MSA Sports Countdown – Top 25 WPIAL Stories From 2014 – #15-#11

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, December 30, 2014 | 11:32 PM

It has become a tradition like no other…at least during the holidays here at MSA Sports. It’s time to look back at another high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2014. We continue our countdown with the five stories that ended up #15 through #11.

{Left:  Burrell celebrates an 8th consecutive WPIAL Double-A team wrestling championship after edging South Fayette in early February}

#15 – Rebels With a Cause

Seton-LaSalle High School colors are green and gold. This past basketball season, there was heavy emphasis on the GOLD. The Rebels were one last second shot away from making history by having both the boys and girls hoop teams sweep both district and state championships.

It all started on the final day of February when the Rebels rolled to their sixth WPIAL girls basketball championship at A.J. Palumbo Center, defeating the Burrell Buccaneers by a score of 55-34.

The Rebels opened the game with an 11-0 run and never looked back. Burrell had trouble with the Rebels pressure defense turning it over on their first four possessions and eight times in the first quarter. The Bucs turned it over 26 times on the night. The Rebels were able to convert many of those turnovers into fast break points.

The next day in a classic matchup that saw 16 lead changes, Seton-LaSalle boys won their second WPIAL championship and the first since 1989 with a 52-51 victory over the Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions.

The Rebels took the lead for good on two free throws and then a runner by Malik White with 2:20 remaining in regulation. Seton-LaSalle sealed the win after a Christian Hyland miss on a three pointer from the left wing. Ryan Norkus grabbed the rebound and was fouled. The junior drained two free throws with 32 seconds left to put the Rebels up 51-46. Brian Graytok scored for GCC, but had to foul; the senior fouled out of the game with 7.5 seconds left. Cletus Helton drained a free throw for insurance. Greensburg Central Catholic had no timeouts. Billy Hipp hit a right wing three pointer with one second left, but the clock harmlessly ran out to give the Rebels the title.

Three weeks later, Seton LaSalle claimed their third PIAA girls basketball championship with a 58-50 win over the previously unbeaten Neumann-Goretti Saints. The victory gave the Rebels their second Class AA title in three years.

Senior Yacine Diop had one of the most dominant performances in years in the championships. The Pitt recruit scored 10 point and grabbed 23 rebounds, adding six blocks to lead the Rebels to a 50-36 rebounding advantage.

The Rebels took the lead back on a great cut to the basket by fellow Pitt recruit Cassidy Walsh. Her layup down the lane made the score 48-46. Things got very interesting for Seton LaSalle , missing five straight free throws down the stretch, but the Saints came up empty on every opportunity. Seton LaSalle figured out life from the charity stripe, hitting their last ten attempts as Nicolete Newman and Walsh converted when it counted most, in the final minute of play.

The following day, the ball was in the right hands at the end of the game as Seton LaSalle had a chance to claim victory in the PIAA Class AA boys championship game against Philadelphia Constitution but Levi Masua’s three-pointer from the right win was a tad long and the Generals took home a 61-59 win over the Rebels in Hershey.

It was the second state title for Constitution as the Generals hung on for the win, going just 3 of 8 in the final 2:27 from the free throw line. Masua hit a three to tie the game at 59 with 1:03 left but Christian DelGrego fouled Akeem King 59 seconds later as the Generals were ready to hold the ball for the final shot.

Seton LaSalle had a chance to take the lead but Dale Clancy threw up a wild off-balance shot, he fell to the floor, as he was laying, he caught the basketball but his body was on the end line, giving the Generals the ball. Again Constitution had a chance to seal the game, but Kimar Williams sunk 1 of 2 free throws, setting up Masua’s open look to end the game.

Seton-LaSalle just missed having the boys and girls combine for all four district and state titles in the same season since Blackhawk did it in 1999.

#14 – Ram Tough

The last time the Pine-Richland Rams tasted WPIAL football championship gold was 2003 when it was still a Class AAA team.  The mass exodus of the Allegheny population from the Pittsburgh city limits worked to the school’s advantage, warranting the WPIAL to raise the Rams’ status to Quad-A competition beginning in 2010.  Since that time, the program had experienced quite a few growing pains as they assimilated themselves to the competition…until this year! Pine-Richland beat defending champion Pittsburgh Central Catholic 21-13 in November at Heinz Field.

Ben DiNucci, who threw for over 3,400 yards and 34 TD’s before this game, was 16-29 for 174 yards and a TD while running for catching 2 others.  Michael Merhaut caught 8 of his passes for 114 yards and 1 TD.

The Rams were 15-0 heading into the state title game, but like 2003, the season would end for Pine-Richland with heartbreak in Hershey.

