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Sunday March 30, 2025 | 11:01 am
Andrew Palla | For the three
Lucas Grimsley (4) of the Sewickley Academy reacts after having made a 3-point during the semi-finals Piaa Class 2A on Saturday March 22, 2025, in the canton of Peters.
The Sewickley Academy boys’ basketball team has been described as great and talented this season.
The five departure from the panthers consisted of three juniors, a single senior and 6 feet 8 inches f / c Mamadou Kane.
Nolan Donelly, a 6-2 striker, was the only senior starter and was joined by the 6-4 Junior Lucas Grimsley and the 6-2 amare Spencer junior in the front area of the panthers. Caiden Battles, a second year student of 5-8, held the position of the leader.
The game rotation was also 6-8 Sophomore F / C Adam Ikamba and two first-year students, the 6-0 guard attracted flights and the 6-3 striker Rob Southall.
Ikamba is from the Democratic Republic of Congo, while Kane is from the Congo.
“Our strength comes in number,” said Donelly. “We have a very deep bench of young talents that go up all the time. With that being said, it is more than talent that makes us a big team. Everyone brings a fire and a passion every day in practice, elevators, procedures step by step and of course when it is time to play.
“A large team of talented people passionate about a common goal is difficult to stop, and I think it’s exactly who we are.”
Grimsley was greeted as a boys’ basketball player in the HSSN of the week after his 17-point performance against the Central Catholic of Greensburg in the PIAA 2A PIAA semi-finals.
“He played with such confidence,” said Sewickley’s coach Mike Iuzzolino. “He made great decisions both in his selection of shots and in decision -making.
“He has a good size. He makes the task difficult for the guy he defends to take off from clean looks.”
Grimsley has an average of more than 16 points per game this season.
• The Sewickley Academy boys’ basketball team won the section 2-2A section with a perfect record of 12-0 this season.
He marked the crown of the 11th section of school history for the boys’ basketball program and arrived seven years after the last.
The Panthers won their first title in 1999, then added championships in 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2015, 2015, 2016 and 2018.
Sewickley won five WPIAL boys basketball crowns from 2004. Panthers added district titles in 2009, 2010, 2017 and 2018.
Upper level
Margaret Getty of Quaker Valley Senior Swimming plans to continue his career in West Chester and a major in psychology.
In college, Getty plans to focus on remote swimming events.
“I will certainly fail to swim with my high school team,” she said, “but I look forward to this next chapter. I hope to become stronger, improve my time and contribute points for my team at the conference level.
“I had the opportunity to meet the team, and I think it’s a perfect fit for me. The team is very united, friendly and welcoming, and I am delighted to train and compete with them over the next four years. ”
Getty has undergone a procedure in several stages by opting for West Chester, located in the Brandywine Valley of Pennsylvania at around 25 miles of Philadelphia.
“First of all, I was impressed by the quality of the education that the school provides and the teachers in the courses on which I had the chance to sit down,” she said. “The university offers excellent internship opportunities, which really marked me.
“As for the swimming program, I was looking for a program that would challenge me to improve, and West Chester has one of the best division II swimming programs in the country. I have regularly met coaches staff, and I am very impressed by them. They are both favorable and encouraging while pushing athletes to reach their full potential.”
Diamond tickets
Two of the best players from the Quaker Valley Baseball team – the third junior goal player Todd Kagle and the Senior Ray of the Oscar stop – had an excellent start to the 2025 season.
After three games, Kagle struck 0.500 (6 for 12) with three circuits, including a large home and 10 products produced.
Roig added five strokes during his first nine at-bats (0.667) and marked seven times.
QV joined an 8-7 victory against Notre-Dame du Sacré-Coeur on March 21 by scoring two points at the end of the seventh.
Kagle completed a double with two withdrawals in the seventh. The first -year voltiseur Holden Kirkham led to the race for tied and marked the winning round.
The second -year QV voltiseur, Kolton Johnson, launched a round in relief, attracting three and walking one, and won the victory.
“We had great pitch efforts from Nolan Wagoner, first year Damien McClay and Kolton Johnson,” said QV coach Rich Garbee.
The entire starting field of the Quakers is back this spring with Waggoner at the first goal, the senior Jack Cindrich at the second goal, Kagle at the third goal, Roig at the Cop and Junior Brad Semonik behind the plate. Kagle is a potential perspective of division I.
Two of last year’s beginners in the outside field, Ryan Finamore (CF) and Senior Johnson (LF) are also back. Finalmore, which is attached to Algheny, was the first team’s striker last season.
Do you remember when?
Here is a quick walk in memory:
Quaker Valley was a WPIAL finalist in boys in 2019 and won consecutive WPIAL championships in 2021-2022.
“The success of the Quaker Valley boys’ tennis team in the last five or six years is well documented,” said QV coach Christi Hays, “in particular the consecutive championships of the WPIAL team in 2021 and 2022. This had not been accomplished in QV since the repeated championships in 2002 and 2003.”
• Chase Merkel and Joe Veeck were honorable mention for the Western Pennsylvania Boys Tennis Sportsmanship Award in 2023.
Quaker Valley was the only school in 2A with two price recipients.
• The seven seniors of the Quaker Valley boys team in 2024 were Chase Merkel, Joe Veeck, Brahm Gianiodis, Grant Webb, Will Watson, Matteo Castellini and Jason Clark.
Merkel and Veeck held the single 1 and n ° 2 positions last spring and were joined in the starting program by Will Meagher of the time.
Castellini added depth to the single and double team.
The QV range also included Webb and Henry in First Double and Watson and Gianiodis with double double.
“We have seen over the years how important the double points are in the short format used in secondary matches,” said Hays.
Hot start for Eden Christian
Eden Christian Baseball improved at 4-0 in total and 1-0 in the section with a 19-3 victory on March 24 against Clairton in a match 3-A section.
Christian Watkins collected two strokes and three points produced, while Brett Feldman has doubled and rolled in two points. Brady Hull won the victory for Eden Christian.
Did you know that?
Quaker Valley’s baseball coach Rich Garbee attended Montclair High School in Montclair, NJ and South University in Sewanee, Tenn.?
The assistants of Garbee in QV are Clayton Bouchard, who oversees field players and Baserunning, and Garret Polka, who keeps an eye on the infielders and the sensors.
• Did you also know that the Sewickley Academy accumulated nine consecutive MSA Sports Cup championships between 2011-2019?
Tags: Quaker valley,, Sewickley Academy