MAKENNA MARISA, Player of the Year The scoop: Talented point guard and one of the best juniors in the state. This season, averaged 22.9 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals a game for WPIAL Class 6A finalist. Has 1,115 career points. Granddaughter of legendary former Waynesburg University coach Rudy Marisa. College talk: Duquesne, Villanova, St. Joseph’s and Ball State have offered scholarships. Most memorable moment this season: Definitely making it to the WPIAL championship. Favorite basketball player of all time: Russell Westbrook and I like Arike Ogunbowale of Notre Dame. Favorite person to follow on Twitter: I don’t have one, but I like sports accounts. People might be surprised to know: I’m a twin. My sister, Morgan, plays basketball, too. I’m more serious about basketball and she more or less just plays for fun. We’re complete opposites. Most underrated part of your game: Maybe assists and defense sometimes. Toughest individual opponent: [North Allegheny’s] Rachel Martindale. Person who has influenced you most, other than a parent: My grandfather [Rudy Marisa] He played at Penn State and coached so long. Every time I go to his house, he wants to teach me about game. ****************************************************** ALEXA WILLIAMSON The scoop: Williamson averaged 30.7 points and 14 points this season and had school-record 51 points in PIAA first-round playoff game. She scored double-digit points in every game this season and led team to first WPIAL title a year ago. Leaves as the program's all-time leading scorer with 2,213 points. She is 25th on the WPIAL all-time scoring list. College talk: Williamson has signed with Temple. Most memorable moment this season: Probably beating, Bishop McCort, the game before we played Bellwood-Antis [in the PIAA quarterfinals]. Favorite basketball player of all time: Probably either Russell Westbrook or Steph Curry. Favorite person to follow on Twitter: I like to follow just all the sports accounts that just keep me updated with scores and stuff. People might be surprised to know: Probably that I used to cheer. Most underrated part of your game: I think passing. Toughest individual opponent: Probably Alli Campbell from Bellwood-Antis. What makes her good? She can just do everything. She can shoot, she can drive, she's just really good. Person who has influenced you most, other than a parent: Probably all my coaches. ****************************************************** AMANI JOHNSON The scoop: Johnson averaged 26.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 3.9 steals per game. She shot 53 percent from field and 38 percent from 3. She had 2,354 career points, 16th-best in WPIAL history. College talk: Johnson has signed with Kennesaw State. Most memorable moment this season: Playing at the Petersen Events Center [for the WPIAL championship]. Favorite basketball player of all time: I don't really have one player, because I think LeBron's the best. I like Skylar Diggins a lot. Favorite person to follow on Twitter: I can't think of a particular person, but I like the funny side of Twitter. I don't like when people get too serious on there. People might be surprised to know: I used to be in orchestra [cello]. And I played with the boys [in basketball] until ninth grade. Most underrated part of your game: I score a lot, so people don't know that I'm also a pretty good passer. Toughest individual opponent: Bishop Canevin. Bri Allen's pretty tough for us, but I would just say their whole team. Person who has influenced you most, other than a parent: Can I say my school? Because our school always had terrible sports, and I just feel like staying at our school was a big motivation for me and helping turn around the sports program and building up the support from the community. ****************************************************** BELLA POSSET The scoop: Posset led Beaver to its first appearance in a WPIAL championship. She averaged 19.6 points, 4.8 steals, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, shooting 77 percent from free throw line. Posset finished with 1,601 career points. College talk: Posset has signed with Robert Morris. Most memorable moment this season: The WPIAL championship even though we didn't win. It was still so much fun. It was a great thing that happened in our season and I'll never forget it. Favorite basketball player of all time: I love LeBron James ... And Skylar Diggins. Favorite person to follow on Twitter: I would say food accounts because I love looking at food and how to make it... I literally follow so many. People might be surprised to know: I love romantic movies. Favorite romantic movie? Endless Love. Most underrated part of your game: Probably my pull-up [jump shot]. Toughest individual opponent: [Blackhawk’s] Mady Aulbach. Person who has influenced you most, other than a parent: Probably my best friend, Sydney [Barney], because she's always been there for me and when I'm on the court, she doesn't let me get down. ****************************************************** RACHEL MARTINDALE The scoop: Versatile player who helped North Allegheny win second consecutive WPIAL title. Averaged 15.3 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals a game. Has 186 career 3-pointers and 1,002 points. Sustained torn ACL in her left knee in WPIAL final. College talk: Committed to Pitt for softball as a freshman, but changed mind and will play basketball in college. Has a few Division I offers. Most memorable moment this season: Winning the WPIAL, celebrating with my teammates and scoring my 1,000th point in that game. Favorite basketball player of all time: LeBron James. Favorite person to follow on Twitter: Probably the Post-Gazette high school sports one because I like the scores and standings. People might be surprised to know: I was on the 12-year-old tournament baseball team and I had the highest batting average on the team. Most underrated part of your game: Rebounding and passing. Toughest individual opponent: [Peters Township’s] Makenna Marisa. Person who has influenced you most, other than a parent: [North Allegheny coach] Spencer Stefko. He’s taught us it’s not all about being a good basketball player. It’s about being a good person off the court, too. |