ProfessorBriggs.com
THE Sports
Authority in Mercer County!
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Professor's Proverbs -- March 2, 2012
Professor Briggs went 12-2 picking District 10 semifinal games (and Class AAAA title games), raising this year's record to a more respectable 26-8. The semifinals produced no major surprises on either the boys' or girls' sides in terms of victor. Franklin's girls downed previously-undefeated Mercyhurst Prep but that was hardly a David vs. Goliath matchup. Franklin is 22-2 and is a very good basketball team.
I finally got to see West Middlesex's boys play Tuesday night in a classic 76-68 overtime victory over Vision Quest at Sharon Tiger Gymnasium. What a game! It's a well-worn cliché, but both teams deserved to win. West Middlesex's Matt Dogan scored 21 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter and overtime; he, Trey Staunch (23) and Jeremy Jancso (11) combined for 71 points. Vision Quest guard Nasir Mitchell fired in 30 points, proving to be a question that West Middlesex could not find an answer for.
Vision Quest coach Richard Gordon, a Farrell High
grad, and his staff are doing a great job with the Eagles' team this year. It's
a team that is better than its overall record would indicate because of the
strong schedule played this year. Vision Quest's nine losses this year are to:
*Three to D-10 Class A finalist West Middlesex, including a one-pointer and an
OT loss
*One to D-10 Class A finalist Kennedy Catholic
*One to D-10 Class AA finalist North East
*One to D-10 Class AAA playoff team Franklin (52-46 at Franklin)
*One to Class AAA Erie East in season opener at Franklin (57-50)
*One to St. Francis Catholic of Canada
*One at Youngstown East (79-61); Youngstown East is a Class AAAA-sized school
that is 14-6 and had a bye into the district quarterfinals in Northeast Ohio.
West Middlesex, of course, also played a great non-conference schedule, owning wins over WPIAL Class AA finalist Beaver Falls and Class AAAA Erie McDowell and competitive losses against undefeated WPIAL Class AAA finalist New Castle and Youngstown East. It's obvious that playing a tough non-conference schedule benefited both teams in the playoffs.
All of our local teams still remaining alive played challenging non-conference schedules and you can see those long-term benefits. Hopefully, the benefits will continue to be reaped with nice runs into the state tournament.
Here are Professor Briggs' predictions for the championship and consolation games in District 10 this weekend.
GIRLS
Class A Championship
Kennedy Catholic (20-3) vs. Conneaut Valley (20-3) -- Saturday, 1:00 p.m., Slippery Rock University: Professor Briggs will have the call on this one on 790 WPIC ... Kennedy Catholic has won 15 straight games and Valley is on an 11-game run ... Valley's only loss in 2012 came January 19 at District 10 Class AA semifinalist Seneca (40-37) ... Kennedy has scored 60 points or more in 12 straight games ... Conneaut Valley has held its last eight foes to 31 points or less ... No one has broken the 50-point barrier on Valley this year.
Professor's Pick: Kennedy Catholic, 50-42
Class A Consolation
Linesville (17-7) vs. Saegertown (16-8) -- Saturday, 2:30 p.m., Gannon University: The teams split their regular-season meetings with the home team winning each ... Saegertown won the most recent meeting and seems to have a little more momentum coming into the game.
Professor's Pick: Saegertown, 40-37
Class AA Championship
Villa Maria (20-2) vs. Girard (20-3) -- Saturday, 4:00 p.m., Gannon University: Villa Maria won both meetings in the regular season convincingly ... Girard is a very good team as evidenced by its 20 victories but Villa seems to be a cut above.
Professor's Pick: Villa Maria, 55-42
Class AA Consolation
Greenville (20-4) vs. Seneca (16-8) -- Saturday, 2:30 p.m., Slippery Rock University: Professor Briggs had a chance to see both teams Wednesday night at Edinboro ... This is one of the better matchups of the weekend, regardless of gender, I think ... Greenville's depth may prove pivotal in this one.
Professor's Pick: Greenville, 44-40
Class AAA Championship
Franklin (22-2) vs. Hickory (22-2) -- Saturday, 4:00 p.m., Slippery Rock University: The Rubber Match between the Region 5-AAA co-champions ... The home team won each of the two regular season games ... Franklin won 60-50 and Hickory won 53-42 the second time around ... The Franklin girls have seemingly played very well at Morrow Field House over the years ... Franklin has a lot of momentum coming into the title game; Hickory is very battle-tested with two hard-fought playoff wins over Warren and General McLane ... Should come down to the final 10 possessions.
