JOHNSTOWN —
It’s still only the second week of the high school hoops season and already some patterns are beginning to emerge and two players have topped the 1,000-point plateau.
With a strong starting rotation returning, the defending District 5 Class A champion Shade boys have their eyes set high again this season and are currently 6-0. The Panthers emerged with the tournament title from the 35th annual Mountain Cat Tournament at Pitt-Johnstown over the weekend, downing a talented Northern Bedford squad in the title game to win the championship.
It was Shade’s second appearance in the UPJ title game and first victory. The Panthers, who also came away with the crown at the Chestnut Ridge tip-off tournament, tangled with Hollidaysburg in 2008, losing 58-57 to the Golden Tigers.
Shade’s Ryan Fyock, who scored 30 points to lead the Panthers against Northern Bedford, was selected tournament MVP, and teammate Wade Walker (16 points) was selected to the All-Tournament Team.
With just a few games in the books and section play not yet started, four boys squads in the Laurel Highlands are still unbeaten in the league, including Bishop McCort, the defending District 6-AA champion, and Greater Johnstown (2-2), the Class AAA four-time defending titlists, in Section 2, along with Penn Cambria (3-0) and Bishop Guilfoyle (2-0) in Section 2.
The Crimson Crushers head to Hollidaysburg’s Golden Tiger tournament facing the hosts in opening-round action on Wednesday. The other boys teams at the tournament include Erie McDowell and Brooklyn (N.Y.) Transit Tech.
In the girls section of the Laurel Highlands Conference, play has already been interesting with the ladies from Bishop Guilfoyle targeting themselves as the top team to beat, just as the coaches predicted.
The Forest Hills girls, who are also headed to the Golden Tiger Tournament and will face Erie McDowell on Thursday, had their hands full last Friday as Richland handed the Rangers their first loss.
And speaking of the Rams, they are 4-0 overall under new head coach Mike Urban and are 2-0 in Section 2, where Bishop McCort is also undefeated in the league. In Section 1, the Marauders (3-1) and Cambria Heights (1-2) are unbeaten.
Richland’s Katie Gehlmann topped 1,000 points on Wednesday against Penn Cambria and became the first area player this season to achieve the milestone.
A night later, Natalie Sokira of Cambria County Christian followed Gehlmann to the 1,000-point mark.
Teams will play their final week before the Christmas break and many squads will then head to holiday tournaments the following week.
Cory Isenberg is a sports writer for The Tribune-Democrat.
Cory Isenberg
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Discussion
CORY ISENBERG| Season coming into focus early
- Cory Isenberg
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CORY ISENBERG| District playoffs command spotlight
District 5 gets set to jump into the baseball and softball playoffs this week.
Class A softball opens with four games on Wednesday, all set for 4:30 p.m. -
CORY ISENBERG| Stakes rise as schedules shrink
There are fewer events on the daily high school sports schedules, but the stakes are going up for area athletes as the spring season heads into its final weeks.
In track and field, the three area conferences will hold their championship meets this week.
In Portage today, the WestPAC athletes will gather for their championships while the Laurel Highlands and Heritage meets will be on Tuesday at Somerset and United, respectively. -
CORY ISENBERG | Area athletes shine at NBC meet
The Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference track and field league-leading Bedford boys and Forest Hills girls were the big team winners at Friday’s Northern Bedford Invitational.
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CORY ISENBERG| Leechburg may join Heritage Conference
According to the Heritage Conference website, Leechburg is getting closer to joining the league in July 2014.
The Blue Devils, who are currently part of District 7, received permission in a unanimous vote from the WPIAL Board of Control to allow them to move to District 6. -
CORY ISENBERG | The Price was right in Meadville
After an outstanding 23-year coaching career at Meadville High School, former Ferndale basketball player Norm Price is stepping down as the Bulldogs boys’ basketball coach - again.
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CORY ISENBERG | Nine area basketball teams still alive in PIAA playoffs
Following the opening weekend of the PIAA basketball playoffs, nine area teams - six boys and three girls squads - remain in the march toward Hershey.
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Fourteen area teams headed to states
District basketball champions have been crowned and there are 14 area squads that move ahead into the week’s PIAA playoffs.
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CORY ISENBERG | District basketball moves into Week 2
The first week of the district basketball playoffs was filled with excitement and its share of surprises in District 6.
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CORY ISENBERG | District basketball playoffs set to tip
With the conference championships in our rear-view mirrors, the district basketball playoffs in 5 and 6 get underway this week.
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CORY ISENBERG| No love lost in hoops rivalries
Valentine’s Day is this Thursday. I received my gift last month when my sweetheart bought me new front tires for my car so I can get around on the area roads to cover sports events.
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