Riding in style: After misunderstanding, Monessen girls get charter bus for PIAA game
The emotions of Monessen鈥檚 girls basketball players have gone up and down like a yo-yo the last few days as their scheduled PIAA Class A playoff opener approached.
The Lady Greyhounds were riding high after having won a section title and earned a spot in the state tournament with a consolation win over Avella last Wednesday night.
The players鈥� emotions plummeted, though, after a miscommunication had the team thinking it was going to make Saturday鈥檚 long ride to Otto Eldred High School in Duke Center on a standard yellow school bus.
鈥淲e did this last year,鈥� Monessen coach Janine Vertacnik said. 鈥淲e went up to Elk County Catholic and it was like a three hour and 15 minute bus ride. It was a long day on a Wednesday night. The game was at 7 and we didn鈥檛 get home until 1:30. The kids were tired. It was hard to be motivated.
鈥淭his is another 45 minutes beyond that. At least this time it鈥檚 on a Saturday so the girls don鈥檛 have to worry about going to school the next day.鈥�
The Monessen school board, however, had apparently just balked at the cost in its first inquiry into getting the team a charter bus for Saturday鈥檚 game 鈥� approximately a 200-mile trek 鈥� but hadn鈥檛 nixed the idea altogether. It eventually did secure a charter bus from T.A. Nelson Coach Lines in Connellsville for the 3 p.m. game.
鈥淲e originally thought we were going to get a (charter) bus, one that we requested, but I guess financially it was a little bit more than they anticipated,鈥� Vertacnik said.
鈥淚 guess they had called the (charter) bus company and it was 鈥榅鈥� amount of dollars and too high. That鈥檚 when we got it out on social media if somebody can help these girls. But then they informed us they were going to call around to try to find a better price somewhere and that鈥檚 where there was a misunderstanding. They were going to find one (a charter bus) but just looking for one a little cheaper.鈥�
Before that happened, the Lady Greyhounds鈥� plight reached social media and the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team got involved, informing the team it would cover the cost of the charter bus.
鈥淭he parents got involved and we got a lot of people to help and somehow the Penguins found out and they thought it would something nice to do and they would take care of it,鈥� Vertacnik said. 鈥淭hen the school board came through and said we鈥檝e found a bus.鈥�
When the players first thought they would again have to ride a school bus on a long PIAA trip, they were crushed, according Vertacnik.
鈥淭hey were obviously disappointed because you play for five months, you sacrifice and give your all, they win a section title, you win your way into the states and then after all that they鈥檙e feeling like they鈥檙e not being appreciated enough,鈥� she said.
The school board revealed at Tuesday night鈥檚 meeting that it would pay for the charter bus but thanked the Penguins for their offer.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to go to the school board meeting and thank them for stepping forward on this,鈥� Vertacnik said before heading to the meeting.
鈥淩ight now the girls are elated, they鈥檙e happy, they鈥檙e appreciative and they鈥檙e going to give their best at the game.鈥�
The Lady Greyhounds (17-6), the fifth-place team out of the WPIAL, will face an extremely tough task in playing Otto Eldred (23-2), according to Vertacnik.
鈥淲e鈥檙e playing the District 9 champions with their district player of the year (Katie Sheeler) who scored 1,500 points, and I鈥檓 down to seven kids right now with three freshmen. It鈥檚 like a Hoosiers,鈥� Vertacnik said with a chuckle. 鈥淚鈥檓 not saying we can鈥檛 win because it鈥檚 March Madness, anything can happen.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a boy-girl doubleheader because their boys team made the playoffs, too. So there鈥檚 gong to be a fierce crowd of Otto Eldred fans. But that鈥檚 a great atmosphere and we鈥檙e looking forward to it. We鈥檙e going to give it our best as we have been all year.鈥�
Regardless of the outcome, Vertacnik said the bottom line is that her squad deserved to make the trip in style.
鈥淲e鈥檒l certainly be a lot more comfortable, more well rested and more mentally ready to give a good effort as opposed to riding four hours on a stiff seat,鈥� she said.
A positive for Vertacnik that arose from the situation was how many people were willing to help her team out.
鈥淚 guess through Facebook and Twitter I heard there were all kinds of posts, people sharing and other communities donating money,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t just goes to show you in sports, that鈥檚 how important it is. Small communities and even our own community, people bond together for a common cause for kids. It doesn鈥檛 matter what your race or religion or whatever, everybody bonds together when it鈥檚 about the kids. We want things to be good for them.
鈥淚t shows you no matter what goes on in the world, small communities stick together to do whatever is necessary to see that kids get the best opportunity. So between our community and the surround communities, we couldn鈥檛 be more thankful.
鈥淲e鈥檙e flattered and we鈥檙e honored and we hope we can represent our school well when we go up there.鈥