State champion football players add special element for top-ranked Quaker Valley baketball team

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, December 23, 2017 | 11:00 PM

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Quaker Valley boys basketball coach Mike Mastroianni, who doubles as the school's athletic director, said he has been approached by several people who are writing books or movie scripts based on the miraculous Quakers' football season.

Just minutes after the season ended with a victory at the PIAA Class 3A championship game, however, several Quakers players turned their attention to writing another chapter they hope ends with a title, this time on the basketball court.

Ethan Moore, who scored two touchdowns in the victory in Hershey, told Mastroianni, who was on the sidelines for the game, that he would be at practice two days later.

Moore, along with quarterback Ricky Guss and his younger brother, Isaac Guss, have shifted their focus for the Class 4A No. 1-ranked Quakers. As a result, Quaker Valley won its first five games, including a key section showdown with New Castle. In that contest, the Quakers outscored the Red Hurricanes by nine points in the fourth quarter to prevail 62-53.

Mastroianni noted he used timeouts at several key moments earlier in the contest, but his most experienced players came through in the clutch.

“I thought we responded really well, especially in the fourth quarter,” he said of the win, which was a rematch of last year's WPIAL title game where New Castle prevailed.

“We have the ultimate respect for them,” Mastroianni said of the section rivals. “Their program is at such a high level.”

The Quakers are playing at a high level too, with Coletrane Washington leading the way. Washington, a Drexel commit, tallied 24 points in the victory against New Castle. While he's always been a gifted scorer, especially from behind the arc, he's added more responsibility as a senior by shifting to point guard.

Additionally, junior Ryan Stowers contributed significantly to the win, as he netted 18 points. Stowers, who left the team last year, has returned with the same talent and a new outlook.

“We went through some growing pains, but I give Ryan all the credit, he decided he wants to make a change. He's come back, and he understands putting the team first,” Mastroianni said. “We're really pleased where he's come, both off the court and on the court, in the last year.”

Forward Danny Conlan has been a steady force in the starting lineup, and Jackson Zernich, Kyle Wolf and Christian Johnson are other players who Mastroianni highlighted as crucial to the depth of the team.

It is the trio of football players, however, who represent the heart and soul of the unit. In the victory against New Castle, Ricky Guss did not make a field goal, but his presence was significant. Despite practicing just three times prior to the contest, Guss was collecting rebounds in traffic and winning the battles for loose balls.

Moore, who did not play in that game, likely will provide similar attributes throughout the campaign. It is an intangible that Guss and Moore bring to the team, however, that might be the most significant quality, according to Mastroianni.

“They're both quiet kids and workers, but they are carrying an air of confidence that sort of spreads throughout the gym,” he said. “It's actually what we need them to bring.”

After 16 grueling weeks of the football season, though, Guss and Moore had very little time to recuperate physically or mentally. Subsequently, Mastroianni faces a new challenge of developing a schedule that keeps them fresh and engaged.

“We're trying to get them to rest a little bit, get reps over holiday practice, and hopefully by the first of the year, they're in some rhythm for us,” Mastroianni said. “I don't know if it's right or wrong because it's the first year I've dealt with it, but it's a good problem to have.”

Sean Meyers is a freelance writer.

Tags: Quaker Valley