Carmichaels falls to Western Beaver, 77-37
MOON TWP. — Against hot-shot scorer Nick Miller and Western Beaver’s confounding 1-3-1 defense, the Carmichaels Mighty Mikes weren’t so mighty.
Friday in a WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game, Miller led the ninth-seeded Golden Beavers to an impressive 77-37 win.
“I didn’t expect it to be like that,” said Western Beaver coach Joe Podolak. “You know, I’m kind of a nervous coach. I was hoping if we could stay within five of them …
“I mean, they can put the ball in the hoop, too. Their one kid averages 25-to-26 points a game.”
Carmichaels’ Brandon Lawless, a 6-foot-4 senior forward, entered the game as the WPIAL’s fourth-leading scorer with a 26.2 points per game average. But against WB’s 1-3-1 defense, Lawless scored just 14.
Meanwhile, Miller, the WPIAL’s leading scorer at 30.1 ppg, put on another remarkable performance by scoring 34.
“Nick’s just awesome,” said Western Beaver guard John Petrosky, who scored 14 points. “He’s awesome every game.”
By winning, Western Beaver (15-6) advances to the quarterfinals. It will play Section 1-A rival Lincoln Park (22-1) on Friday, Feb. 21 at a site that’s yet to be determined. The Leopards, the top-ranked Class A team in the WPIAL and the state, won their first-round game by trouncing Mapletown, 84-27.
With the loss, the season for eighth-seeded Carmichaels (15-6) comes to an end. The Mighty Mikes made the playoffs as the second-place team in Section 3-A.