In 2003, the Pine-Richland Rams played what has been called the most memorable game in PIAA Championship history, falling to Manheim Central 39-38 in overtime in blizzard conditions. The 2014 Quad A championship game may also go down in the books as one of the best ever, as the Rams rallied from a 21-point, fourth quarter deficit and had a chance to claim the title, before falling to St. Joseph’s Prep 49-41 at Hersheypark Stadium. The Hawks claimed their second consecutive championship with the victory.

Pine-Richland scored with 2:15 left in regulation when D’Andre Gastion scored his second touchdown of the night on a 31-yard screen pass from Ben DiNucci. Coach Eric Kasperowicz elected to go for two points and the lead, but DiNucci could not find an open receiver as his pass failed.

The Rams then elected to try an onside kick, which they could not recover. Three plays later, Hawks running back De’Andre Swift scored his fourth touchdown of the game on a 48-yard run to put the Hawks up eight points. But Pine-Richland was not done, as DiNucci led the troops down field again, using both his arms and legs to set up a final play at the Hawks 25-yard line. The Penn recruit was forced to scramble and avoid tackles, throwing a jump ball that Olamide Zaccheaus intercepted in the end zone to end an amazing game and a memorable season for Pine-Richland.

#13 – Eight is Great!

Some things never seem to change. This is especially true when it comes to high school wrestling in Western Pennsylvania. For the eighth straight season, Burrell won the WPIAL Class AA team championship with a 34-28 thriller over previously undefeated South Fayette.

In a rematch of last season’s title match, the Bucs jumped out on top, 17-3, by winning four of the first five bouts. A technical fall by Anthony Marra at 126 pounds, decision victories by Damon Greenwald (138) and Corey Falleroni  (145), and a pin by Steve Edwards (152) helped the Bucs build the early 14 point lead. The Lions, however, came roaring back with three successive victories to take a 19-17 lead, the first of six lead changes in the second half of the match.  Falls by Grant Fetchet  (160) and Jack Previte (182) sandwiched around a major-decision win by J.J. Walker (170), his 100th career victory, gave South Fayette the two point lead eight bouts into the match.

The teams traded victories the next four matches, leaving the Lions with a 28-26 lead with just two bouts remaining. After Dillon Jeffrey scored a technical fall victory at 113 pounds to give Burrell a 31-28 edge, Jason Roberts locked up the title for the Bucs with a 7-1 decision at 120 pounds. It was the second successive season that Roberts clinched the title match for Burrell. Both times he was carried off the mat on the shoulders of his teammates.

#12 – National Champions

After losing to Peters Township in the PIHL Penguins Cup hockey championship game in mid-March, the Bethel Park Black Hawks regrouped in a major way and now they have a NATIONAL title to show for it. Bethel Park became the first Western Pennsylvania team to win the USA Hockey National Championship when they edged Providence, Illinois 2-1 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Both Bethel Park and state champion Peters Township were a part of the 32-team national tournament. While the Indians were eliminated in pool play, the Black Hawks won their pool to advance to the Quarterfinals.  There they beat Sioux Falls, South Dakota 3-0 on Saturday morning, then knocked off Des Moines, Iowa 3-1 in the National Semifinals Saturday night.

In the championship game after a scoreless first period, Providence scored two minutes into the second period to take a 1-0 lead.

However the Hawks tied it at 1-1 with four minutes left in the second when #21 Chris Siak scored on a 2-on-1 break on a nice set up by Tyler Kruczewski.  Just over two minutes later, Siak set up fellow senior Jake Salak who buried a wrist shot with 1:35 left in the second to give Bethel Park a 2-1 lead.

In the third period, the Hawks defensive style, along with several outstanding saves by BP goaltender Tre Lowe, helped them hold on for the thrilling national championship.

Siak was the top scorer for the tournament with 5 goals and 9 assists in six games while Lowe picked up four wins between the pipes for Bethel Park, who finish this memorable season with a final record of 24-5-0.

#11 Move Over Miggy

While a lot of eyes were on Brendan McKay this past spring and his dominance on the mound, there was another district player who was just as dominating at the plate.

Norwin senior shortstop J.J. Matijevic had a season for the ages in 2014, becoming possibly the first WPIAL baseball player to hit for the triple crown.

For the season, Matijevic hit .607 and finished with 10 home runs and 37 runs batted in.

He helped to lead the Knights to a 14-3 overall record and second place in Quad-A Section 2 behind top-seed Hempfield.

However after being seeded 7th in the Quad-A playoffs, Norwin was shut down in the First Round in a 2-1 loss to Plum. Matijevic did not reach base in his four plate appearances.

Tags: Bethel Park, Burrell