George Guido: Fox Chapel boys team big part of memorable basketball season

By: George Guido
Saturday, March 26, 2022 | 6:51 PM

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It’s time to say goodbye to the local high school basketball season.

And what a season it was.

Two high schools located about a mile from each other — Fox Chapel and Shady Side Academy — won WPIAL titles. That’s the first time two schools that close to each other won titles since 1975 when Uniontown and Uniontown St. John brought home WPIAL gold.

It was a record-setting year for the Knoch girls, making the WPIAL finals for the first time and winning its first-ever PIAA tournament game over St. Marys.

It was another spectacular season for the boys teams at Highlands and Leechburg.

The playoffs are over, but one big basketball event remains — the return of the Cager Classic.

After a two-year hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Cager returns Saturday night at Highlands and will feature top seniors from the area.

So while the last vestiges of winter are upon us, let’s pass out this year’s awards.

Shot of the year

Justin Brannagan of Deer Lakes hit a 3-pointer to beat the buzzer in a first-round playoff game against Blackhawk, giving the Lancers a 39-37 victory.

Stat of the year

The Knoch girls have won nine playoff games in its 51-season basketball history. Six have come in the last three seasons.

Road trip of the year

Penn Hills had to travel 238 miles to Lampeter-Strasburg High School in Lancaster County to open the PIAA playoffs. The Indians manhandled the previously-undefeated Pioneers, 62-39. On the trip home, the bus driver got tired and couldn’t continue. A replacement driver was sent out to the rest stop near Carlisle. The team bus arrived back to the school about 3:50 a.m.

Most memorable moment

At the Fox Chapel playoff game against Pine-Richland, a student dressed as Moses – staff, toga, the works – ran up the bleachers as the red-clad student body separated a path for him in a symbolic parting of the Red Sea.

Upset of the year (postseason)

This one’s easy, the St. Joseph girls denied Rochester a fourth straight WPIAL title with a 54-51 shocker in the Class A quarterfinals on the Rams’ floor.

Upset of the year (regular season)

This one’s also easy. On the last night of the section season, the Deer Lakes boys stunned North Catholic, 74-72. It ended the Trojans’ streak of 39 straight section victories. The last North Catholic section loss came to Seton LaSalle on Dec. 29, 2018.

Best turnaround

Kiski Area boys went from five victories last year to 15-8 this year. Six of the eight losses were by 10 points or less, so it could have been an even bigger turnaround.

Best nickname (playoffs)

Abraham Lincoln High School’s nickname is the Railsplitters. Honest Abe worked on the Illinois Central Railroad long before his ascendency to the White House. But the school that bears his name lost a first-round game to Garnet Valley.

Question of the year

In Saturday’s PIAA Class 6A title game between Archbishop Wood and Roman Catholic, was it the last game in Pennsylvania history to be played without a shot clock?

The PIAA is scheduled to vote on a shot clock soon.