Basketball Preview 2016

Tarquinio in at SCC

By MIKE MATHISON STEUBENVILLE – The Steubenville Catholic Central boys’ basketball team is under new direction for the first time in nine years. Chris Tarquinio leads the Crusaders and he has four seniors to lean on in Jake Bolger, Lucca DiMichele, Austin Fowkes and Nate Kolinski. Bolger averaged 12.3 points and 7.3 assists and made the Ohio Division IV Eastern District third team. “The kids have been working extremely hard getting ready for the season,” Tarquinio said. “We as a group are all learning together. We as a staff are learning the personnel and ...

Reeves Leads Tall Big Red Squad

By MIKE MATHISON STEUBENVILLE — The Steubenville boys’ basketball team is fresh off a Sweet 16 appearance and has a lot of experience back in uniform. But a lot of that experience is on the football team and it will take some time for their basketball legs to be in shape. “The players who are practicing and scrimmaging are working very hard and will have to carry the team in the early part of the season until the football players can get their basketball legs under them and gel together,” Big Red coach Mike Haney said. Steubenville has six seniors in Shyoun ...

Plenty of Changes in Steubenville

By MIKE MATHISON STEUBENVILLE – Life is a different for the Steubenville girls’ basketball team this season. Gone are six graduated seniors and a ton of experience. “We will start the season as an inexperienced team with only one returning letterwinner, Rhiannon Petrisko, but her ability and great leadership will raise our level of play as her new teammates gain their confidence and experience heading into the season,” second-year coach Jeff Lombardo said. “Graduating six seniors from last year’s team, our underclassmen have worked hard this summer and are ...

Madonna Has 10 Seniors

By MIKE MATHISON WEIRTON — The Madonna boys’ basketball team has as much experience as any team in the area, returning all five starters and most of the players coming off the bench. The Blue Dons have 10 seniors and are coming off a 12-11 season with eight losses coming against top-10 state-ranked opponents. “We hope that the experience gained last year, coupled with our offseason work product, have prepared us for this season and the challenges that lie ahead,” second-year coach Chris Blair said. “We have a dynamic mix of talent, ranging from athletic, quick ...

SCC Returns 9 Letterwinners

By MIKE MATHISON STEUBENVILLE — Jess Looman is looking at the most experienced girls’ basketball team she’s coached in her three years at Steubenville Catholic Central. The Crusaders return nine letterwinners. “We are looking forward to having a successful season,” she said. Leading the way are five seniors — Brittany Bertoia, Gabby Capaldi, Natalie Mastroianni, Shayna Mirabella and Samm Simmons. Central is coming off an 11-12 season, losing to Bishop Rosecrans in Division IV sectional play. The Crusaders were 9-14 the year before. Bertoia and ...

Numbers Rising at Weir

By MIKE MATHISON WEIRTON — Now that the system is installed, second-year Weir girls’ basketball coach Rick Stead can begin working on other things. “You can definitely say that we are a young team,” Stead said. “We are going to continue our efforts to push the ball up and down the floor.” The Red Riders will be led by seniors Francesca Farran and Cassidy Champ as well as juniors Bailey Stead and Daphney Tanner. “Bailey and Fran have emerged as our leaders and it will be up to them to set the tempo for our team,” the coach said. “We have two returning ...