With the cold weather upon us, it’s time to move our sporting events indoors. Below is the local schedules for both Riverside and Ellwood winter sports along with a roster with the participants.
Riverside Varsity Boys Basketball
The 2018-2019 varsity boys basketball roster consists of seniors Daevon Williams, Daniel Zelch, Luke Bookamer, Nic Ottaviani, and Brian Macmurdo, juniors Nathan Sciarro, Kevin Kolesar, Josh Bishop, Ben Hughes, Liam Grinnen, and J.J. Delawder, and sophomores Calvin Hughes and Sean Falk. The team is coached by head coach John Rorick and assistant coaches Jim Thompson and Dave Piecuch,
Riverside Varsity Girls Basketball
[from left to right] Lady Panther seniors Gabrielle McCloskey, team manager Baylee Phillips, Lauren Bettencourt, and foreign exchange student Yasmin Muratbekova.
Players for the 2018-2019 Lady Panther varsity girls basketball team consist of seniors Lauren Bettencourt, foreign exchange student Yasmin Muratbekova, and Gabrielle McCloskey, juniors Marley Wolf and Brielle Chesko, sophomores Tori Eyerman, Maura Rosenberger, and Madison Deiseroth, and freshmen Megan Zelch and Sam Prestia. The team is coached by head coach John Wolf and assistant coaches Joe Fisher and Mark Hall. The girls’ team manager is senior Baylee Phillips and she is assisted by eighth graders Abby Hughes, Jaelynn Timmerman, and Brooke Wissinger.
Ellwood City Boys Varsity Wrestling
[from left to right] Doug Balin, Jake Alberts, Austin Walley, Donavin Chambers, and Zach Polojoic.
Wrestling this year for the Wolverines are seniors Jake Alberts and Donavin Chambers, followed by high schoolers Austin Walley, Donavin Chambers and Zach Polojoic. They are coached by head coach Craig Alberts.
Ellwood City Girls Varsity Basketball
The Ellwood City girls basketball team returns two senior starters and will be led by first-year head coach Marc Heil said. Ellwood City finished last season with an overall record of 5-15, including a 2-10 record in section play.
Ellwood City Boys Varsity Basketball
The Ellwood City boys’ basketball team, who lost seven seniors from last year’s playoff squad will have a much different look to it this season. Coming off back to back trips to the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs, the Wolverines will lean on seniors Ricky Pitrelli, Broc Boariu, and Rocco Sesti as they pursue another playoff birth.
There’s another successful winter sport that never seems to get the recognition it deserves…it’s called SWIMMING. It involves both boys and girls, who practice and travel as one team, that makes it unique among all other sports. Riverside’s Swim Team almost always places at WPIALS every year and last year the medley relay won a medal at States, the first time a relay team from Riverside ever medaled in the history of the school. No coverage in the media for that. This year they have established a co-op with Ellwood City that allows EC students to participate on the Riverside team. I believe it’s newsworthy.
Where’s the coverage on Swimming???