Allison, Romanus lead GCM All-County Boys Basketball Team
West Greene, Jefferson-Morgan and Waynesburg Central each qualified for the WPIAL playoffs this past season and all three are heavily represented on the 2024-25 Greene County Messenger All-County Boys Basketball Team.
Leading the way is Lane Allison, the Pioneers’ 6-foot senior guard, who went over the 1,000-point mark as a junior last year and finished his final season as the county’s leading scorer during the regular season at 19.8 points per game.
Allison was a four-year letterman and three-year starter for West Greene and helped lead them to the WPIAL playoffs three times. Allison also hit the shot of the year when his heave from just inside the opposite end line miraculously went in as time expired to give the Pioneers a stunning 52-51 victory over Chartiers-Houston on Dec. 20, setting off a scene of pandemonium at West Greene’s gymnasium.
It was the Buccaneers’ lone section loss of the season.
Allison is the Player of the Year.
Joining him on the first team are West Greene teammate Parker Burns, a versatile 6-1 senior guard, Waynesburg Central 5-11 sophomore Cole Headlee, who averaged 12.7 points per game, Raiders 6-4 senior forward Dane Woods, and Jefferson-Morgan 6-5 junior forward Dayten Marion.
Headlee and Woods were two of the main cogs in Waynesburg’s strong second-half push that got them not only into the postseason but put them in contention for the Section 4-3A title.
Marion helped the Rockets stay in contention for first place in Section 3-2A most of the season and they earned a spot in the playoffs.
The Coach of the Year is Jim Romanus of West Greene who stepped down after the season to wrap up a coaching career that spanned almost 50 years. Romanus guided the Pioneers to a 13-8 overall record that included a 57-43 over Waynesburg and a split of two games with Jefferson-Morgan. West Greene, J-M and Fort Cherry all tied for second place with 10-4 section marks.
Romanus also coached Jefferson-Morgan, who he once guided into the second round of the PIAA tournament, and the West Greene girls but he spent the past 14 years transforming the West Greene boys into a perennial playoff team. The Pioneers reached the postseason in nine of the past 10 season, including a program-best run of seven straight playoff appearances.
Romanus edges out Waynesburg coach Mike Juliano who rallied the Raiders from a 1-9 start to a 9-14 overall record, including a 7-3 section mark that tied them with Ligonier Valley for second place.
Brandon Lawless also deserves praise for guiding J-M to a 15-8 overall record. Lawless has steered the Rockets into the playoffs in all four of his years as coach.
The Second Team includes Waynesburg 6-0 junior Austin Suber and 6-5 senior Alex Eck, West Greene 6-0 senior Patrick Durbin, Carmichaels 6-1 senior Robbie Wilson-Jones and Jefferson-Morgan 6-0 junior Jeremiah Roberston.
The complete GCM All-County Boys Basketball Team follows:
Player of the Year: Lane Allison, West Greene
Coach of the Year: Jim Romanus, West Greene
First Team
Lane Allison, West Greene
Cole Headlee, Waynesburg Central
Dayten Marion, Jefferson-Morgan
Parker Burns, West Greene
Dane Woods, Waynesburg Central
Second Team
Austin Suber, Alex Eck, Waynesburg Central; Jeremiah Robertson, Jefferson-Morgan; Patrick Durbin, West Greene; Robbie Wilson-Jones, Carmichaels.
Third Team
Alex VanSickle, Waynesburg Central; Matt Wassil West Greene; John Woodward, Jaymison Robinson, Jefferson-Morgan; Alex Toth, Carmichaels.
Honorable Mention
Darren Knight, West Greene; Brayden Ellsworth, Jefferson-Morgan; Stephen Lewis, Carmichaels; Lucas Stevenson, Mapletown.