After opening section play with a 57-42 home win against Norwin on Tuesday night, Upper St. Clair coach Danny Holzer didn’t exactly sound like a man who had just reached one of the pinnacles of his 30-year coaching career.
“We were terrible,” Holzer said after becoming the 21st coach in WPIAL history to reach 500 wins. “We did not play well at all. I’ll give Norwin credit for that, as well. They played well and did some good things.”
One of the area’s longest-tenured coaches in any sport, Holzer has four WPIAL titles to his credit — including two in the past four years — with a career record of 500-231. And although he never imagined joining the 500-win club, doing so in the section opener on the Panthers’ home court made the moment all the more memorable for Holzer.
“When I first got the job, you never think about stuff like that,” Holzer said. “The older I get, the faster time goes. … You never know what to expect. But as the years went on, I knew how much I liked the kids at USC, the program, the school district.
“It’s been a great ride with great people, and I’m very appreciative.”
Upper St. Clair (4-0, 1-0) received a team-high 19 points from 6-10 forward Tyler Robbins, while Kaamil Jackson contributed 13 points to help fend off the pesky Knights (2-2, 0-1), who became the first team to score more than 30 points against the Panthers this season.
“We needed something like that,” Holzer said. “We won by double digits, so I can’t act like I’m spoiled.”
With Upper St. Clair coming off a resounding 82-23 win against Bethel Park just three days earlier, expectations are higher than ever for the reigning WPIAL Class 6A champions. Still, with so many new faces stepping into starting roles, Holzer knows there are bound to be some growing pains along the way — and there’s no doubt nerves played a bit of a factor on Tuesday, especially for the Panthers’ younger players.
“It felt like there was something there,” Holzer said. “It was just because people had been talking about it. I think my kids were tight and nervous or something. … I told our kids, we’re getting everybody’s best game every night. We have to be ready for that, that’s for sure.”
Other boys games
• Two-time defending WPIAL Class 3A champion Deer Lakes received a stiff early season test from Mohawk (2-2), but the Lancers (4-1) prevailed with an 80-76 win in double overtime in one of the wildest games of the season so far. Nate Moore scored a game-high 35 points in the win to go with 18 from Collin Rodgers and 15 from Luca Mangieri, while Drew Wrona led the way for the Warriors with 32 points and Bobby Fadden added 24.
• Courtney Wallace narrowly missed out on a triple-double but still did enough to lead unbeaten Neighborhood Academy to a 62-57 home win against Clairton (0-2), finishing with 17 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists in the win. Shamar Simpson also tallied 17 points for the Bulldogs (5-0) to go with 15 from Kedron Gilmore and 13 from Syncer Nicholson, while Taris Wooding led all players with 26 points in the defeat.
• Jayden Davis led three players in double figures with a game-high 18 points for unbeaten Chartiers Valley (5-0), which surged to a 14-point lead after the opening quarter and never looked back en route to a 66-37 non-section victory against visiting Pine-Richland (1-1). Alex Kastner led the Rams with 12 points in the loss, while Julian Semplice tacked on 15 points for the Colts and Julius Best finished with 10.
• Nathan Schanbacher led all scorers with 35 points on the night, but it wasn’t enough to bring home a win as Shaler outlasted North Hills for a 79-74 overtime triumph. Josh Berger scored a team-high 24 points for the Titans (1-3) to go with 19 from Jordan Epps and 11 from Deion Nixon, while Zach Pollaro chipped in 15 for the Indians (1-2).
• Nathan Wesling scored a game-high 21 points for Baldwin (3-0), which pulled away in the second half for a non-section win against visiting Mt. Lebanon (2-1). The Blue Devils received 16 points from Sam Deibert and 12 from Carter Gould, while Matt Schenk contributed 17 points for the Highlanders to go with 16 from Caden Cherico.
• Max Butler poured in a game-high 28 points to lead four double-digit scorers for Latrobe in an action-packed 83-77 win at Mars (1-3). John Wetzel and Andy Tatsch each tallied 16 points apiece for the Wildcats (4-0), while Austen Wroblewski finished with a team-high 27 points for the Planets (1-3).
• Danny Husentis scored a team-leading 15 points and Drew Gordon added 10 for host Hempfield (3-1), which outlasted previously unbeaten Fox Chapel for a narrow 50-47 non-section win. Asher White finished with a game-high 21 points for the Foxes (3-1) to go with 14 points from Caden Kaiser.
• Tyler Basic scored 25 points to lead four players in double figures for Elizabeth Forward in a 66-61 non-section win at West Allegheny (2-3), with James Gile adding 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Warriors (4-2). Josiah Johnson led the Indians with 16 points to go with 14 from Jonah Buglak and 12 from Donovan O’Connor.
• Liam Gallagher led the way for unbeaten Greensburg Central Catholic with 21 points and A.J. Tarpley added 12 in a hard-fought 55-50 victory at Bishop Canevin (1-4). Drew Allen finished with a team-leading 14 points for the Crusaders.
• Jayvin Hemer led all scorers with 26 points to go with 12 from Jace Garuccio and 11 from Max Lyons as Rochester (2-3) rolled to a 65-50 non-section victory at Cornell (1-3). Eduardo Benitez finished with a team-high 16 points for the Raiders.
Girls games
• Senior guard Greta O’Brien led the way for Avonworth with 24 points in a 57-47 win at reigning City League champion Allderdice (2-4). Emma Obersteiner chipped in 13 points in the win for the Antelopes (2-1), while Bailey White and Ryann Sledge tallied 17 points apiece in a losing effort for the Dragons.
