Finalists for basketball coach award were on the ball
When the PIAA’s six classification format went into effect this season, it opened more opportunities to make the playoffs. Six area coaches made the most of those chances, taking their teams deep into the postseason.
McGuffey’s Mike Fatigante, Washington’s Ron Faust and Monessen’s Joe Salvino in the boys division and Trinity’s Bob Miles, Chartiers-Houston’s Laura Montecalvo and West Greene’s Jordan Watson in the girls division each produced successful seasons. That made them finalists for the Coach of the Year awards this year.
All will be honored, and the girls and boys winner will be announced, at the Tri-County Athletic Directors Coach of the Year Banquet, 5 p.m. Sunday, April 23 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Meadow Lands.
Tickets for the banquet are $35 each and are on sale at Washington High School, 201 Allison Avenue, Washington, Pa., 15301. Reservations can be made by calling Washington athletic director Mike Bosnic at 724-223-5085, ext. 2091.
All proceeds from the banquet benefit Special Olympics.
Fatigante guided the Highlanders to one of the most successful seasons in the program’s history.
McGuffey went 19-7 and earned spots in the WPIAL and PIAA postseasons.
The Highlanders’ made it to the WPIAL playoffs for the third time in school history and enjoyed their first venture into the PIAA playoffs in Class 4-A. The Highlanders secured the program’s first PIAA playoff victory, a thrilling two-point victory over Clearfield
Led by guard Matt Popeck, Washington had another outstanding season under Faust, winning the Section 4 title in Class AAA and qualifying for the state tournament for a second consecutive season.
Washington won four of six games in the postseason, falling to North Catholic in the WPIAL semifinals and Lincoln Park in the state quarterfinals. Wash High had a 22-6 record.
Led by the outstanding play of Justice Rice and Jaden Altomore, Monessen rolled to another WPIAL title, consuming Imani Christian with a smothering, full-court press and winning the Class A championship.
Salvino has more than 600 victories and has led the Greyhounds juggernaut to five WPIAL titles and two PIAA championships. During his coaching career, which dates back to 1984, Salvino’s teams have never missed the playoffs. Monessen had a 21-8 record.
Miles took the Trinity girls basketball program where no Washington County girls team had gone before: the state basketball finals in Hershey. Archbishop Wood won a defensive battle in the Class 5-A championship. The Hillers won a thrilling West Region final game against South Fayette to get to that point.
The Hillers amassed a 26-4 record, swept their 12 Section 5 games and advanced to the WPIAL semifinals. They qualified for the PIAA tournament, defeated another elite Philadelphia Catholic League team, Archbishop Carroll, before meeting South Fayette.
Montecalvo drove Chartiers-Houston to a WPIAL title with a victory over Vincentian in the WPIAL Class AA championship game at the Petersen Events Center. The Bucs won an opening-round game in the state tournament before falling to Bellwood Antis to finish with a 24-3 record.
Chartiers-Houston became only the third Washington County school, and the first in 25 years, to win a WPIAL girls basketball title. The most recent was Washington in 1992, when the Prexies won the Class AAA title. Immaculate Conception was the first, accomplishing the feat in 1986.
Watson propelled the Pioneers to a number of firsts this season. The 19-win Pioneers tied the school record for victories in a season, made the semifinals of the WPIAL Class A playoffs for the first time in school history and clinched a spot in the PIAA playoffs, also a first.
Paced by sisters McKenna and Madison Lampe, West Greene led Class A in team scoring with a 63.8-point average. West Greene fell to Winchester Thurston in the WPIAL semifinals and to Otto-Eldred in the first round of the state tournament to finish at 19-6.