By Mike Longo Jr.
Some local basketball stars from the Gazette 2.0 coverage area received much-deserved recognition recently. They were honored for their roundball prowess at the recent Pittsburgh Basketball Club (PBC) Legends Classic held at Montour High School. That weekend saw 26 local boys teams participating in 13 games.
For the past 29 years and counting, the PBC Summer and Fall league has believed in placing a strong quality product on the court.
Summer, for most, is deemed for fun in the sun with the exception of young aspiring basketball players.
Each summer all throughout our area six gyms are packed with local stars. In the summer heat, dripping sweat, these athletes have the same goal in mind, refining their basketball skills.
League games by nature are intense, highly competitive and very well played in preparation for the upcoming regular season.
The "All-League Team" is appropriately named, "The Supreme Court". The Ramp ‘N’ Rize Supreme Court is recognized as being one of the best of the best in summer leagues in the country.
Four local stars were presented their awards for their summertime accomplishments.
Corey Simmons a 6'1 Senior Guard from Sto Rox who runs the floor well on both sides of the ball and shots with equal talent.
Kevaughn Price is a 6-foot-2-inch 200-pound senior guard from Bishop Canevin who is nothing short of miraculous on the floor, dynamic in appearance.
Michael Santicola a 6-foot-3-inch freshman guard from Moon is a rising star surely to set his mark in the upcoming years ahead.
The trio were all members of the "All-League Team".
When speaking of the best of the best, the name Jake DiMichele rushes to the forefront.
DiMichele the 6-foot-3-inch senior guard from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is no stranger to honors and awards. His latest, the 2020 (late due to COVID-19) Ed Wovchko PBC Summer League MVP. That goes along with this years 2,000 Career Points (and climbing) Award as well as a single game high record of 51 points.
What more can you say about the Chargers sharpshooter, try backing him off the 3-point arch, no problem, he steps backs, drains his shot from what seems to be at times almost mid court. With all the individual accolades piling up, DiMichele will need a UHaul to cart them all home and a trophy case the size of a garage to store them in.
Awards aside, DiMichele and company have their sights set on a few more awards as a collective group, namely another WPIAL and PIAA title.