Greene County squads gear up for WPIAL playoffs
Five Greene County hoops teams qualified for the playoffs and now anxiously wait to represent their respective sections in the postseason.
The Carmichaels, Jefferson-Morgan and West Greene girls all finished with identical Section 3-A records, tying for third place behind section champion California and second-place Avella.
In Section 3-A for the boys, Carmichaels finished tied for second place with Clairton, behind undefeated Monessen. Mapletown rounds out the playoff contenders in the section, beating out Geibel Catholic and Avella for the fourth postseason berth.
The following are the season reviews and playoff previews for the five county teams that will be searching for that allusive postseason win and a deep playoff run:
Carmichaels Lady Mikes
Record: 7-14 overall, 4-6 section
Signature wins: 12/7 vs. Monessen, 1/20 vs. West Greene, 2/4 vs. Jefferson-Morgan
Recent playoff history: This will mark the 10th consecutive time that Carmichaels has qualified for the postseason under coach Jim Lane. Despite being successful on making the playoffs, the Lady Mikes have struggled winning in the postseason, dropping nine games in a row. The last time Carmichaels won in the playoffs was a first round triumph over Duquesne in 2002-03.
Players to watch: Senior forward Amanda Brown and junior guard Caroline Cree had fantastic regular seasons at both ends of the court and both average double figures in scoring, but if the Lady Mikes want to continue their season they must depend on their role players. Junior guard Moriah Hathaway, junior forward Molly Roberts and sophomore guards Emma Lowry and Katie Reagan must produce on the offense end.
Key stat: Six of Carmichaels’ 14 losses this season were decided by 10 points or less and the Lady Mikes have gained plenty of experience playing in close games. Also, nine of its losses have been to playoff teams, including California, Avella, Frazier, Charleroi and Jeannette.
Playoff match-up: Preliminary Round: Carmichaels vs. Monessen at Baldwin High School on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 1 p.m.; winner plays top-seeded Vincentian Academy in the first round.
Scouting the opponent: The Lady Mikes know Monessen very well, beating the Lady Greyhounds, 51-22, at the Charleroi Tipoff Tournament in the first weekend of the regular season. Monessen (4-16) is the fourth-place team out of Section 4-A with a 3-7 mark. The Lady Greyhounds, who lost eight of their last nine games, are led by junior guards Mariha Johnson (10.6) and Teraee Bradford (7.7).
Jefferson-Morgan Lady Rockets
Record: 12-10, 4-6
Signature wins: 12/13 at Winchester-Thurston, 12/26-27 won Geibel Catholic Christmas Tournament, 1/13 vs. Carmichaels, 2/6 vs. West Greene
Recent playoff history: The Lady Rockets garnered a playoff berth last year for the first time since the 2006-07 season and picked up a preliminary round victory over Eden Christian Academy, 29-25. J-M went on to drop its first round contest to Serra Catholic, 85-45. This year will mark the fourth time the Lady Rockets have made the postseason in the last 10 seasons.
Players to watch: In 2013-14, J-M was one of the most balanced teams on offense in Class A, as the Lady Rockets have four players that could take over games. Those players are sophomore guard Rachel Hildebrand, sophomore forwards Kayla Yorko and Ally Bogden and freshmen forward Erin Confortini. J-M also has a stable bench that provides solid depth for them.
Hidden stat: Out of 22 games played this year for the Lady Rockets, 12 of them have been decided by 12 points or less with J-M winning eight of those contests. J-M shoots the ball well from the free throw line and has a plethora of consistent ball-handlers for late-game situations.
Playoff match-up: First Round: Jefferson-Morgan vs. No. 4 St. Joseph at Elizabeth-Forward High School on Saturday, Feb. 15 at noon.
Scouting the opponent: The Lady Spartans are 18-4 overall and carries a 9-3 record in Section 2-A. St. Joseph, who is on a 10-game winning streak, finished third in the section behind defending Class A Champion Vincentian Academy and Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic. They average around 58.7 points per game and are led by senior forward Mallory Heinle (23.7).
West Greene Lady Pioneers
Record: 11-10, 4-6
Signature wins: 12/20 at Waynesburg Central, 1/16 vs. Jefferson-Morgan, 1/23 vs. Carmichaels
Recent playoff history: This is the third straight year that West Greene has made the playoffs and the Lady Pioneers has picked up preliminary round victories the last two years. Both victories, Frazier in ’11-12 and Clairton in ’12-13, were the first postseason wins in school history. Prior to those playoff match-ups, the last time West Greene was in the WPIAL’s second season was in 1999.
