Scholastic Notebook – 04/14/2012

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, April 14, 2012 | 10:26 AM

Tis’ the season for basketball all-star games. The top senior players – boys and girls –  in the WPIAL and City League will be playing in two all-star events the next two Saturdays.

The Roundball Classic will be played next Saturday at Geneva College’s Metheny Fieldhouse. This has become the top all-star games in the area. The event includes two boys games and two girls games. The girls games are at 2 and 4, and the boys games at 6 and 8.

A few of the top players in the girls games are Oakland Catholic’s Bobbi Baker, Mount Lebanon’s Kelly Johnson and Fort Cherry’s Beka Bellhy, Bethel Park’s Justine Carroll and North Allegheny’s Alexis Aiken.

The boys games feature, among others, Highlands’ Micah Mason, Beaver Falls’ Sheldon Jeter, Butler’s Nate Snodgrass, Plum’s Nolan Cressler and Lincoln Park’s Devontae Watson.

Tomorrow night, another all-star event will be played at Chartiers Valley. The 17th annual Hoops for a Cure Classic (to benefit pancreatic cancer research) includes a girls game at 5 p.m, followed by a boys game. More of the top area players will participate in these games.

Cougars on Prowl

Blackhawk Cougar baseball players Matt Emge and Brendan McKay came into the season with big reputations. Emge, a senior catcher, already had signed with Ohio State. McKay was named one of the top sophomores in the country maxpreps.com.

Emge and McKay certainly haven’t disappointed so far this season.
Emge is batting .667 (16 of 24). McKay, meanwhile, is 3-0 as a pitcher and has not allowed a run in 19 innings. He has allowed only 10 hits, and also is batting .535.

Is it any wonder Blackhawk is 8-0?

Cosgrove on Leave

Ambridge athletic director Randy Cosgrove has been placed on administrative leave while the district reportedly investigates finances in the athletic department.

Cosgrove has been Ambridge’s athletic director since 1998. This week, he also resigned his post on the Cornell school board, where he had been president.

Cosgrove also has been the PA announcer at Heinz Field for Steeler games for more than a decade.

A Field for Dan

Many times, schools name a field after a coach when he either retires or dies. Riverside High School recently named its field after longtime coach Dan Oliastro – and Oliastro is still Riverside’s coach.

Oliastro is in his 44th year as Riverside’s coach. He is the only coach in WPIAL history to win three PIAA titles and he is believed to be second on the WPIAL all-time list for victories with 522.

Hopewell’s Joe Colella, who died this past September, is No. 1 on the all-time list with 655 wins.

He’s Hired

Ellwood City turned to an alum for its new boys basketball coach.
Anthony Ovial was hired this week and he takes over for Al Campman, who retired. Ovial is a former Ellwood City player who also played at LaRoche College. Ovial was New Brighton’s coach this past season.

The Essence of Track

Here is one to watch in WPIAL girls track and field the next few years: Essence Barron of New Brighton High School.

Barron is only a sophomore. As a freshman, she finished seventh in the state in the Class AA long jump with a leap of 17 feet, 3 ½ inches. Already this year, she has jumped 18 feet, the best in all of the WPIAL. She also set school records in the 100- and 200-meter dashes recently.

Tags: Bethel Park, Blackhawk, Butler, Ellwood City, Fort Cherry, Highlands, Hopewell, Lincoln Park