Tough task: Rockets face Aquinas, Cugini; Maples, Mikes also in playoffs
Jefferson-Morgan鈥檚 Troy Wright puts up a shot during a game at Avella this season. Wright and the Rockets play against Aquinas Academy and WPIAL all-time leading scorer Vinnie Cugini in the first round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs at Peters Township on Friday night.
Mapletown鈥檚 Landan Stevenson dribbles the ball up court during a game this season. The Maples face Neighborhood Academy in a WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game Friday night at Charleroi. (Photos by Rob Burchianti)
Brandon Lawless was a great basketball player during his days at Carmichaels but the second-year Jefferson-Morgan coach was attempting to emulate someone else during a recent practice.
鈥淚 was Vinnie Cugini at our practice,鈥� Lawless said of the Aquinas Academy senior star and WPIAL career scoring leader.
The 10th-seeded Rockets will take on Cugini and the No. 7 Crusaders in a WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game at Peters Township 6 p.m. Friday.
Jefferson-Morgan is one of three Greene County boys basketball teams in the playoffs along with Mapletown, also in Class A, and Carmichaels in Class AA.
鈥淚鈥檓 not as good as him,鈥� Lawless said of Cugini with a chuckle, 鈥渂ut I tried to imitate him to the best of my ability during practice.
鈥淩eally though, it鈥檚 just the same as every game in that you have to game plan for every team and that just happens to be their greatest strength having a player like him. He鈥檚 obviously our key focal point as I鈥檓 sure he was for every team they鈥檝e faced this year.鈥�
Aquinas has an 18-4 overall record and was third in Section 3 behind No. 1 Imani Christian and No. 5 Neighborhood Academy with a 6-4 mark.
The Rockets, who were 12-10 during the regular season and finished third in Section 2 with a 6-4 mark, have put up a good fight against a couple higher seeded teams that are in their section in co-champions Geibel Catholic and Monessen, who were slotted at No. 4 and No. 6.
Jefferson-Morgan lost at home to the Greyhounds, 61-58, on Jan. 6 and fell on the Gators鈥� floor, 61-54, in the regular-season finale.
鈥淭he last game of the year against Geibel we took it almost like a playoff scrimmage,鈥� Lawless said. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 have much to lose, we were locked into third so we tried out some new things and gave some guys off the bench a little more time. We had some guys step up and we played good team ball. We just came up a little short.鈥�
Lawless feels his youthful squad has been up and down but overall has improved as the season has gone along.
鈥淲e had our nights where we played as a team with chemistry and connected and we had our stretches of looking young and inexperienced and had some lows,鈥� Lawless said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 been the story of our year. I keep preaching consistency because 32 minutes of basketball isn鈥檛 that long and any letdown in any quarter can be very crucial.鈥�
Senior Troy Wright is the player the Rockets turn to as their leader.
鈥淭roy is the vision of the offense. He鈥檚 the one we like to cycle through,鈥� Lawless said. 鈥淗e knows the game. He鈥檚 been a starter for four years so he鈥檚 got the experience. He鈥檚 keeps his composure very well, that鈥檚 one of his strengths. He鈥檚 calm, collected and patient and really sees the floor.鈥�
The Rockets will need to stay under control in defeat Aquinas.
鈥淎quinas is very, very fast. They like to shoot within seven seconds, very opposite of what we do,鈥� Lawless said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 go, go, go for them the whole time. They cause a lot of havoc from their defense which helps gets their offense going. They run a lot of 1-2-2 and 2-1-2 about three-quarter court, very similar to Monessen.鈥�
If J-M can get past the Crusaders the path doesn鈥檛 get any easier with second-seeded Union awaiting the winner for a 7 p.m. game on Feb. 22.
The Maples, in the playoffs for the third straight year under coach Chad Stevenson, are seeded 12th. They are 8-13 overall and were fourth in Section 2.
Mapletown also plays Friday against Neighborhood Academy (17-4) in an 8 p.m. game at Charleroi.
鈥淲e鈥檝e definitely come a long way these past few years,鈥� Stevenson said. 鈥淚 think we鈥檝e done a pretty job this year. We鈥檝e had some tough non-section games.鈥�
The Maples have played 12 games against playoff teams, including several in higher classifications.
Stevenson鈥檚 son, Chad Stevenson leads the way, despite playing the entire season with an MCL tear. He鈥檚 still averaging just under 20 points per game.
鈥淗e has a slight tear of his MCL, he did it against Monessen during football season and he鈥檚 dealt with it ever since, all through basketball season,鈥� coach Stevenson said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e still trying to figure out if he should have surgery after the season or wait until baseball season is over.鈥�
The Maples also rely on sharpshooter Braden McIntire, power forward Cohen Stout and guard A.J. Vanata.
鈥淎.J. has played really well and stepped up in the second half of the season,鈥� coach Stevenson said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e just been dealing with injuries. Braden McIntire missed some time because of an ankle injury.
鈥淚鈥檓 proud of the way they鈥檝e all played this year. We鈥檙e just going to go into this game and just play as hard as we can.鈥�
The Maples are part of a doubleheader. The first game which begins at 6 p.m. pits Geibel against No. 13 Avella. The winners of those two games will meet in the quarterfinals on Feb. 22.
In Class AA, it wasn鈥檛 a surprise that Carmichaels as well as and Bentworth were both given preliminary-round games. What was curious was that although both finished with 12-10 records and tied for fourth place in Section 4, both were sent on the road to play teams with losing records that tied for fourth place in Section 1.
The No. 18 Mikes must make the long trip to No. 15 South Side Beaver (7-14) while the No. 17 Bearcats are at No. 16 Laurel (6-15), both 7 p.m. Thursday.
Carmichaels coach Ian McCombs put the slight behind him.
鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to be in the playoffs and the opportunity to give everything we have in our game vs. South Side,鈥� said McCombs, who has guided the Mikes to three consecutive postseason appearances. 鈥淭hey have some big guys, so we really need to get back to what got us here: hustle, defense, rebounding, and a fearless attitude.鈥�
A win by the Mikes would send them into a first-round game at No. 2 Bishop Canevin, 7 p.m. on Feb. 21.