Historic season: Winter season has produced several memorable feats
Dave Stofcheck
Jefferson-Morgan’s D. L. Garrett hugs his mother, Maribeth Garrett, after D.L. surpassed 1,000 career points during Friday’s game against Frazier.
Carmichaels coach Don Williams (standing) and assistant coach Tim Jones huddle with the Mikes during a timeout in a game against Frazier recently.Williams was at 498 career wins going into the Mikes’ game at Avella on Wednesday night. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
As the winter season is winding down (hard to believe only about a week and a half left for the basketball regular season), Greene County has been home to a number of historic feats over the last couple of days.
Here are just a couple of those things that made headlines this week.
Williams closing in
With Carmichaels’ 49-46 victory over Jefferson-Morgan last Saturday in Section 2-AA boys basketball action, veteran coach Don Williams notched his 498th career win with the Mikes.
The win also broke a 27-game section losing streak for Carmichaels, as it was the first section triumph since it beat Beth-Center on Jan. 5, 2016.
After suffering a loss to California on Tuesday night, the Mikes had a non-section game against Avella on Wednesday and hosts Bentworth tonight at 7:30 p.m.
Carmichaels wraps up the regular season with a pair of games after that, at Frazier on Tuesday and at home versus J-M next Friday.
Like father, like son
Last Friday, Jefferson-Morgan senior guard DL Garrett tallied 24 points and surpassed 1,000 career points in a 63-56 overtime loss to Frazier.
He became the 14th player to reach the scoring plateau and joined his father/coach, Dennis Garrett, as perhaps one of the lone father-son combos in the area to reach the 1,000 mark.
“Getting 1,000 is always a great accomplishment,” Dennis said. “DL has put the work in and he has gotten better every season. He’s a competitor and he would have rather won that game than to get 1,000. I think he is glad it’s over and the pressure is off of him. I could see he was pressing a little bit.
“I was happy for him. It was an emotional night for me.”
Dennis admitted coaching DL was an interesting situation.
“It’s a challenge to coach your son,” he said. “You’re harder on him than anyone else. You want yous son to do well and be better. It’s tough to separate father and coach sometimes.
“He really stepped it up this year, though. I think the other players looked up to him a lot more this year.”
Dennis was the first player ever at J-M to hit the milestone in 1975 and finished his three-year playing career with 1,365 points.
He led the county in scoring in all three of those seasons.
Of course, Dennis played when there was no 3-point line so that total would’ve been even higher under today’s rules.
Of the 14 players to reach the 1,000-point scoring honor, five have come from the small town of Pitt Gas.
“There must have been something in the water in that town,” Dennis said.
“It’s me and DL, both of the Wilson boys (Calvin in 2000 and Tyrone in 2001) and (Shanna) Yourchik (in 2003). It’s a very small town, and it’s kind of funny that there are so many 1,000 point scorers in that town.”
Another Lampe, another record
West Greene’s junior guard Madison Lampe can be the fourth player in the county to reach 1,000 points for their careers.
She is 14 points shy of the scoring mark entering a game against Geibel Catholic on Thursday.
She would join her sister, West Greene junior guard McKenna Lampe, Waynesburg Central’s senior guard Darton McIntire and Garrett as 1,000 point scorers this season from Greene County.
Lady Pioneers, Lady Maples eye up playoffs
The West Greene girls basketball team clinched its second straight Section 2-A title with a 70-22 rout at Monessen on Monday.
The Lady Pioneers (16-1, 8-0) are now just two wins away from being undefeated in the section for the second year in a row.
West Greene closes out section play at home against Geibel on Thursday and at Avella on Monday.
The Mapletown girls basketball squad earned its first playoff trip since the 2007-08 season this week.
That season, the Lady Maples went 14-7 overall and lost to Quigley Catholic in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.
After suffering a 50-36 setback to Avella on Tuesday, the Lady Maples are 8-12 overall and 4-4 in Section 2-A.
Mapletown plays at Monessen tonight and ends section play at home versus Jefferson-Morgan on Monday.
Teasdale adds another accomplishment
Jefferson-Morgan’s senior Gavin Teasdale garnered another record in his historic career on the wrestling mat last weekend at Bedford.
Teasdale became only the third wrestler ever to grab four championships at the Thomas Chevrolet Tournament.
Teasdale defeated Freedom’s Z.J. Ward in the 126-pound final with a 17-5 major decision.
Teasdale joined Jefferson-Morgan’s Justin Tracanna and Bedford’s Jonathan Gabriel as the only wrestlers to win four titles in the yearly tournament.
The Class AA individual sectionals will start on Feb. 16, as Teasdale starts his quest to become a four-time PIAA champion.
(Rob Burchianti contributed to this story)