Players to watch: The Lady Pioneers are led by the inside games of twin sisters Madison and Alyssa Raber. Both senior forwards are double-double machines and provide stellar scoring in the paint and rebounding. In order for West Greene to advance in the playoffs, they must also get contributions from outside the paint on offense by senior guard Emily Courtwright, junior guard Emily Hoag and sophomore forward Sarah Courtwright.
Hidden stat: West Greene success on the hardfloor is all about its rebounding and defense. Defensively, the Lady Pioneers have allowed 37.4 points per game, seventh-best in all of Class A. West Greene has allowed 45 points or less in 14 games and plays a more physical game than most teams are accustomed to seeing.
Playoff match-up: First Round: West Greene vs. Quigley Catholic at Peters Township High School on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 12 p.m.
Scouting the opponent: Quigley (16-5) finished with a 12-0 mark in Section 1-A to claim the section title and is riding a seven-game winning streak into the playoffs. The Lady Spartans scored only 51.3 points per game, but are stingy on defense, giving up only 36 points per game. Quigley has five players that average in double figures, led by senior forward Kristin Jackson (16.3) and junior guard Kaitlyn Smith (15.6).
Carmichaels Mikes
15-5, 7-3
Signature wins: vs. Frazier 12/10, vs. Clairton 1/30, 7-0 vs. Greene County teams
Recent playoff history: The Mikes have qualified for the playoffs in 10 of the last 11 seasons with the lone exception being the 2009-10 season. The last playoff victory for Carmichaels was in the first round versus Cornell in 2008-09. The last three years the Mikes have dropped their first-round contest to the likes of North Catholic, Serra Catholic and Wilkinsburg.
Players to watch: Carmichaels’ top six players are all seniors and coach Don Williams will depend on each one immensely. Forward Brandon Lawless averages 26.1 points per game and is a defensive nightmare for the opposition with his size and quickness. Fellow seniors Ty Cole (14.1), Cory Fuller (12.5), Tyler Aeschbacher (11.3) and Justin Newman (10.8) must also continue to step up for the Mikes in the postseason.
Hidden stat: Despite putting up steady numbers on offense and averaging 63.2 points per game, the Mikes’ defense has been the catalyst, only giving up 51 points a game, which is the fourth lowest in Class A behind Lincoln Park, Sewickley Academy and Winchester Thurston.
Playoff match-up: First Round: Carmichaels vs. Western Beaver at Moon High School on Friday, Feb. 14, at 8 p.m.
Scouting the opponent: Western Beaver finished the year with a 14-6 mark and collected a third-place finish in Section 1-A with a 5-5 record.
The Beavers average around 70 points per game, which is fourth best in all of Class A. The offense is led by 6-2 senior guard Nick Miller, who is the WPIAL top scorer at 29.7 points per game. Miller and Western Beaver defeated Carmichaels in the quarterfinals of the baseball playoffs last year, before winning the Class A crown on the diamond.
Mapletown Maples
Record: 7-12, 3-7
Signature wins: vs. Beth-Center 12/26, at Geibel Catholic 2/1, vs. Avella 2/4
Recent playoff history: This will be the Maples’ seventh appearance in the postseason over the last 11 seasons.
Mapletown picked up its first playoff win since 1972 in last year’s preliminary round against Leechburg, before falling to top-seeded Lincoln Park (95-37) in the first round.
Players to watch: The Maples’ outside shooting will be key for them in the postseason, as senior guard Dereck Riggleman and junior guard Ben Boone shoot the three extremely well. If the Maples get on a hot streak from the outside, that will open up things on the inside for senior forwards Dana White and Eric Atwood.
Hidden stat: Mapletown has the luxury of experience on its side with three senior starters and a junior that have have plenty of playoff experience. Riggleman leads the offense with 25.4 points per game, followed by Boone (14.8), Atwood (14.2) and White (13.2).
Playoff match-up: First Round: Mapletown vs. No. 1-seed Lincoln Park at Keystone Oaks High School on Friday, Feb. 14, at 8 p.m.
Scouting the opponent: The Leopards are once again the most stacked and strongest squad in Class A after posting a 21-1 overall record and a 10-0 mark in Section 1-A.
Lincoln Park’s only loss of the season came against Quad-A New Castle. The Leopards average 83.4 points per game, second in all of the WPIAL, and are led by sophomore guard Maverick Rowan (24.3) and senior center Elijah Minnie (16.9).