Professor's Pick: Franklin, 55-54
Class AAA Consolation
Mercyhurst Prep (23-1) vs. General McLane (17-7) -- Saturday, 1:00 p.m., Gannon University: How will Mercyhurst rebound from its first defeat of the season ... Mercyhurst won both meetings between the teams this year.
Professor's Pick: Mercyhurst Prep, 54-45
BOYS
Class A Championship
West Middlesex (19-4) vs. Kennedy Catholic (15-8) -- Friday, 7:00 p.m. -- Slippery Rock University: West Middlesex is in pursuit of its first District 10 title since 1980. The Big Reds have had several near-misses over the years in District 10 finals, including several setbacks against Kennedy Catholic. In 1997, West Middlesex appeared to have the inside track to a D-10 Class A title only to have a second-half lead dissolve against Saegertown. (You could win a lot of bets by knowing it was Saegertown who won the D-10 title that year; the Panthers upset eventual state semifinalist Kennedy Christian in the district semifinals, 56-53.) ... Getting back to Friday night's game, West Middlesex won both regular season meetings with Kennedy ... Kennedy looked very sharp against Cochranton (wearing Sharon road jerseys) Tuesday night in the semifinals ... Should be another great chapter in the Kennedy-Middlesex rivalry, which may lose just a smidge next year with West Middlesex bumping up to Class AA ... Which of these two classic rock songs will West Middlesex fans play after the game -- "A" or "B"?
Professor's Pick: West Middlesex, 57-54
Class A Consolation
Vision Quest (12-9) vs. Cochranton (18-5) -- Friday, 8:30 p.m. -- Slippery Rock University: Vision Quest came within a whisker of advancing to the District 10 title game ... Cochranton's leading scorer, Josh Oertly, has been limited with a significant injury to his right hand ... Vision Quest will not be a fun matchup for the District 6 Class A champion in the state tournament.
Professor's Pick: Vision Quest, 60-50
Class AA Championship
Mercyhurst Prep (22-2) vs. North East (19-5) -- Friday, 8:30 p.m. -- Gannon University: Mercyhurst Prep has been perhaps the most dominant team in the District 10 playoffs in either gender so far, rolling to big wins over Wilmington and Saegertown ... North East edged Lakeview in the semifinals in one of the better games of this playoff season ... Mercyhurst won both meetings during the regular season.
Professor's Pick: Mercyhurst Prep, 47-41
Class AA Consolation
Lakeview (18-6) vs. Saegertown (12-12) -- Friday, 8:30 p.m. -- Meadville High School: This is a rematch of the teams' December 20 battle at Lakeview, won by the homestanding Sailors 75-32 ... Since February 2010, Lakeview is 13-1 following a loss ... Some of Lakeview's most convincing victories this season have come after losses ... Saegertown has been the Jekyll and Hyde of the playoffs so far -- looking great against Sharpsville and then absorbing a 46-point defeat against Mercyhurst ... Professor Briggs and Chris Burtch will be on hand for this one.
Professor's Pick: Lakeview, 59-51
Class AAA Championship
General McLane (23-0) vs. Warren (19-5) --
Friday, 7:00 p.m. -- Gannon University: Both teams advanced to the finals with
convincing wins in the semifinal round ... General McLane earned its second win
of the season over Hickory and Warren picked up the hat trick against Girard ...
General McLane earned a 60-46 home win over Warren, then won 68-63 at Warren in
the second meeting ... Warren is playing very well in the playoffs, having won a
high-scoring game against Sharon and a low-scoring battle with Girard ...
"And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and
struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he
fell on his face to the ground.
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck
the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David." (1
Samuel 17:49-50 ESV)
Professor's Upset Special: Warren, 64-62
Class AAA Consolation Game
Hickory (15-9) vs. Girard (16-9) -- Friday, 7:00 p.m. -- Meadville High School: A trip to the state tournament on the line for both teams ... Girard took out two Region 6-AAA teams already in Meadville and Grove City ... Hickory is disciplined enough to not get frustrated by Girard's slow-down style ... Professor Briggs expects this game to have the finesse of a pro wrestling battle royal.
Professor's Pick: Hickory, 29-28
> Send all suggestions, thoughts, questions or comments to: ryanbriggs@zoominternet.net
