Girls Basketball: East 2012-13 Season Preview
Class AAAA
The great basketball programs of the Quad-A East are returning great players. But Oakland Catholic’s great players of 2012-13 are yet to be determined.
Recall the Eagles’ 2011-12 tear to the state championship. Now, consider that Oakland made its run in the high-tops of a team that included seven seniors. One of these seniors was Bobbi Baker, who scored 18 points in Oakland Catholic’s PIAA semifinal win over Governor Mifflin.
Oakland should have telling Section 3-AAAA matchups on Dec. 20* and Jan 24 with Pine Richland.
In Section 1-AAAA, it’s “feast” as opposed to “famine.” Penn-Trafford, Hempfield, Kiski Area, and Norwin all graduated 4 or fewer in 2012. (Penn-Trafford was the only team that graduated as many as four). The Warriors return senior guard Taylor Cortazzo, who has been a top scoring contributor. Hempfield lost ‘12’s Taylor Lubinsky, but the Burns sisters (Mary and Monica) will return.
Kiski Area and Norwin have situations similar to Penn-Trafford’s and Hempfield’s. Norwin had three graduates in 2012 and Kiski Area had two. One of the Cavaliers graduates was Makenzie Zidek, however. Zidek averaged 17.9 points per game last year.
With all of the talent in Section 1-AAAA, watch for the results of the following implication-rich games:
Penn Trafford versus Hempfield, Jan 3 and Jan 28
Norwin versus Kiski Area, Jan 10 and Feb 4
Penn Trafford versus Norwin, Jan 14 and Feb 7
Hempfield versus Kiski Area, Jan 7 and Jan 31
Section 2-AAAA is in a similar situation to Section 1-AAAA. Plum had four 2012 graduates, and will return senior guard Angeleena Boriello as well as sophomore guard Krista Pietropola. Pietropola averaged 17.0 points per game in 2012.
Similarly, Gateway had only three graduates in 2012. But, one was regional sensation Destiny Brown, who took her play to Baylor. Also, Anna Coutsoumbis graduated from Gateway. Coutsoumbis had also been a major scoring contributor for the Gators.
Woodland Hills was also a first-round playoff team in 2012. The Wolverines graduated two that year. Among the returning players are senior guard/forward Delrika Carey, and senior guard Desiree Garland. Garland shot for an average of 16.1 points per game in 2012.
That said, here are some Section 2-AAAA games to watch for:
Plum versus Gateway, Dec. 13 and Jan. 17
Woodland Hills versus Gateway, Jan. 10 and Feb. 4
Plum versus Woodland Hills, Dec. 20 and Jan. 24
Class AAA
Section 3-AAA holds the powers of the Triple-A east. We’ll start with Mount Pleasant.
The Vikings went out in the first round of the 2012 WPIAL playoffs, but they will return strong players like sophomore guard Alexa Szelong and junior guard Jordan Toohey. Mount Pleasant had only three graduates in 2012, but note that there were only nine players listed on their Post-Gazette NOW roster.
Greensburg Salem won its first-round matchup in the 2012 WPIAL playoffs before going out in the second. The Golden Lions will return senior guard Angela Balya as well as sophomore guard/forward Claire Oberdorf. Note that one of Greensburg’s three 2012 graduates was Jayne Oberdorf, who had averaged 16.0 points per game.
Important dates for this East Class AAA girls’ basketball season:
Greensburg-Salem versus Mount Pleasant, Jan. 7 and Jan. 31
Class AA
If Burrell was the young upstart in 2012, the Bucs should be solid veterans in 2012-13. The team had zero 2012 graduates. Watch for the results of Burrell’s Section 1-AA games with Deer Lakes on Jan. 14 and Feb. 7.
Perhaps the most excitement in all of basketball can be gained from watching Section 3-AA powers Jeannette and Greensburg Central Catholic. The Jayhawks will return the WPIAL’s leading scorer of 2012, senior guard Ciara Gregory. In Gregory’s 21 regular season games of 2011-12, she scored 561 points for a 26.7 points-per-game average. Jeannette had only two 2012 graduates.
Similarly, the Centurions of Greensburg Central Catholic graduated only two in 2012. The team had also advanced to the state tournament in 2012, and they’ll return guard Karly Mellinger. Mellinger, a junior, has already received interest from D-I programs like the University of North Carolina.
One important addition to note for Section 3-AA is Riverview. The Raiders had a killer (16-9) season in Class A last year, so this year they’ll be playing “up.” The Raiders had only three 2012 grads, but one of them was Mary Andrejko. Andrejko averaged 22.3 points per game last season.
A couple more important dates for this East Class AA girls’ basketball season:
Jeannette versus Greensburg Central Catholic, Jan. 14 and Feb. 7.
Class A
Perhaps the strongest Class A team to remain in the East is Winchester Thurston. The Bears’ program made major strides in 2012, notching a 13-11 season after going 4-15 in 2011. Winchester Thurston had only two 2012 graduates – a sign of great basketball potential for the 2012-13 Bears.
Check the scores of Winchester Thurston’s Jan. 10 and Jan. 31 matchups with Section 4-A power Monessen.
*Please note that all dates are approximates that are based on the WPIAL schedule grids. Dates are subject to weather and other changes.
