Photos by Mike Longo Jr.
-BASKETBALL-
By Mike Longo Jr.
Area basketball fans who can't get enough girls and boys games during the regular week had the chance to catch more action over a series of weekends recently.
The Pittsburgh Basketball Club (PBC) was the sponsor of several events around the area at select high school venues with several of the Gazette 2.0 coverage area teams participating.
Moon hosted the PBC Legends Classic with four games on the slate, two girls and two boys.
Carlynton defeated Beaver Falls by a final of 60-38 while Hampton bested Moon 61-47 in boy's action. Moon beat up on Mars 54-24 and Montour defeated Sto-Rox 61-34 on the girl's side of the venue. Aliquippa hosted the Girls High School Classic which saw Bishop Canevin hammer Winchester Thruston by a final of 52-28 and OLSH beat up on Obama Academy winning 54-29.
The Jan. 29-30 weekend had Montour High School hosting the PBC Hall of Fame Classic with 13 boys games on the docket over two days. Among others, Moon, OLSH, Montour, Sto-Rox and Bishop Canevin hit the hardwood.
Cetrone Award
That weekend was significant for OLSH Head Coach Mike Rodriquez who received his 2020
PBC Dick Cetrone Coach of the Year Award. The 2020-21 OLSH season spoke volumes, 24-0 overall record, section champs, WPIAL Class 2A and PIAA State Champions.
The Cetrone Award is named after legendary Sto-Rox Basketball Coach Dick Cetrone, the driving force behind the Sto-Rox basketball dynasty which won a state championship, five WPIAL championships and 10 section titles. Cetrone's 1983 state championship team finished the year with a 32-0 mark.
That feat of more than 30 wins in a season while undefeated is matched only by New Castle 31-0 in 2014 and Aliquippa 30-0 in 2016.
PBC is a non-profit that organizes, directs and promotes youth basketball throughout the tri-state area.
Their goal is simple, take away the bad influences available to today's youth and promote the positive ones, through basketball while instilling confidence through lessons taught that build lasting friendships.
The PBC was originally founded in 1994 by owner/operator John Giammarco while an assistant coach at Sto-Rox. What started as a summer league with eight teams has now grown to upwards of 90 teams as well as growing into one of the region’s most highly recognized programs. It is considered by many as one of the largest youth programs in the United States.
Involved with many local charities, the PBC is a staunch supporter of basketball charities among them, Coaches vs. Cancer and the American Heart Association. The club hosts tournaments and provides league play and camps for a variety of age groups.
In 2009 the PBC announced the formation of the Pittsburgh Basketball Hall of Fame. With the Hall of Fame, the hope is to acknowledge the rich basketball tradition of Western Pennsylvania while honoring the outstanding coaches, players, teams and contributors.
This year's Hall of Fame Banquet will be held on Feb. 5 at Chartiers Country Club.