Mar 7, 2003 By Rob Burchianti 4 min read

CONNELLSVILLE – Connellsville may be coming off a loss, but the Falcons couldn’t have a more positive outlook heading into the PIAA Class AAAA boys basketball playoffs. Connellsville lost to eventual champion Penn Hills in the WPIAL semifinals, 59-50. The Falcons were hampered by foul trouble the entire game, though, and still managed to knock an 18-point deficit down to five late in the game.

“We gained some confidence,” Connellsville coach Nick Bosnic said. “We feel that if we play as well as we can, then any team will have a tough time beating us. It seems to me like we’re getting better and better every day.”

That doesn’t mean Bosnic expects his team to breeze through the state tournament, however.

“At this point, every game presents a challenge, and the challenges get harder and harder as you go on,” Bosnic said. “But we’re looking forward to facing them.”

Connellsville’s first challenge will be Allderdice, the No. 2 Quad-A seed out of the multi-classified Pittsburgh City League. The Dragons lost to Perry in the league semifinals, 75-62.

The Falcons (24-3) and Dragons (13-13) will play Saturday afternoon at Ringgold High School. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

While Bosnic has confidence in his squad, he has tremendous respect for Allderdice.

“They’re extremely athletic and young,” Bosnic said. “They play a lot of underclassmen, and they’re similar to Penn Hills in that they like to pressure you, but they’re not as tall. They use a 2-3 zone and come out and cover you, and they shoot the ball well from the outside.”

The Dragons are coached by Buddy Valinsky, who followed up an 8-17 mark in his first year with a 13-13 record this season.

Allderdice sports a balanced attack as was evident in the City League playoffs.

In the Dragons’ 58-49 win over Brashear in the quarterfinals, freshmen Amir Johnson and Deandre Langston lead the way with 14 and 12 points, respectively, while Eugene Harris and Brandon Stewart added 10 points apiece. In their loss to Perry, Dominic Cravotti was their only double-figure scorer with 15.

There’s no doubt who the Falcons’ top player is. James Hairston, a 6-foot-3 junior guard-forward, is one of the best players in the WPIAL, and averages 26 points, 12.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 3.8 blocked shots per game. He’s already poured in 1,439 points in his Connellsville career.

Still, the Falcons have other key components to their team. Chad Burton, a 5-10 senior guard who is Connellsville’s top defensive player, was in foul trouble the entire game against Penn Hills, and his absence was sorely missed.

Point guard Shane Kovack, a 5-9 hustling senior who averages seven assists per game, will be a key player in handling Allderdice’s defensive pressure.

Kevin Bell, a 6-3 junior forward, was second on the team in scoring and rebounding at 11 points and seven boards per game.

Justin Marsinko, a 6-0 senior forward, has been a steady player inside.

Matthew Stone, a 6-3 senior forward, and 5-11 junior guard Andre Sledge are the Falcons’ top players off the bench.

Bosnic talked with fellow Laurel Highlands graduate Rob Kezmarsky, who now coaches Uniontown, about the Dragons. The Red Raiders split two games with Allderdice to open the season.

“Robby was impressed with them,” Bosnic said. “I think we have to try to stick with our plan. You have to defend them well in the half court and get them out of their offense. They seem like they can be a little impatient. They want to score quick, so maybe we can force them to take bad shots. They get up and down the court so fast, and they get the ball out fast, too, and they swarm the offensive glass.”

Allderdice likes to push the tempo with its press.

“The key is to recognize the defense they’re in and be patient,” Bosnic said. “Someone is going to get trapped almost every time down the floor, so you have to get out and attack. They take chances, hoping you can’t handle the pressure, but if you get out, you’ve got numbers in your favor.”

If the Falcons advance, they would play either District 6 champion Altoona (21-5) or Mount Lebanon (19-7) in the second round on Wednesday with the site and time to be determined.

The Blue Devils, who are the No. 7 seed out of the WPIAL, fell to Connellsville in the quarterfinals, 53-49.