Scholastic Notebook – 04/25/2014

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, April 25, 2014 | 7:20 PM

Football is only four months away and basketball ended only last month. But the coaching wheels are turning in both sports.

There were a number of coaching moves this week in the WPIAL, some of them noteworthy. Here are some coaching happenings this week.

In football:

* Deer Lakes turned to a former NFL player as its new coach. Steve Sciullo takes over a team that did not win a game last season. Sciullo graduated from Shaler in 1988 and then played at Marshall before playing offensive line in the NFL for a few seasons. He has been an assistant coach at Hampton.

* Norwin hired Dave Brozeski. He has been an assistant at Norwin for the past 17 years.

* Charleroi is now looking for a new coach after Ed Jenkins resigned after two seasons. Jenkins said the resignation was for health reasons.

* Shaler is still looking for a coach after Chris Siegle left to become an assistant at Duquesne University.

In basketball:

* Corey Gadson resigned as McKeesport’s boys basketball coach. Gadson coached the Tigers for 11 seasons and was 175-92 with one WPIAL championship appearance and nine appearances in the WPIAL playoffs. Gadson’s son was a senior on this year’s team.

* West Allegheny hired Dan Marshall as boys basketball coach. Marshall is currently an assistant coach on the West Allegheny football team.

* Chartiers-Houston hired Laura Montecalvo as its new girls basketball coach. Montecalvo is a former three-sport standout at Washington High and the daughter of Canon-McMillan athletic director Guy Montecalvo. Laura won 12 varsity letters in her years at Washington in volleyball, basketball and track and field. Laura 26, works as a counselor at Steel City Vocational Technical School.

WPIAL Makes Aloi Ineligible

The WPIAL has ruled a talented basketball ineligible after his transfer from Ellwood City to Lincoln Park.

Nick Aloi transferred in January from Ellwood City to Lincoln Park, but the WPIAL Board of Control ruled him ineligible for a year after a hearing Wednesday. The WPIAL said Aloi’s transfer was at least partially for athletic reasons, which is against WPIAL and PIAA rules. Aloi averaged 15 points at Ellwood City as a freshman in 2012-13. He did not play this season because of a knee injury.

After a hearing and voting, 16-0, that Aloi’s transfer was for athletic intent, the WPIAL Board of Control had to decide whether to make Aloi ineligible for a year from the date of transfer or a year from the date of the hearing. The WPIAL chose to make him ineligible for a year from the date of the hearing. If the league would have made him ineligible from the date of the transfer, Aloi could have played a few weeks in the regular season in 2014 and then the playoffs.

Aloi is expected to appeal the ruling to the PIAA.

Craig Lee, the attorney for the Aloi family, said Nick Aloi’s transfer had nothing to do with basketball. He said Aloi transferred for academic reasons to better prepare himself to become a doctor in the future. Aloi’s parents, Frank and Maura, are both doctors.

What’s interesting about the whole case is that Aloi’s father, Frank Sr., is the superintendent of schools for Ellwood City.

Belle Vernon in More Hot Water?

The WPIAL has decided to bring Belle Vernon baseball coach Daryl Hixenbaugh and Belle Vernon officials in for a hearing after Hixenbaugh was critical of umpires after a recent game. According to WPIAL and PIAA rules, coaches can face penalties if they are critical in the media about officials.

What complicates the case is that Belle Vernon baseball already was on probation for a fight in last year’s PIAA playoff game against Punxsutawney. The PIAA put Belle Vernon on probation and part of the probation was barring the team from this year’s playoffs.

The hearing is scheduled for May.

Luther to Elon

Hampton basketball player has decided to accept a scholarship from Elon University (N.C.). That means he and his twin brother, Ryan, will play Division I basketball. Ryan signed last fall with Pitt.

Both Alois scored more than 1,000 career points.

Hoops For A Cure

Chartiers Valley will once again play host to the 19^th annual Hoops For A Cure all-star games Saturday. Proceeds from the event benefit the Nathan S. Areson Fund for pancreatic cancer research.

The games include top players in the WPIAL and City League. The event used to include just one boys game and one girls game. This year, the event will have two boys games and two girls games. It starts at 3 p.m. tomorrow.

Scholar Athletes

Burrell’s Nick Pattock, Fort Cherry’s Zach Dysert, Freeport’s Rebecca Dudek and Canon-McMillan’s Olivia Lorusso are the winners of the WPIAL’s yearly scholar-athlete awards. They will all receive $5,000 scholarships.

Eight other boys and eight other girls received $500 scholarships. For the boys, it is North Allegheny’s Zach Buerger, Valley’s Cody Schrecengost, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic’s Josh Churchin, Woodland Hills’ Kai Oshimo, South Fayette’s Justin Watson, Central Valley’s Brian Kolich and Mars’ Owen Nearhoof.

For the girls, it is North Hills’ Mary Malone, Fort Cherry’s Rachel Bellhy, Laurel Highlands’ Melissa McCann, Serra’s Megan Sieg, Seton-LaSalle’s Jeanne Faman, Shenango’s Rachel Reamer, Laurel’s Rachael Baker and new Brighton’s Chelsea Fabyanic.

John Challis Award Winner

Baseball player Matt Gunsallus of Plum has been awarded the John Challis Memorial Award, presented by the WPIAL Baseball Coaches Association.

The award is named after Challis, the former Freedom High athlete whose courageous battle against cancer became a national story six years ago.

Gunsallus was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis in December of 2012 and an infection left him unable to walk or eat for a while. He has battled back and played a few innings for the team this year.

Tags: Belle Vernon, Charleroi, Chartiers-Houston, Deer Lakes, Ellwood City, Hampton, Lincoln Park, West Allegheny