The great basketball programs of the Quad-A East are returning great players. But Oakland Catholic’s great players of 2012-13 are yet to be determined.
Recall the Eagles’ 2011-12 tear to the state championship. Now, consider that Oakland made its run in the high-tops of a team that included seven seniors. One of these seniors was Bobbi Baker, who scored 18 points in Oakland Catholic’s PIAA semifinal win over Governor Mifflin.
Oakland should have telling Section 3-AAAA matchups on Dec. 20* and Jan 24 with Pine Richland.
In Section 1-AAAA, it’s “feast” as opposed to “famine.” Penn-Trafford, Hempfield, Kiski Area, and Norwin all graduated 4 or fewer in 2012. (Penn-Trafford was the only team that graduated as many as four). The Warriors return senior guard Taylor Cortazzo, who has been a top scoring contributor. Hempfield lost ‘12’s Taylor Lubinsky, but the Burns sisters (Mary and Monica) will return.
Kiski Area and Norwin have situations similar to Penn-Trafford’s and Hempfield’s. Norwin had three graduates in 2012 and Kiski Area had two. One of the Cavaliers graduates was Makenzie Zidek, however. Zidek averaged 17.9 points per game last year.
With all of the talent in Section 1-AAAA, watch for the results of the following implication-rich games:
Penn Trafford versus Hempfield, Jan 3 and Jan 28
Norwin versus Kiski Area, Jan 10 and Feb 4
Penn Trafford versus Norwin, Jan 14 and Feb 7
Hempfield versus Kiski Area, Jan 7 and Jan 31
Section 2-AAAA is in a similar situation to Section 1-AAAA. Plum had four 2012 graduates, and will return senior guard Angeleena Boriello as well as sophomore guard Krista Pietropola. Pietropola averaged 17.0 points per game in 2012.
Similarly, Gateway had only three graduates in 2012. But, one was regional sensation Destiny Brown, who took her play to Baylor. Also, Anna Coutsoumbis graduated from Gateway. Coutsoumbis had also been a major scoring contributor for the Gators.
Woodland Hills was also a first-round playoff team in 2012. The Wolverines graduated two that year. Among the returning players are senior guard/forward Delrika Carey, and senior guard Desiree Garland. Garland shot for an average of 16.1 points per game in 2012.
That said, here are some Section 2-AAAA games to watch for:
Plum versus Gateway, Dec. 13 and Jan. 17
Woodland Hills versus Gateway, Jan. 10 and Feb. 4
Plum versus Woodland Hills, Dec. 20 and Jan. 24
Class AAA
Section 3-AAA holds the powers of the Triple-A east. We’ll start with Mount Pleasant.
The Vikings went out in the first round of the 2012 WPIAL playoffs, but they will return strong players like sophomore guard Alexa Szelong and junior guard Jordan Toohey. Mount Pleasant had only three graduates in 2012, but note that there were only nine players listed on their Post-Gazette NOW roster.
Greensburg Salem won its first-round matchup in the 2012 WPIAL playoffs before going out in the second. The Golden Lions will return senior guard Angela Balya as well as sophomore guard/forward Claire Oberdorf. Note that one of Greensburg’s three 2012 graduates was Jayne Oberdorf, who had averaged 16.0 points per game.
Important dates for this East Class AAA girls’ basketball season:
Greensburg-Salem versus Mount Pleasant, Jan. 7 and Jan. 31
Class AA
If Burrell was the young upstart in 2012, the Bucs should be solid veterans in 2012-13. The team had zero 2012 graduates. Watch for the results of Burrell’s Section 1-AA games with Deer Lakes on Jan. 14 and Feb. 7.
Perhaps the most excitement in all of basketball can be gained from watching Section 3-AA powers Jeannette and Greensburg Central Catholic. The Jayhawks will return the WPIAL’s leading scorer of 2012, senior guard Ciara Gregory. In Gregory’s 21 regular season games of 2011-12, she scored 561 points for a 26.7 points-per-game average. Jeannette had only two 2012 graduates.
Similarly, the Centurions of Greensburg Central Catholic graduated only two in 2012. The team had also advanced to the state tournament in 2012, and they’ll return guard Karly Mellinger. Mellinger, a junior, has already received interest from D-I programs like the University of North Carolina.
One important addition to note for Section 3-AA is Riverview. The Raiders had a killer (16-9) season in Class A last year, so this year they’ll be playing “up.” The Raiders had only three 2012 grads, but one of them was Mary Andrejko. Andrejko averaged 22.3 points per game last season.
A couple more important dates for this East Class AA girls’ basketball season:
Jeannette versus Greensburg Central Catholic, Jan. 14 and Feb. 7.
Class A
Perhaps the strongest Class A team to remain in the East is Winchester Thurston. The Bears’ program made major strides in 2012, notching a 13-11 season after going 4-15 in 2011. Winchester Thurston had only two 2012 graduates – a sign of great basketball potential for the 2012-13 Bears.
Check the scores of Winchester Thurston’s Jan. 10 and Jan. 31 matchups with Section 4-A power Monessen.
*Please note that all dates are approximates that are based on the WPIAL schedule grids. Dates are subject to weather and other changes.
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