With everybody back, PT girls could be tough
Junior guard Madison Kerr is one of 13 returning players for Peters Township this season.
Britton Beachy
Editor’s note: This is the first in a four-part series previewing the area’s high school basketball teams. Today: Class AAAA
By Lance Lysowski
Staff writer
llysowski@observer-reporter.com
Nine single-digit losses in one season can test the mettle of a basketball team. The players can either wallow in the disappointment or learn from the experience.
Peters Township High School girls basketball coach Bert Kendall is hoping for the latter. After the Indians finished last season with a 2-10 record in Section 4-AAAA and a 7-15 overall mark, there is plenty for Kendall to be excited about.
All 13 players from last year’s roster return, including junior guard Madison Kerr, an Observer-Reporter First Team All-District selection. Kerr averaged 19.7 points and 10 rebounds per game on a team that included six freshmen and seven sophomores.
As Peters Township prepares to embark on its goal to claim a WPIAL playoff spot, Kendall is ready for his team to take the next step.
“We were in a lot of close games and I think, with a young team, you have to learn how to win,” Kendall said. “We just came up short a few times. We did pull a couple out toward the end of the season, which was a good sign, but we have been working really hard on that.”
The first test will come Friday night when Peters Township faces Belle Vernon at the Leopards’ tip-off tournament.
As the Indians prepare to compete in Section 4-AAAA, Kendall is focused on carrying the momentum from a regular-season finale victory over Canon-McMillan into the 2014-15 season. He wants more balance in the offense and believes it’s going to happen with the improvement made by forwards Cameron Morgan and Emily Konwick.
Kendall noticed a trend during Peters Township’s games in 2013. The Indians were outrebounded regularly. Competing against perennial powers such as Baldwin, Mt. Lebanon, Bethel Park and Upper St. Clair requires a stronger inside presence.
“We’ve said all along that in order to compete in Section 4, you’ve got to be able to rebound,” Kendall said. “You have to be able to execute the plays and be able to play defense. Those are just givens and requirements to compete. Last year, we didn’t lead a lot of games in rebounding. A lot of that had to do with our youth.”
Peters Township’s average margin of defeat last season was 9.1 points. The Indians’ youth showed late in games, which has Kendall working feverously to come up with strategies on how the players can handle close games.
Although practice can help fine-tune some aspects of the Indians’ game, Kendall wanted to put it into action, so Peters Township participated in camps at Robert Morris and West Virginia. The Indians also played in the McKeesport summer league and the Bishop Canevin fall league.
In 2012, the Indians were often on the wrong side of lopsided games. They competed in 2013, but expectations are raised this season.
“I know we are making steps in the right direction and we are building a program the right way,” Kendall said. “Last year, our goal was to not lose by large amounts and compete. This year the goal is raised. The goal is to be a playoff team in Section 4.”
The Big Macs return two starters from last year’s team that went 4-8 in Section 4-AAAA and finished with an 8-14 overall record.
Senior forward Danielle Parker leads Canon-McMillan’s offense. An O-R second team all-district selection after averaging 15.3 points per game, Parker needs 288 points to reach the 1,000-point mark for her career.
Sophomore guard Cheyenne Trest, who was inserted into the starting lineup midway through last season, returns after averaging 8 points and 3 assists per game. Two of the other starters – sophomore shooting guard Kierra King and 6-4 junior center Rebecca Turney – received valuable experience last season.
The rest of the Big Macs’ roster rivals Peters Township’s as the youngest in Class AAAA. The rest of head coach Frank Zebrasky’s team includes seven sophomores and nine freshmen.
“We worked together all summer so we are ready,” Zebrasky said. “Danielle is a great player to start out with. Whenever you have a player averaging that many points a game, it helps out. Cheyenne was playing very well and Kierra played a lot of valuable minutes last year. Plus (Turney) is a great player. That’s a nice foundation.”
The Big Macs return a bulk of their roster after narrowly missing the playoffs last season. Senior guard Sam Bohn, who averaged 13.8 points per game, is one of the best scorers in the section.
Sophomore Britton Beachy was a big part of Canon-McMillan’s offense as a freshman and senior guard Alex Hammers will round out head coach Rick Bell’s backcourt.
The Big Macs only lost one starter – Costa Karanikos – but will benefit from the addition of sophomore RJ Bell, a 6-5 forward, and junior forward Dom Eannace.
One of the biggest additions could be senior Luke Blanock, who missed last season while undergoing treatment for Ewing’s sarcoma. Blanock, a 6-1 guard/forward, will likely be eased into a role.
The Indians were eliminated in the first round of the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs by second-seeded Hampton and only lost two seniors from the team that defeated the Big Macs to clinch the section’s final playoff berth.
J.C. Brush, a second team all-district selection, is gone, but Peters Township returns Connor Freely and Tim Swoope. Peters Township has 12 sophomores and six seniors returning.
The challenge of reaching the playoffs in Section 4-AAAA became more difficult with the addition of Chartiers Valley, which was the WPIAL Class AAA runner-up and returns the bulk of its roster.