Observer-Reporter Athlete of the Week
Name: Craig Weaver
School: West Greene
Sport: Basketball
Class: Senior
Weaver’s week: Weaver became the first player in West Greene basketball history to reach 1,000 career points since Keith Ross in 2003 when Weaver scored 16 first-half points in a 76-27 win over Mapletown Friday in a Section 2-A game. The 6-8, 260-pound senior center finished the night with 1,001 career points.
“I knew, the team knew, the coaches knew and the fans knew,” said Weaver, who also is a starting lineman on the football team. “I got what I needed, 16 points. It means a lot to me. I’ve been working for this since my freshman year.”
Two days earlier, Weaver scored 12 points as the Pioneers won their eighth straight game over Hundred, W.Va, 71-41. Weaver began the week by scoring 10 points in a 76-41 loss to Clairton.
Weaver has the opportunity to accomplish a remarkable double-double: 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. There has never been a player at West Greene with those recorded numbers. Weaver is about 100 shy of that milestone. The Pioneers have nine regular season games remaining on the schedule and, sitting in third place in Section 2-A, are in good shape for a postseason berth that would add at least another game.
Weaver can’t reach Dave Goodwin’s school record of more than 1,700 points.
Doing it the hard way: One of the interesting aspects of Weaver’s accomplishment is that he accumulated more than 1,000 points with the help of just two three-point field goals. It’s not that he is a poor shooter – actually, he has a nice touch from outside – but head coach Jim Romanus knows where Weaver should be to help the Pioneers win games: underneath the basket.
“We don’t let him shoot from outside,” said Romanus. “He’s a good shooter. He can drain some threes.”
The ability to score, rebound and move well for a person of his size has attracted colleges. Many like him for football, but Weaver is waiting until the end of basketball season to go over all the options.
“I’ve had more schools contact me for football,” Weaver said. “I played in the Bud Grebb League in California last summer and it was up and down, up and down. I’ve had five different coaches and I did all right.”
Whatever school Weaver chooses will be getting a hard-worker, Romanus said.
“He’s a fabulous kid, high honor roll, National Honor Society student,” Romanus said. “He’d like to play basketball; that’s his first love. … He’s one of these old-fashioned Hoosier kids. He is an absolute pleasure to coach.”
Compiled by Joe Tuscano