No Popeck, no problem for Prexies against Ellwood City
Washington’s Ronnie Paith and Jacob Swartz battle for possession of the ball with Ellwood City’s Angelo Williams and Anthony Roth during the first half of Saturday’s WPIAL Class-AAA playoff game.
Washington’s Isaiah Schoonmaker battles in the paint Saturday during the Prexies’ WPIAL Class-AAA playoff game against Ellwood City.
Washington’s Dan Ethridge attempts to drive past Ellwood City’s Tyler Good during Saturday’s WPIAL Class-AAA playoff game.
Washington’s Matt Popeck sits on the bench Saturday during the Prexies’ WPIAL Class-AAA playoff game against Ellwood City.
McMURRAY – He carried them last season, when they were trying to figure out how good they were. He carried them early this season, when they were playing .500 basketball. And he made people stand up and say, “Who is that guy?” with a series of 30-point games during Washington High School’s 15-game winning streak.
But during the Little Prexies’ WPIAL playoff opener Saturday afternoon, all high-scoring Matt Popeck could do was carry himself to the bench and watch. The most-talked-about left ankle in the WPIAL was in a walking boot. Head coach Ron Faust said the senior guard is likely “done for the season.”
On this day, not having Popeck in the lineup wasn’t a major stumbling block for Washington.
All it did was create an opportunity for senior forward Isaiah Robinson to do his best Popeck impersonation and score a game-high 28 points while leading the Prexies to a 57-29 thumping of Ellwood City in a Class AAA first-round game at Peters Township High School.
The win sends second-seeded Washington (19-4) into the quarterfinals Thursday against Aliquippa (12-11), which defeated Charleroi 70-51 in the opening round.
While Faust wasn’t happy with all facets of his team’s play, he was thrilled by Robinson’s performance. The Prexies have been waiting for Robinson to fulfill his immense potential. He had some big moments, like a 30-point game against Section 4 runnerup Southmoreland, but for the most part has been the second option in the offense behind Popeck.
Against Ellwood City (9-11), which was making its first playoff appearance in five years, Robinson seemed to be options Nos. 1, 2 and 3 for the Prexies. He scored 20 first-half points as Wash High forged leads of 14-3 after one quarter and 28-15 at halftime. Robinson finished with a game-high 11 rebounds and, from his spot at the point of the 1-2-2 zone press, helped force 20 Ellwood City turnovers.
“One of Isaiah’s problems early in the year was that he was in foul trouble,” Faust pointed out. “That killed his momentum. Today, he played stout and really instinctive defense.”
Ellwood City coach Steve Antuono thought his team caught a major break when he learned just before game time that Popeck would not play.
“We didn’t know he wouldn’t be playing,” Antuono said. “I knew he had gotten hurt in the Trinity game (Monday night) but he had gone back in that game. The problem for us was that No. 1 (Robinson) didn’t look like that on film. In the games we watched, it was (Popeck) who made them go, and I had Robinson pegged as an athlete.”
Robinson scored 12 of Washington’s 14 points in the first quarter as the Prexies held the Wolverines to only one field goal. He scored in a variety of ways: a short baseline jumper, a move from the low post, a jumper from the foul line, off a lob pass, stealing the ball and driving for a layup and two free throws.
The early jump shots by Robinson in the opening quarter were two of only three jumpers made by Washington. Ellwood City, meanwhile, made only two jump shots the entire game and finished with just 11 field goals. The rest of the scoring by both teams was either layups, putbacks off rebounds, floaters or free throws. In other words, it was the kind of game Washington needs to play sans the smooth-shooting Popeck.
“The smart thing Washington did was play the press all the way down the floor,” Antuono said. “We were never able to go down and run half-court sets and reverse the ball. They stayed in the pressure the whole time.”
Washington ended any thought of an Ellwood City comeback when it held the Wolverines scoreless for the first six minutes of the second half while extending the lead to 36-15. Robinson scored five more points in the third quarter.
“It was important to get off to a good start and not let them get any confidence,” Robinson said. “We’re a team that plays off momentum and our energy.”
Washington’s Jacob Swartz, though he battled foul trouble in the second half, had another efficient game with 13 points and seven rebounds. Anthony Roth was Ellwood City leading scorer with 10 points.
Faust said no one person will replace Popeck’s point production. It’s going to take each player to be more productive and it all starts on the defensive end.
“You don’t replace his scoring,” Fuast said. “What you have to do is defend. You change the game plan, defend and keep the score in the 50s.
“We had three days to practice (since Popeck’s injury) and we made sure that our guys understand that Isaiah touches the ball. Any coach will tell you that when you put players in a position where they can do what they do best, then they’ll play much better. We tried to instill in Isaiah what he does well.”