For the four area high school basketball teams tipping off their respective seasons this weekend, there will be a variety of ‘vibes’ for each team, nonetheless all looking to make their own improvements and reach the playoffs in the 2019-20 high school basketball season.
Out of the local bunch, the Ellwood City girls basketball team (13-10) is coming off its best season in 15 years. The Wolverines reached the WPIAL playoffs for the first time in four seasons and return five of their top seven players, including junior forward Maria Ioanilli.
“We’re coming off our most wins in over 15 years so teams will take us seriously now and we won’t be able to sneak up on our opponents,” said head coach Marc Heil.
The underclassmen will have to step up to replace the loss of scoring punch from last year’s team.
“Good teams don’t rebuild. They re-load,” added Heil. “It’s our goal to re-load for another run this year.”
Fans can expect the Lady Wolverines to bring the same defensive intensity that they did last season while playing faster offensively this year according to Heil. The Lady Wolverines open up their season with a Tip-Off Tournament in Montour Friday night.
The Riverside girls basketball team finished last season with an 8-14 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2013-14 season. Returning senior guards, Marley Wolf and Brielle Chesko will lead the Lady Panthers offensively as Riverside will look to rebound in this coming season.
“The girls have been working hard this preseason, and are learning a ton of basketball,” said head coach John Wolf. “We will play hard, work as a team, and hopefully good things will happen for us.”
Riverside girls team will begin its season at the New Castle Tip-Off Tournament on Friday.
After a .500 finish to the 2018-19 season (11-11 overall, 4-8 section), the Riverside boys basketball team will look to improve this coming season and will be back by senior leadership in returning three senior starters.
Football standouts Ben Hughes and Nate Sciarro lead will lead the returning starters for the Panther boys squad.
“We have a group of guys that are working hard to get better every day,” said head coach John Rorick.
Riverside travels to Laurel for its Tip-Off Tournament on Friday.
A young and developing Ellwood City (6-16 overall, 2-10 section) squad will join Riverside in vying for a playoff berth a top-heavy Section 1. Contrary to the Panthers, the young Wolverines boys squad will start three sophomores including Steve Antuono, Jr., who led the team in scoring last year (13.0 ppg) as a freshman.
“It’s our hope that the product we put on the floor is a team that is working as hard as they can together,” said head coach Steve Antuono. “We’ll have to grow up fast.”
Ellwood City will open its season in the Mohawk Tip-Off Tournament on Friday.
Last year, of the eight teams that reached the WPIAL quarterfinals in the boys Class 3A, four were from Section 1. Section foe Lincoln Park has played in the WPIAL championship game in eight of the 10 years.
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