• Faye Saunders posted a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds and Sam Miller led all players with 17 points to power Canon-McMillan to a 57-42 win against visiting Bethel Park (2-1). Madison Clair also added 13 points while Lauren Borella tallied nine points and 10 assists for the Big Macs (3-2), while Bella Coleman led the Black Hawks with 15 points in the defeat.
• Malana Burton and Taryn Bateman each registered double-doubles for Frazier in a nail-biting 61-58 home win over Avella (3-2), which received 20 points apiece from Ava Frank and Syd Strope. Burton scored a team-high 16 points while grabbing 11 rebounds for the Commodores (2-4), and Bateman tallied 10 points to go with 13 rebounds. Allie Yauch added 13 points to go along with 11 from Chloe Harger in the win.
• Cate Gentile scored a game-high 26 points for Pine-Richland (0-4), but it wasn’t enough to bring the Rams their first win of the season as Chartiers Valley (3-2) relied on a balanced team effort to pull out a 53-46 road win. Rachel Boehm scored 12 points to pace four players in double figures for the Colts in the team’s third consecutive win.
Three stars
*** — Rowan Carmichael, Avonworth. Carmichael did what he does best for the Antelopes, lighting up the scoreboard with a game-high 35 points in a lopsided 83-49 win over Shady Side Academy.
** — Delana Fox, Riverside. A senior forward who takes pride in her defense, Fox tallied a triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 steals in a 66-11 rout against Western Beaver.
* — Brady Mayo, Beaver. One of the top returning scorers in the WPIAL and one of the area’s premier two-sport athletes, Mayo put his talents on full display with a 41-point outburst in a 69-40 home win over Shenango.
Hot from deep
Players with 3 or more 3-pointers: Drew Wrona, Mohawk, 7; Mya Heasley, Greensburg Salem, 6; Brady Mayo, Beaver, 6; Isabel Chaparro, Riverview, 5; Erond Jakupi, Keystone Oaks, 5; Taris Wooding, Clairton, 5; Bella Coleman, Bethel Park, 4; Carter Gould, Mt. Lebanon, 4; Lucas Grimsley, Sewickley Academy, 4; Gavin Guinn, Hampton, 4; Amelia McMichael, Butler, 4; Chucky Schweinsberg, Ellwood City, 4; Asher White, Fox Chapel, 4; Carly Bezila, Aquinas Academy, 3; Ralphie Blundo, New Castle, 3; Liam Gallagher, Greensburg C.C., 3; Becca Guillen, Aquinas Academy, 3; Sam Miller, Canon-McMillan, 3; Gary Tarbuk, Geibel Catholic, 3; Stefano Vezio, South Fayette, 3; Nathan Wesling, Baldwin, 3; Austen Wroblewski, Mars, 3.
Boys scores
Class 6A Section 2
Upper St. Clair 57, Norwin 42
Class 5A Section 1
Uniontown 68, Penn-Trafford 64
Non-section
Albert Gallatin 63, Ringgold 45
Aquinas Academy 83, Riverview 44
Armstrong 46, Greensburg Salem 32
Avella 55, West Greene 50
Avonworth 83, Shady Side Academy 49
Baldwin 64, Mt. Lebanon 50
Beaver 69, Shenango 40
Beaver County Christian 64, Cheswick Christian 41
Belle Vernon 74, McKeesport 63
Burrell 77, Leechburg 39
Canon-McMillan 76, Bethel Park 70
Carlynton 55, Brentwood 53
Charleroi 65, Carmichaels 30
Chartiers Valley 66, Pine-Richland 37
Deer Lakes 80, Mohawk 76 (2OT)
Derry 47, Connellsville 36
Elizabeth Forward 66, West Allegheny 61
Ellwood City 51, Laurel 45
Franklin Regional 49, Kiski Area 36
Frazier 59, Mapletown 28
Geibel Catholic 68, Brownsville 35
Greensburg C.C. 55, Bishop Canevin 50
Hampton 65, Highlands 30
Hempfield 50, Fox Chapel 47
Jefferson-Morgan 47, Bentworth 29
Keystone Oaks 64, Brashear 38
Latrobe 83, Mars 77
Laurel Highlands 78, Waynesburg 44
Nazareth Prep 57, Carrick 44
Neighborhood Academy 62, Clairton 57
New Castle 65, Beaver Falls 17
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 59, Sto-Rox 26
Plum 80, Freeport 42
Rochester 65, Cornell 50
Serra Catholic 82, Eden Christian 58
Seton LaSalle 63, Washington 40
Shaler 79, North Hills 74 (OT)
South Allegheny 63, Obama Academy 44
South Fayette 57, Seneca Valley 29
South Side 76, Burgettstown 48
Southmoreland 50, Yough 24
St. Joseph 49, Propel Braddock Hills 39
Thomas Jefferson 69, West Mifflin 51
Trinity 60, Fort Cherry 42
Winchester Thurston 78, Freedom 38
Woodland Hills 51, Penn Hills 44
Girls scores
Non-section
Aquinas Academy 44, Freeport 39
Avonworth 57, Allderdice 47
Brownsville 57, Sto-Rox 19
Burrell 42, Mount Pleasant 18
Canon-McMillan 57, Bethel Park 42
Carlynton 51, Leechburg 27
Chartiers Valley 53, Pine-Richland 46
Frazier 61, Avella 58
Geibel Catholic 61, Ligonier Valley 23
Greensburg Salem 71, Southmoreland 29
Hampton 48, Highlands 28
Kiski Area 46, Connellsville 37
Ringgold 41, Carrick 20
Riverside 66, Western Bever 11
Riverview 50, Brentwood 33
Serra Catholic 58, St. Joseph 56
Shaler 58, Butler 50
Trinity 53, Fort Cherry 21
Winchester Thurston 60, Freedom 10
Woodland Hills 43, Penn Hills 40
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
