Weaver tops All-County boys basketball team
West Greene's Craig Weaver (35) looks to make a pass around Monessen's Lyndon Henderson (5) and Vaughn Taylor (2) during a Section 2-A game at West Greene High School this season. Weaver was recognized as the Greene County boy Player of the Year.
Waynesburg Central's Lucas Garber (22) dribbles the ball around Uniontown's Lorenzo Oden (3) during non-section play Tuesday at Waynesburg Central High School.
John F. Brothers | 蘑菇视频
Carmichaels鈥� Joel Spishock (44) battles with the Commodores鈥� Chris Massey (23) for control of a rebound during Friday蘑菇视频 Section 2-AA game at Frazier High School.
West Greene was the lone boys basketball squad from Greene County to make the playoffs this season, but that doesn鈥檛 mean the county didn鈥檛 have memorable moments over the winter.
The Pioneers finished third in Section 1-A behind Monessen and Clairton, while Mapletown had their struggles on the hardwood by going winless in 2016-17.
Carmichaels and Jefferson-Morgan adjusted to life in Class AA, and both had their issues with the upper echelon teams in Section 2.
The Mikes and the Rockets probably produced one of the best games with an epic clash in the regular season finale. It was Senior Night for the Rockets and both rivals wanted nothing more than a win to end the regular season.
In front of a jam-packed gymnasium and a raucous crowd, J-M edged Carmichaels, 66-60, to grab the bragging rights in the county rivalry.
Waynesburg Central was the smallest Quad-A boys basketball team and faced some stiff competition in Section 3.
Plus, the Raiders had only one starter coming back from last year蘑菇视频 team. Waynesburg fought hard and never gave up during the season. All of that hard work paid off in the final week of the season with the Raiders鈥� first section win of the year, a 60-59 triumph over South Park.
With the season caming to a close a couple of weeks ago, it蘑菇视频 time to announce the All-Greene County boys basketball awards and top teams for the 2016-17 campaign.
Player of the Year 鈥� Craig Weaver, West Greene: The 6-foot-8 senior center was dominant at times in the paint this season and had his best year yet for the resurgent Pioneers. Weaver averaged 14.8 points per game and led his team in rebounds and blocks.
Three years ago Weaver was the Freshman of the Year and the past two seasons he has been a first-team selection. Weaver continued to evolve his game with his perimeter shot and his defense, and was more than just a big kid that collects rebounds and put-back buckets.
The humble big man surpassed two milestones this season, going over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds for his career with the Pioneers. Not too many people can say in the county 鈥� or even in the WPIAL 鈥� they have accomplish that tremendous feat.
Coach of the Year 鈥揓im Romanus, West Greene: Coach Romanus grabs the COTY award for the second consecutive season after leading the Pioneers to their second trip to the postseason.
West Greene broke a two-decade long playoff drought last year and this season the Pioneers came close (a 46-35 loss to Eden Christian in the first round) to their first playoff win since the early 1990s. The culture has definitely changed around the program, and despite losing four seniors, expect the Pioneers under Romanus to contend for the playoffs over the next couple of seasons.
Freshman of the Year 鈥� Lucas Garber, Waynesburg Central: The Raiders were perhaps one of the youngest teams this season in the county and as with any young squad, inconsistencies can be expected on the court. Garber started since first day of the season and averaged 12 points a game for the Raiders.
Garber has a solid jump shot and will be a steady force from beyond the arc. The 5-foot-11 guard was also aggressive on defense and wasn鈥檛 afraid of driving to the paint. Despite being in Quad-A, Waynesburg has a lot of young talent and could surprise teams next season.
Defensive Player of the Year 鈥� Joel Spishock, Carmichaels: Defense and Carmichaels go hand-in-hand and it should be no surprise that a Mike grabs the DPOTY honor. As a team, the Mikes only allowed 55.6 points per game this season, and that was against some high-flying scoring attacks like Chartiers-Houston, Fort Cherry and California.
Spishock is a 6-foot senior forward who plays an aggressive style down in the block without committing too many fouls. He can either go one-on-one against a taller player or keep up with the quick slashers. He is truly a versatile defender for the Mikes.
All-Greene County First Team
Darton McIntire, Waynesburg Central: It蘑菇视频 no secret that McIntire was the focal point for the Raiders鈥� offense and every night he faced plenty of junk defenses. With that being said, the 6-foot junior guard averaged 21 points per game and picked up his scoring pace from last year.
Jalen Torres, Jefferson-Morgan: After being out of the school district last season, the 5-foot-9 guard was a key component for the Rockets in his junior season. Torres was quick and strong with his inside drives and also presented a reliable jumper that kept defenses guessing.
Nathan Brudnock, West Greene: The reigning Freshman of the Year didn鈥檛 have a sophomore slump and was even better offensively this year. With opposing teams packing it inside, Brudnock was deadly from the perimeter and averaged 13.6 points per game for the Pioneers.
DL Garrett, Jefferson-Morgan: For the second straight season, Garrett finds himself on the first team and was even better (averaging 19 points per game) in his junior campaign. The 6-foot guard was more mature and a better defender, anticipating passes for more steals this year.
Kolton Rush, West Greene: Rush started his senior season off slow, but finished strong for the Pioneers and scored buckets in a fury the last couple of weeks of the season. Rush has been on the first team several times during his career and averaged 19.5 points per game this year.
All-Greene County Second Team
Matthew Barrish, Carmichaels: The 5-foot-8 sophomore guard had to pick up more of the scoring load for the Mikes this season (13.6 per game), but was also a steady defender.
Gage Clark, Jefferson-Morgan: Clark had one of his more consistent seasons for the Rockets, averaging 16 points per game and being a constant factor on both ends of the floor.
Zach McHenry, West Greene: Perhaps one of the best man-to-man defenders in the county, McHenry added more to his offensive game and was at times lethal from 3-point range this year.
Richard Cacurak, Mapletown: The Maples had their struggles on offense this year, but the 5-foot-9 point guard was consistent for Mapletown with his outside shot and his drives to the hoop.
Jacob Lowry, Carmichaels: The 6-foot junior forward started the season off the bench with limited minutes, but ended as one of the best offensive option for the Mikes and a key starter.
All-Greene County Honorable Mention Team
Eric Stoll (West Greene), Cody Dice (Mapletown), Jimmy Straight (Waynesburg Central), Cody Brown (Carmichaels), Casey Wilson (Jefferson-Morgan).