players that have similar skill sets that they’ve competed against. It’s a good capper for all the girls’ high school careers.”

Maier’s east team consists of girls from Butler, Plum, Franklin Regional, Cheswick Christian, Burrell, Kiski Area, Apollo-Ridge, Mars, Fox Chapel and Riverview. Franklin Regional is a new addition to the Cager.

They will be up against a West team coached by Fred Soilis.

It will be Soilis’ last game as a coach. He resigned after a successful eight-year run at Freeport. Soilis’ daughter, Ava, was selected for the game, but she won’t play because she is still recovering from an injury. Ava will still be apart of the festivities. Butler’s Madden Clement is also out with an injury for the boys game, but like, Ava he will be a part of the festivities.

The West features players from Highlands, Knoch, Hampton, Springdale, Armstrong, Freeport, West Shamokin, and Deer Lakes.

Soilis is a veteran of the Cager, and he is looking forward to one final time on the bench.

“It’s a fun event,” Soilis said. “This is the third time I’ve done it. One time they asked me to do it last minute because they needed somebody, and I was happy to step in. That was the second time. I’ve yet to win, so maybe we’ll get a win this time.”

Highlands coach Corey Dotchin will be on the bench for the West boys, who have players from Highlands, Freeport, Deer Lakes, Knoch, Hampton, West Shamokin, St. Joseph and West Shamokin. Bryce Robson and Nate Litrun will be playing for Deer Lakes in the PIAA Class 3A state championship Saturday in Hershey.

Dotchin will have a special guest on the bench with him, Highlands scorekeeper Steve Meanor.

“Steve does so much for our program,” Dotchin said. “He’s been with (former Highlands coach) Tyler (Stoczynski) and me since the first day we took over at Highlands, being our scorekeeper. He continues to be a big part of our program. It’s something I know he’ll enjoy.”

Dotchin has participated in the Cager once before as an assistant. He is familiar with some of the players from coaching AAU. His first interest is providing a fun environment for the players, but he also said he’d like to break the single game points record, which is 118 and was set in 2012.

“I told my guys I want to get those points up and try to run and gun to try and break the record and try and give the kids some incentive.”

Armstrong’s Brian Kovalovsky will coach the East boys. He will have one of his own, Cadin Olsen, on the team as well as players from Plum, Kiski Area, Riverview, Fox Chapel, Butler, Leechburg, and Franklin Regional.

Kovalovsky last coached in the Cager 23 years ago when he was at Ford City.

“This game is all about the kids,” Kovalovsky said. “The most special thing for me is I get one last opportunity to coach Cadin. I honestly don’t have enough kind words to say about him. I’m familiar with a lot of the guys on the team from playing against them. They are all very good players.”

Rosters

26th Cager Classic

Saturday, at Highlands High School

Girls

East

No., Player, ht., School

1, Camryn Rogers, 5-7, Plum

2, Brooke Schirmer, 5-7, Franklin Regional

4, Sarah Penrod, 5-7, Franklin Regional

10, Bell Cullaj, 5-6, Cheswick Christian Academy

11, Hannah Aldridge, 5-2, Butler

13, Addy Landowski, 6-1, Burrell

15, Justine Forbes, 5-7, Butler

21, Lexiann Colaianni, 5-4, Kiski Area

22, Brinley Toland, 5-8, Apollo-Ridge

24, Sydney McCray, 5-8, Apollo-Ridge

25, Lauren Atwell, 6-2, Mars

30, Olivia Donnelly, 5-10, Mars

32, Elsie Smith, 5-11, Fox Chapel

33, Riley Sterlitz, 5-8, Burrell

40, Brionna Long, 5-4, Riverview

Head coach: Mark Maier, Butler

Assistant coaches: Jerry Markle, CJ Gattens

West

No., Player, ht., School

2, Camille Gigon, 5-8, Highlands

3, Nina Shaw, 5-4, Knoch

5, Claire Rodgers, 5-11, Hampton

10, Grace Gent, 5-4, Springdale

13, Hattie McGraw, 5-7, Knoch

21, Olivia Yancy, 5-6, Armstrong

22, Bailey Conrad, 5-6, West Shamokin

25, Jessica Sullivan, 5-4, Deer Lakes

32, Mackenzie Flick, 5-6, Armstrong

33, Ava Soilis, 5-5, Freeport

34, Melaina DeZort, 5-6, Freeport

40, Melissa Spohn, 5-9, West Shamokin

43, Ava Nitowski, 6-0, Highlands

Head coach: Fred Soilis, Freeport

Assistant coaches: Mallory Ketterer, Bobby Woods, Jenna Manke

Boys

East

0, Adam Kotvas, 6-0, Plum

1, LeBryn Smith, 6-3, Kiski Area

2, Ben Hower, 6-3, Riverview

4, Dom Dininno, 5-9, Kiski Area

10, Kam Griel, 5-10, Fox Chapel

11, Ryan Porch, 6-1, Butler

12, Jake Mull, 5-11, Apollo-Ridge

15, Jack Betler, 6-3, Riverview

20, Marcus Cleveland, 6-0, Leechburg

23, Jake Kimmich, 6-3, Franklin Regional

24, Cadin Olsen, 6-5, Armstrong

33, Colin Casteel, 6-4, Butler

34, Max Leven, 6-8, Franklin Regional

Head coach: Brian Kovalovsky, Armstrong

Assistant coaches: Bruce Baillie, Nate Baillie, Ben Valasek

West

0, Chandler Thimons, 6-4, Highlands

1, Jimmy Kunst, 6-3, Highlands

2, Zack Clark, 5-9, Freeport

4, Landan Signorella, 6-4, Highlands

5, Bryce Robson, 6-0, Deer Lakes

10, James Snyder, 6-2, Knoch

11, Jaden McMeekin, 6-2, Hampton

14, Gavin Croney, 6-0, Freeport

15, Sean McCullough, 5-9, West Shamokin

21, Nate Litrun, 6-5, Deer Lakes

22, Ethan Zale, 6-0, St. Joseph

35, Brennan Murray, 6-3, Hampton

44, Jude Vargo, 5-10, Cheswick Christian Academy

Head coach: Corey Dotchin, Highlands

Assistant coaches: Christian Tannilli, Steve Meanor

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer