Highlights of 2019: Ben, Gionna, Thayne, the Lampe twins and the Lady Commodores
A new year and a new decade is upon us, but before we trek too far into 2020 let’s take a look back at some of the highlights in high school sports from 2019.
There was Benjamin Jackson and Gionna Quarzo running into the records books, Thayne Lawrence dominating the wrestling world and Frazier’s softball team making a magical run through the PIAA playoffs to a state title thanks to the play of the year.
There was Daniel Layton winning an appeal so he could hurdle his way to district and state gold medals, Remmey Lohr excelling in the boys golf postseason even though she happens to be a girl, another Trojans’ baseball title, an unexpected playoff run by Laurel Highlands baseball, and West Greene making an impact in multiple sports.
Here are the top stories from 2019:
TOP FIVE
Gionna Quarzo
It wasn’t good enough for Brownsville’s Gionna Quarzo to repeat as WPIAL and PIAA track & field champion in the 3,200. She had to do it in style. In Secretariat-like fashion she was basically unchallenged in registering blistering times, breaking both records, including the state mark by almost six seconds. The North Carolina State recruit also won gold in cross country this fall.
West Greene sports
West Greene made a huge splash in three different sports, highlighted by the Lampe twins, Madison and McKenna. They were part of a basketball team that, along with Kaitlyn Rizor, featured three 1,000-point scorers and reached the WPIAL final at the Petersen Events Center for the second year in a row, and a softball team that won a fourth consecutive WPIAL crown although it fell short of a third-straight PIAA title. On the football field, Army recruit Jackson charged into the football record books with a WPIAL single-season rushing record which propelled the Pioneers to an outright Tri-County South championship, a playoff win for the first time since 1993 and a spot at No. 3 on the district’s career rushing list. West Greene also made the playoffs in boys basketball for an unprecedented third year in a row and in baseball for a second straight year.
Thayne Lawrence
Frazier doesn’t have a very big wrestling roster but one Commodore has left a huge footprint in the sport already heading into his final year. Thayne Lawrence worked his way to a second consecutive PIAA championship, winning the gold medal at 160 with a 7-2 decision over Kane’s Alec English. He won the 2018 title at 152. Lawrence, now a senior, entered this season with a career mark of 97-11 after a 29-3 record last year.
Lady Commodores softball
Frazier fell short of a section title and lost in the WPIAL final for the second year in a row after winning it in 2017. Undaunted, the Lady Commodores, under head coach Don Hartman and assistant coach Mandy Hartman, marched through the PIAA tournament. Frazier earned a dramatic walk-off win in the semifinals with Emi Curcio singling in Logan Hartman, daughter of Don and Mandy. As if that wasn’t thrilling enough, the Lady Commodores secured the state title with the Herald-Standard Play of the Year against Brandywine Heights. Clinging to a 6-5 lead with the bases loaded and one out, Mackenzie Kelly caught a fly ball for the second out then threw a strike to catcher Juliann Johnson, who applied the tag on the runner coming in from third to complete an astounding, game-ending, state championship-winning double play.
Daniel Layton
No one felt worse than Waynesburg Central senior Daniel Layton’s dad, Rick Layton, in the spring when he inadvertently removed his son from his best event, the 110 high hurdles, for the WPIAL track & field championships, instead of the 300 intermediate hurdles, while filling out the form on his cellphone. Daniel easily had the fastest time in the WPIAL and was the defending champion in the 110, but the WPIAL voted down an appeal to let him compete despite the mistake. Fortunately, the PIAA overruled the WPIAL and allowed Layton to compete. He went on to win the WPIAL and PIAA gold medals in the event. The William & Mary recruit, despite battling a should injury, also won a WPIAL gold medal in the pole vault.
ALSO MAKING A SPLASH
Remmey Lohr
Carmichaels junior Remmey Lohr was one of the area’s best girl golfers, but, like many local girls in the sport, competed on the boys team since her school does not field a girls squad, and helped the Mikes win the section title and advance to the WPIAL team finals. In the golf postseason, Remmey found herself in a tough predicament thanks to a rule that states if a team does not have a girls team, then only one girl from that school can compete. Remmey’s sister Delaney Lohr, a senior, is also an excellent golfer, and Delaney competed in the boys division with Remmey in the girls in 2018. This year the two reversed roles, and Remmey shocked many other boy golfers by winning the section qualifier to qualify for the WPIAL boys championships. As if that wasn’t enough, Remmey placed 13th in the district event and then finished an amazing second in the PIAA Western Qualifier to reach the boys state final, where she placed 30th.
Mustangs baseball
Laurel Highlands’ baseball team came up short of a section crown, but qualified for the postseason. After losing a strong group to graduation the previous year when it won the section and reached the district quarterfinals, few expected the Mustangs, even with pitching ace Andino Vecchiolla, to make much of an impact in the 2019 WPIAL playoffs. They proved those doubters wrong, though, by knocking off Kiski Area, Hampton and Franklin Regional to reach their first WPIAL championship game and qualify for the state tournament. LH fell to Shaler in the district final.
Red Raiders basketball
Uniontown was coming off a third-place finish and a 14-10 record in 2018 and hadn’t won a section title since 2014 when a strong cast led by junior Billy DeShields took the court for the Red Raiders last season. Uniontown bounced back by dominating its section, sweeping all 10 games to give the school its 48th section championship and coach Rob Kezmarsky his ninth. The Red Raiders reached the WPIAL quarterfinals and ended the season with a 19-4 record.
Lady Warriors softball
Elizabeth Forward coughed up a seventh-inning lead in suffering a heart-breaking loss to Belle Vernon in the 2018 WPIAL final, putting them at 0-5 in district championship games. A year later, the Lady Warriors, under coach Harry Rutherford, put all that grief behind them. EF charged to the WPIAL championship with a 3-0 win over Mount Pleasant, then came within a walk-off loss in the PIAA final of claiming a state title, as well.
Trojans baseball
Winning WPIAL championships was nothing new to California, which had five plaques put away at the school already, but there was some doubt about the Trojans after an off year in 2018 in which they went 9-8 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. A year later, the Trojans were on top of the mountain again. Under second-year coach Lou Pasquale, California won another section crown, was made the top seed and then swept through the WPIAL playoffs, defeating Eden Christian, 9-6, to claim district title No. 6.
Dayton Pitzer
Mount Pleasant’s Dayton Pitzer emerged as one of the area’s top wrestlers in 2019. The talented freshman also provided hope that perhaps another area wrestler could become a four-time state champion. Pitzer rolled to the WPIAL title and through the PIAA regional into the PIAA championships where he won the gold medal with a 3-1 decision over Freedom’s Bryson Miller in Hershey. Pitzer finished the season with a sparkling 43-1 record.
Leopards football
Belle Vernon defeated everyone in its path with the exception of PIAA champion Thomas Jefferson, which it lost to twice. Quarterback Jared Hartman set the school record for touchdown passes in a season as coach Matt Humbert’s Leopards made their first ever appearance at Heinz Field for the WPIAL championship game. The Leps finished with a 10-2 record.
Greyhounds basketball
Monessen lost to top-seeded Vincentian Academy in the WPIAL semifinals and again in the PIAA semifinals. In between, first-year coach Dan Bosnic guided the Greyhounds, led by freshman Devin Whitlock, to thrilling state wins over Jamestown Area, Bishop Carroll and WPIAL champion Nazareth Prep. Monessen finished the season with a section title and 65-game section winning streak.
Also of note:
Ringgold diver Anna Vogt repeated as WPIAL champion and won the PIAA gold medal … Waynesburg Central’s Selena Phillips repeated as WPIAL rifle champion. … Belle Vernon swimmer Robert Spekis set the WPIAL record in winning the 100 breaststroke and also won gold in the 200 IM. … Ringgold’s hockey team won the PIHL Division 2 championship. … Belle Vernon swimmer Ian Shahan set the WPIAL record in winning the 100 freestyle. … Elizabeth Forward’s Bri Spirnak won a WPIAL gold medal in the javelin. … Mount Pleasant swimmer Heather Gardner won a gold medal in the 50 freestyle. … Elizabeth Forward swimmer Kaelyn McClain repeated as WPIAL champion in the 500 freestyle. … California’s Jelani Stafford made good use of watching YouTube videos to refine his technique and won a WPIAL shot put gold medal in his first year participating in that event. … Geibel Catholic swimmer Cole Dorobish won a gold medal in the WPIAL Class AA finals in the 100 backstroke. … Wayneburg Central’s Scott Benco won a WPIAL gold medal in the javelin. … Monessen’s Darnel Howell won a gold medal in the high jump. … Bentworth’s girls soccer team rode the potent one-two punch of Jocelyn Timlin and Paige Marshalek to a section title and spot in the WPIAL final. … Jarret Bach pitched Yough to a section title and to the WPIAL semifinals. … Geibel Catholic rode Lauren Tomasko and Shannon Watkins to a section title and the WPIAL semifinals. … Yough won a section title and reached the WPIAL girls soccer final where it lost in double overtime. … Elizabeth Forward won a section title, two playoff games and qualified for the PIAA tournament in girls basketball. … Frazier’s Brooke Poling ended her outstanding basketball career as the school’s all-time — both boys and girls — leading scorer. … Southmoreland entered the 2018-19 girls basketball season coming off a disappointing season in which it missed the postseason despite having talented Cali Konek move into the district. Konek transferred to her fourth team in four years after the season, but the Lady Scotties flourished anyhow, led by star center Maggie Moore, going 18-6 and winning a playoff game. … Connellsville’s softball team, coached by John Burd and led by daughter and pitcher Mia Burd, reached the WPIAL final. … Southmoreland qualified for the football postseason for the first time since 1979. … Carmichaels’ volleyball team, led by Taylor Christopher, won a share of the section title and one playoff match. .. Elizabeth Forward’s Ryan Michaels won the WPIAL Class AA title at 113 pounds, as did Bentworth’s John Vargo at 195. Michaels also won gold in the PIAA Class AA Southwestern Regional. … Frazier’s volleyball team won another section title and one playoff match. … Don Williams stepped down as Carmichaels boys basketball coach after 44 years — 28 of those with assistant coach Tim Jones — and 512 career victories.