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SEWICKLEY — Not many high school basketball players can say that they have experienced a different coach three out of the four years of their high school career.
But senior forward Nolan Donnelly has seen a little bit of everything at Sewickley Academy.
As Sewickley Academy prepares to face Greensburg Central Catholic on Saturday afternoon at AHN Arena in the PIAA Class 2A semifinals, it will be a bittersweet moment for Donnelly.
While he will be playing in the biggest game in his high school basketball career, he will be doing so without his late head coach Win Palmer who he grew close with during his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Required Reading: Sewickley Academy finding success under a seasoned first year head coach
Palmer was not just Donnelly’s coach on the hardwood but he was the three-sport athlete’s golf head coach. He also helped out on the baseball team while serving as the academy’s athletic director.
“I had him [Coach Win Palmer] for every sport that I played here at Sewickley Academy and I just wish he could see what we are doing right now,” Donnelly said. “I think he would be just as shocked as I am to see that we have a shot to go to the state championship. I hope that he is proud, we all miss him.”
After Palmer died in August 2023, Sewickley Academy had to quickly pivot and turn to Jim Dudas who looked to guide the team through uncharted waters after losing its longtime head coach.
Fast forward to the end of last season, Sewickley Academy qualified for the playoffs for the first time in Donnelly’s career but following the season, made another change as Mike Iuzzolino was named the program’s next head coach in May 2024.
Another coaching change for many could be difficult to process and handle, but Donnelly took the changes in stride each day.
“There are different ways that you can look at playing with three different head coaches,” Donnelly said. “But each time, I take the positive side of it because you get to learn from three different guys in three different systems. I have played in a zone, man-to-man and a mix of both. It has been challenging but it has been special to be a part of.”
There are many different intricacies that come with learning different sets from coaches with different styles, but the knowledge that Donnelly gained from his three head coaches was invaluable.
“I think that it has helped with my game knowledge and on top of that I have learned from some great coaches that have taught me things that are bigger than basketball,” Donnelly said. “From coach Palmer, to coach Dudas and now coach Iuzzolino, I think a lot of the things that I have learned have translated to my everyday life on and off the court.”
This season, Sewickley Academy exceeded exceptions under Iuzzolino in his first season. The team won a section championship and was the two seed in the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs and finished third in the WPIAL qualifying for the PIAA postseason.
After the team won its section title, Iuzzolino made sure to recognize its upperclassmen who have been through the highs and lows of the program.
“We won the section championship this year and coach Iuzzolino told us that this section title was for us,” Donnelly said. “I am happy that the guys that I have been with, Lucas [Grimsley] Amare [Spencer] and Caiden [Battles]. For them to be a part of this is special because we have worked hard to get to where we are now.”
Sewickley Academy has rolled through the PIAA playoffs thus far holding teams to under 30 points each of the first three rounds.
The team narrowly defeated OLSH last weekend in the quarterfinals thanks to Donnelly who came out and had a strong second half finishing with 16 points.
Iuzzolino knows that at this point in the season that seniors don’t want to hand their uniform in and Donnelly has been one of the players that have played with that mentality over the last week.
“When you are a senior, you don’t want to turn in your uniform and Nolan has played like that for us. He did not want to turn his uniform in last week so he came out and put together a great second half in the state quarterfinals.”
Tipoff for the semifinal contest between Sewickley Academy and Greensburg Central Catholic is set for noon.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Sewickley Academy's Nolan Donnelly has team in PIAA semifinals
Continue reading...
But senior forward Nolan Donnelly has seen a little bit of everything at Sewickley Academy.
As Sewickley Academy prepares to face Greensburg Central Catholic on Saturday afternoon at AHN Arena in the PIAA Class 2A semifinals, it will be a bittersweet moment for Donnelly.
While he will be playing in the biggest game in his high school basketball career, he will be doing so without his late head coach Win Palmer who he grew close with during his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Required Reading: Sewickley Academy finding success under a seasoned first year head coach
Palmer was not just Donnelly’s coach on the hardwood but he was the three-sport athlete’s golf head coach. He also helped out on the baseball team while serving as the academy’s athletic director.
“I had him [Coach Win Palmer] for every sport that I played here at Sewickley Academy and I just wish he could see what we are doing right now,” Donnelly said. “I think he would be just as shocked as I am to see that we have a shot to go to the state championship. I hope that he is proud, we all miss him.”
After Palmer died in August 2023, Sewickley Academy had to quickly pivot and turn to Jim Dudas who looked to guide the team through uncharted waters after losing its longtime head coach.
Fast forward to the end of last season, Sewickley Academy qualified for the playoffs for the first time in Donnelly’s career but following the season, made another change as Mike Iuzzolino was named the program’s next head coach in May 2024.
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Another coaching change for many could be difficult to process and handle, but Donnelly took the changes in stride each day.
“There are different ways that you can look at playing with three different head coaches,” Donnelly said. “But each time, I take the positive side of it because you get to learn from three different guys in three different systems. I have played in a zone, man-to-man and a mix of both. It has been challenging but it has been special to be a part of.”
There are many different intricacies that come with learning different sets from coaches with different styles, but the knowledge that Donnelly gained from his three head coaches was invaluable.
“I think that it has helped with my game knowledge and on top of that I have learned from some great coaches that have taught me things that are bigger than basketball,” Donnelly said. “From coach Palmer, to coach Dudas and now coach Iuzzolino, I think a lot of the things that I have learned have translated to my everyday life on and off the court.”
You must be registered for see images attach
This season, Sewickley Academy exceeded exceptions under Iuzzolino in his first season. The team won a section championship and was the two seed in the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs and finished third in the WPIAL qualifying for the PIAA postseason.
After the team won its section title, Iuzzolino made sure to recognize its upperclassmen who have been through the highs and lows of the program.
“We won the section championship this year and coach Iuzzolino told us that this section title was for us,” Donnelly said. “I am happy that the guys that I have been with, Lucas [Grimsley] Amare [Spencer] and Caiden [Battles]. For them to be a part of this is special because we have worked hard to get to where we are now.”
Sewickley Academy has rolled through the PIAA playoffs thus far holding teams to under 30 points each of the first three rounds.
You must be registered for see images attach
The team narrowly defeated OLSH last weekend in the quarterfinals thanks to Donnelly who came out and had a strong second half finishing with 16 points.
Iuzzolino knows that at this point in the season that seniors don’t want to hand their uniform in and Donnelly has been one of the players that have played with that mentality over the last week.
“When you are a senior, you don’t want to turn in your uniform and Nolan has played like that for us. He did not want to turn his uniform in last week so he came out and put together a great second half in the state quarterfinals.”
Tipoff for the semifinal contest between Sewickley Academy and Greensburg Central Catholic is set for noon.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Sewickley Academy's Nolan Donnelly has team in PIAA semifinals
Continue reading...
