Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Team of the Week for March 29, 2021: North Allegheny

By: Don Rebel
Monday, March 29, 2021 | 10:11 PM

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On the district stage, North Allegheny has been a dominant force since Spencer Stefko took over the girls basketball program in 2016.

Since then, the Tigers have been to six straight WPIAL championship games, winning four of them, striking gold in each of the last two seasons.

However, that incredible success hasn’t translated to a state championship.

North Allegheny had qualified for only one PIAA title game, losing to Boyertown in 2017.

That all changed this past week as NA finally rules the court in Pa.

And they did it during a global pandemic.

“They were the easiest team in the country to coach in this pandemic because they never asked to do anything easy. The question was always, ‘What gives us the best chance to win our next game?’” Stefko said. “I talked to other coaches who talked about covid protocols as pulling teeth and that kids just wouldn’t buy in. My older kids took care of all of that, and I never had to say a word about it. These kids were the adults in the room in society, and they found a way.”

The team clinched a second trip to Hershey in five years Monday when it defeated Cumberland Valley in the PIAA Class 6A semifinals. The game was called tight. Both teams ran into early foul trouble.

“It was as a test of depth that as we picked up a couple fouls, we could rest those kids and keep them out of foul trouble as everyone settled into the game,” Stefko said. “That was a conscious decision by our better players early in the year to get more kids involved in practice and in games so the drop-off is minimal when we go to the bench.

“This also allowed them to play free and easy, and keep attacking at all times, and force Cumberland Valley to have to guard big, strong kids going to the basket, and if we picked up a foul, we would be OK if someone had to come to the bench for a while.”

Senior Lizzy Groetsch led the team with 24 points while fellow senior Paige Morningstar added 14 points and sophomore Jasmine Timmerson scored 11 points.

The Tigers headed east to Hershey where they faced District 1 champion Spring-Ford in the 6A title game Friday.

NA was all business as it led by five points after one quarter and only three points at the half. The Tigers outscored the Rams 31-19 in the second half to win the program’s first PIAA girls basketball crown.

“Seeing them in timeouts was like watching Animal Planet,” Stefko said. “They just wanted to attack every possession on each end of the floor. There was no talk of containing anything or easing into anything. They wanted to be the aggressor, and they came up with subtle different ways to do it and painted their masterpiece on the floor.”

These Tigers were ferocious thanks in part to Groetsch scoring 22 points and Morningstar chipping in 16 points in their final games in a North Allegheny uniform.

“We aren’t who we are without Paige Morningstar,” Stefko said. “She would be the first to tell you that she wasn’t very good in December and early January as she shook the rust off from volleyball. But her infectious personality, previous success and the love she showed for this team as a whole had built a group of kids that would follow her anywhere. As she came along, so did we, and it was all based on trust, hard work and all the good things that we try to teach through high school athletics.”

While those will be big shoes to fill, there is plenty of talent coming back for North Allegheny next season. If the underclassmen were taking notes from the seniors, Stefko feels they won’t miss a beat.

“These kids have seen what high school greatness, selflessness, team ego and personal humility look like,” he said. “We are all better human beings for having been a part of the lives of Lizzy Groetsch, Madelyn Reardon and Paige Morningstar. If we’re smart, we’ll take the things they have shown us and make those things a piece of us forever.”

2021 Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Team of the Week

Week 10 – Chartiers Valley Colts

Week 9 – Beaver Bobcats

Week 8 – Beaver Falls Tigers

Week 7 – Chartiers-Houston Buccaneers

Week 6 – Oakland Catholic Eagles

Week 5 – Norwin Knights

Week 4 – Upper St. Clair Panthers

Week 3 – Armstrong River Hawks

Week 2 – Mohawk Warriors

Week 1 – Burgettstown Blue Devils

Tags: North Allegheny