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HERSHEY — For the first time in eight years, Sewickley Academy will be making the trip to the sweetest place on earth, Hershey, Pa. as it will play for the boys PIAA Class 2A state championship Friday against District 3 runner-up Linville Hill Christian at 2 p.m.
The team's journey has been long, and many of Sewickley Academy’s (24-5) players thought that just getting to the state title would be an insurmountable task. But with its growth throughout the year, it will have a shot at finishing the season as state champions.
“I thought it was crazy that we were in the position that we were in for the semifinals but now to be able to compete for a state title, it is wild to think that we are going,” senior forward Nolan Donnelly said. “It has been a wild ride this season, I am proud of everybody and what we have worked for.”
After a third-place finish in the WPIAL postseason, Sewickley Academy’s journey to the finals began with a 64-36 win over Windber, it then defeated Lakeview 56-35 followed by a 42-35 win against OLSH and punched its ticket to the finals with a 52-48 victory over Greensburg Central Catholic.
Required Reading: Four storylines heading into Friday's boys 2A PIAA championship game
In its last two games, the team has had to play from behind against OLSH and Greensburg Central Catholic before pulling away with victories.
While any team will always want to play with a lead, by being tested and having to fight back, Sewickley Academy is ready for any challenge that Linville Christian throws its way.
“You don’t want to be always playing from behind because you always want to be up,” Sewickley Academy head coach Mike Iuzzolino said. “But it has given us the confidence that no matter what situation we are in, good things will happen.”
Against Greensburg Central Catholic, the team got off to a rough start falling behind 14 points in the first half.
A strong start for Sewickley Academy will be needed going up against an experienced Linville (23-5) team that averages 66 points per game. Iuzzolino knows that to get off to a solid start, it will need to look at the game in smaller segments.
“I think that as a team, we need to stay focused on one possession and one play at a time,” Iuzzolino said. “If something bad happens, keep your focus small and go on to the next play. We want to break the games down to 32 one-minute games each time we are on the floor. If we can do that, we can get off to a better start.”
Required Reading: Despite three head coaches, this Sewickley Academy forward has taken the changes in stride
Heading into the state championship, Linville has knocked off the District 11, District 12, District II, and District IV champions with its latest victory coming against Northwest Area 68-43 last Saturday.
The team features three seniors who are in double-figures scoring with the team running a fast style of offense that is extremely efficient.
Sewickley Academy might lack the experience that Linville has, but the team knows that the bond that the team has with each other is unmatched.
“They [Linville] is a very good shooting team,” Donnelly said. “With them having a senior-led roster, it helps but even though we lack the amount of the experience that they might have, we are just as close as a family as they are. No matter what, we are ready for the challenge.”
As Sewickley Academy’s players hit the floor at the GIANT Center, it will do so as a young team playing on the biggest stage of their high school careers having just one senior in the starting rotation to go along with several underclassmen.
Required Reading: When are the PIAA basketball championships? Key information and dates for the championship games
But Iuzzolino wants to make sure that his players are living in the moment because making it back to the state finals is no easy feat.
“The guys need to have fun because you never know when you are going to come this way again,” Iuzzolino said. “There have been a lot of people in this situation that have made it with a young team and have never gotten back. Enjoy the moment, they earned this opportunity of being one of 12 boys teams playing in the state finals.”
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Sewickley Academy and Linville Hill battle for PIAA 2A state title
Continue reading...
The team's journey has been long, and many of Sewickley Academy’s (24-5) players thought that just getting to the state title would be an insurmountable task. But with its growth throughout the year, it will have a shot at finishing the season as state champions.
“I thought it was crazy that we were in the position that we were in for the semifinals but now to be able to compete for a state title, it is wild to think that we are going,” senior forward Nolan Donnelly said. “It has been a wild ride this season, I am proud of everybody and what we have worked for.”
After a third-place finish in the WPIAL postseason, Sewickley Academy’s journey to the finals began with a 64-36 win over Windber, it then defeated Lakeview 56-35 followed by a 42-35 win against OLSH and punched its ticket to the finals with a 52-48 victory over Greensburg Central Catholic.
Required Reading: Four storylines heading into Friday's boys 2A PIAA championship game
In its last two games, the team has had to play from behind against OLSH and Greensburg Central Catholic before pulling away with victories.
While any team will always want to play with a lead, by being tested and having to fight back, Sewickley Academy is ready for any challenge that Linville Christian throws its way.
“You don’t want to be always playing from behind because you always want to be up,” Sewickley Academy head coach Mike Iuzzolino said. “But it has given us the confidence that no matter what situation we are in, good things will happen.”
Against Greensburg Central Catholic, the team got off to a rough start falling behind 14 points in the first half.
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A strong start for Sewickley Academy will be needed going up against an experienced Linville (23-5) team that averages 66 points per game. Iuzzolino knows that to get off to a solid start, it will need to look at the game in smaller segments.
“I think that as a team, we need to stay focused on one possession and one play at a time,” Iuzzolino said. “If something bad happens, keep your focus small and go on to the next play. We want to break the games down to 32 one-minute games each time we are on the floor. If we can do that, we can get off to a better start.”
Required Reading: Despite three head coaches, this Sewickley Academy forward has taken the changes in stride
Heading into the state championship, Linville has knocked off the District 11, District 12, District II, and District IV champions with its latest victory coming against Northwest Area 68-43 last Saturday.
The team features three seniors who are in double-figures scoring with the team running a fast style of offense that is extremely efficient.
You must be registered for see images attach
Sewickley Academy might lack the experience that Linville has, but the team knows that the bond that the team has with each other is unmatched.
“They [Linville] is a very good shooting team,” Donnelly said. “With them having a senior-led roster, it helps but even though we lack the amount of the experience that they might have, we are just as close as a family as they are. No matter what, we are ready for the challenge.”
As Sewickley Academy’s players hit the floor at the GIANT Center, it will do so as a young team playing on the biggest stage of their high school careers having just one senior in the starting rotation to go along with several underclassmen.
Required Reading: When are the PIAA basketball championships? Key information and dates for the championship games
But Iuzzolino wants to make sure that his players are living in the moment because making it back to the state finals is no easy feat.
“The guys need to have fun because you never know when you are going to come this way again,” Iuzzolino said. “There have been a lot of people in this situation that have made it with a young team and have never gotten back. Enjoy the moment, they earned this opportunity of being one of 12 boys teams playing in the state finals.”
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Sewickley Academy and Linville Hill battle for PIAA 2A state title
Continue reading...
