Apr 15, 2017 4 min read

When a basketball season includes a trip to the state finals, well that’s a great season.

Accolades are sure to follow.

That’s how it has gone for Sierra Kotchman, Trinity High School’s sharp-shooting guard.

Kotchman helped the Hillers to the PIAA Class 5-A championship game, capping an unprecedented season for the Hillers.

Last week, Kotchman was named Girls Player of the Year on the Observer-Reporter All-District Team. On Saturday afternoon, the Hillers’ senior was not only named first team, but also honored with Player of the Year in Class 5-A by the Pennsylvania Sports Writers Association.

Kotchman was one of three local players to earn spots on one of the three teams in the six classifications. Alexa Williamson of Chartiers-Houston was named first team in Class AA and Madison Lampe of West Greene was selected for the third team in Class A.

“I was pretty surprised (when I saw it),” said Kotchman. “It’s a huge honor. I would say this is the icing on top of the cake. There are a lot of great players around me. So, to be on any (postseason team) is a great honor.”

Kotchman, a Fairmont State recruit, averaged 19.3 points per game for the Hillers, who lost in the state finals to Archbishop Wood from the Philadelphia Catholic League, 34-26. Kotchman’s best game was arguably a 30-point effort in a 61-51-win over South Fayette, which wrapped up the West Region title and a spot in the state finals.

Trinity became the first Washington County school to qualify for a PIAA girls basketball championship game by beating South Fayette. She also set the Hillers’ single-season scoring record with 550 points.

“It’s a great accomplishment for our team,” Kotchman said. “It’s a huge team honor. I was lucky to be surrounded by great teammates who helped me out.”

Kotchman’s season was highlighted by her becoming the school’s all-time basketball – boys or girls – scoring leader with 1,706 points, which ranks third for girls players in Washington County history. Kotchman averaged 3.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.4 steals per game. She shot 50.2 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range.

Williamson, coming off a knee injury that prematurely ended her sophomore season, helped Chartiers-Houston to its first WPIAL championship in 25 years.

“It was a hard time for her not being able to contribute last year,” said C-H head coach Laura Montecalvo. “She wanted to be out there so bad. I told her she was writing a great comeback story this year.”

Williamson said she was surprised she made first team.

“I wasn’t expecting to make it,” she said. “I put a lot of work in and it’s cool to be rewarded for it.”

The 6-1 junior averaged 23 points, 12.5 rebounds and four blocked shots per game and scored 22 points and had 13 rebounds in the Bucs’ WPIAL championship win over Vincentian Academy. She had a career-high 35 points and 12 rebounds in a PIAA playoff loss to Bellwood-Antis.

“I told her after the sting (of the loss) was over that I was proud of her,” Montecalvo said. “She dominated both ends of the court even when that team (schemed) to stop her.”

Lampe averaged 17.5 points per game and helped West Greene to one of its most successful seasons in the program’s history. The sophomore guard led an offense that averaged 63.8 points per game, tops in WPIAL Class A. The Pioneers advanced to the WPIAL semifinals and qualified for the state tournament.

Pine-Richland’s Amanda Kalin (6-A), Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic’s Sam Breen (4-A), Neumann-Goretti’s Chyna Nixon (3-A), Bishop McCort’s Haley Thomas (2-A) and Lebanon Catholic’s Alexis Hill (A) were the players of the year in their respective classifications.