Williamson is back, adds to battle-tested C-H lineup
As Chartiers-Houston girls basketball coach Laura Montecalvo made her way from seat to seat during the hour-and-a-half bus ride after their first-round exit from the state playoffs last season, the individual discussions came with a similar message.
“It was a tough trip home,” Montecalvo saids of the tears that accompanied the expedition for many after the Bucs’ 57-43 loss to West Middlesex. “They were pretty torn up and didn’t want their season to end, especially with the troubles and adversity they faced throughout the year. They felt that there were more games to be played.”
From Chartiers-Houston working its way through playing the majority of its season without standout forward Alexa Williamson – lost to a torn knee ligament Dec. 30 on the same floor at Farrell High School where the Bucs’ season ended months later – to other players stepping into unforeseen roles and its third-place finish in top-heavy Section 3-AA with Seton-La Salle and Bishop Canevin, the Bucs’ season was nothing to hang their heads about.
“We told the kids last year that there is always something good that comes out of something bad,” Montecalvo said. “Everybody had to improve because they were forced into doing things they wouldn’t have had to do with Alexa on the floor. Our kids were put in big situations and asked to perform above their potential.”
The injury to Williamson required Jala Walker’s responsibilities at the point guard position to expand, requiring the then-junior to rarely step off the floor and lead the Bucs in scoring at 16 points per game.
Chartiers-Houston will look to continue its defensive success from a year ago after giving up only 36.8 points per game, which was good for second in the section.
What might be considered a “new-look” team simply with the return of Williamson, who is healthy for the season opener Friday (7:30 p.m.) against Trinity, will challenge Chartiers-Houston to spread the ball to its many other returning starters, juniors Jules Vulcano, Madison Simpson and Keaira Walker. Williamson averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds per game as a freshman in the 2014-15 season, when Chartiers-Houston advanced to the state quarterfinals. Walker averaged 16 points last season with Williamson out of the lineup.
“We feel like it’s a good problem to have,” Montecalvo said about the veteran squad that moves into Section 1-AA that also includes Washington, Fort Cherry, Burgettstown, New Brighton, Our Lady of Sacred Heart, Aliquippa and Shenango.
“It will be a nice change for us but we still will play in a pretty competitive conference. It presents a different challenge but the last two years were definitely pretty tough.”
The 2015-16 season, which brought a lot of teaching moments, the simple, yet powerful, 11-word message Montecalvo might have given the entire year was in the late hours of March 4 when the Bucs were returning to Washington County with no more games left to play.
“Remember this feeling because you don’t want to feel it again.”
The Prexies rolled away with the Section 4-AA title last season after winning 13 of their last 14 regular-season games. However, Chartiers-Houston ended Wash High’s season at 18-5 by edging the Prexies by one point in the first round the WPIAL playoffs. The Prexies will rely on solid guard play from sophomores Carley Allen and Torri Finley, who both saw lots of playing time last year, but will need to replace solid inside contributions after the graduation of Tajah Gordon.
Recovering from a 2-8 start, the Rangers rebounded to reach the first round of the WPIAL playoffs where it was eliminated by Class A champion Vincentian Academy. Head coach Gary Kacsur will rely on the experience of seniors Hannah Greene and Shannon Relihan underneath the basket.
With only two seniors last season, Burgettstown’s early success didn’t translate to section wins as the Blue Devils went 2-10 in Section 3-AA. The Blue Devils will look to improve their offensive attack, which only averaged 39 points per game.