Observer-Reporter Athlete of the Week: PT’s Makenna Marisa
Name: Makenna Marisa
School: Peters Township
Class: Junior
Sport: Basketball
Marisa’s week: An 11-day break separating the Indians’ regular season and opening game of the playoffs didn’t hinder Marisa.
In Peters Township’s 48-40 win over seventh-seeded Hempfield in a WPIAL Class 6A quarterfinal game, Marisa scored 16 second-half points to finish with a team-high 20.
Marisa followed up by tormenting Bethel Park again this season, this time in a dominating, 55-39, victory over the Black Hawks Tuesday night. She finished with a game-high 25 points, five assists and five rebounds, leading Peters Township to its first WPIAL title appearance since 2009.
The Indians play nationally ranked and top-seeded North Allegheny (24-0) for the championship at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Peterson Events Center.
It would be the first WPIAL championship for Peters Township if the Indians defeat the Tigers.
“It’s so special,” Marisa said of advancing to the finals. “We are all so excited. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Eyes on the prize: When Marisa turned all of her attention to basketball – she played soccer her freshman year – it was with a determination of playing at the next level.
From working outside of practice to finding a spot in the corner of the gymnasium to complete a dribbling routine during junior-varsity games, it’s a constant effort from Marisa to play major Division I women’s college basketball.
“She works so hard on her game,” said Peters Township coach Bert Kendall. “She is up late at night, practicing her dribbling and working out constantly. The more more time you spend on a task the better you get. She certainly spends the time. She just has a God-given natural ability to play the game. It’s a mix of her God-given talent and a burning desire to always want to get better.”
A skill set beyond the years of a high school junior, Marisa combines speed with a 5-11 frame as a guard that has enabled her to score 23 points per game.
“She has an incredible ability to just feel the game,” Kendall said. “Her length and speed are so hard (for opponents) to deal with. She can handle the ball as well as any point guard we’ve seen this year. Her drive to the hoop and her pull-up jump shot are tough to defend.”
She has major college offers from Pitt, Duquesne, Ball State, Villanova, St. Joseph’s and Cincinnati.
“In order to play at the level I want, it requires a lot of work,” Marisa said.
Compiled by Luke Campbell