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Sports

Colts, Norwin Similar Foes

A preview of the Chartiers Valley vs. Norwin first round playoff game

Norwin boys basketball coach Lynn Washowich has so much respect for Chartiers Valley head coach Tim McConnnell that he actually has tried to mirror his team’s offense off of the Colts.

“I’ve said for years that Coach McConnell is the best basketball coach I’ve ever seen,” he said. “A lot of what we do here at Norwin is based off of what he does over there.”

And while Washowich has tried to emulate the celebrated Chartiers Valley coach, he knows that defending the Colts will not be any easier.

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“Chartiers Valley is obviously an excellent basketball team, and if you don’t defend or at least minimize or contain what they want to do, your chances are very limited,” he said. “I’ve made the analogy to my team that it’s like they have five Peyton Manning’s on the floor. They never make mistakes and they all know what to do with the ball.”

“They’re the type of team where things could be going well and you fall asleep for two minutes and they go on a 12-1 run. Then you’re in a position where it’s very tough to come back.”

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Some may argue that defending the Knights this year is just as difficult, due mainly to the highest scoring duo the WPIAL has seen in years. Senior guards Matt Palo (29.7 ppg) and Andy Carter (23.8 ppg) had been the catalysts for the WPIAL’s highest scoring team, which averages just under 79 points each night.

“We have two kids in Matt and Andy that have been making plays for us all year. So we’re going to go out there and hope that they make plays,” Washowich said. “But we aren’t making any changes offensively. We’re going to space the floor and ask our players to make plays. As a coach, that’s all you can do.”

However, while Norwin, the No. 11 seed and second place team from Section 1-AAAA, may have a high-powered offense, the problem may lie in the Knights’ defense, which gives up an average of just under 77 points each night, worst in the WPIAL.

In addition to Norwin’s defensive woes, Chartiers Valley is no slouch offensively. The Colts are the No. 6 seed and tied for second in Section 4-AAAA, due largely to their pressure defense and potent offense. The Colts are known for forcing teams to play the type of game they want to, and also average 68 points each night, good enough for second in the WPIAL.

There is no doubt that Norwin can prove to be a challenge to the Colts. But if Chartiers Valley fans are looking for peace in the matchup, look no further than both teams’ games against the Baldwin Highlanders. Chartiers Valley dismantled Baldwin by 21 points on two separate occasions this season, while Norwin faced the Highlanders once, and fell by 14 points.

If you like high-scoring basketball, be at Baldwin high school at 3 p.m. tomorrow afternoon for one of the premier first round matchups of the Class AAAA WPIAL playoffs. And as always, don’t forget to support your Colts!

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