2014-2015 News Archive
OLSH Grade School Tournament
The week of October 31st was not just a week to prepare for Halloween for local grade schools, it was also a week to prepare for the upcoming basketball season. OLSH held its annual girl's grade school tournament to kick the season off for surrounding schools. As always, the tournament proved to be a competitive one. All teams gave it their all during the tournament. St. Thomas Moore and St. Mary's of Glenshaw battled for the J.V. Championship. Every second counted as the game was pushed into overtime. St. Thomas Moore came out victorious at the end of the first overtime. The Varsity Division 1 championship game took place following the J.V. game. This time it was Our Lady of Fatima vs. Elizabeth Forward. Once again it was a close game! Our Lady of Fatima came away with a tough victory. Directly after the Division 1 championship came the Division 2 championship. Assumption took on St. James of Sewickley for a battle of the boulevard schools. Both teams gave it their all, but it was Assumption who pushed through and came away with the victory.
Congratulations to all teams who participated! We hope to see you back next year.
First Day of Practice
November has finally arrived bringing with it every basketball player's favorite holiday, the beginning of basketball season! This is the time to show the coaches all of the hard work that you put in during the offseason. The players for the OLSH girl's basketball team had the opportunity to do just that on Monday, November 17. The girl's brought with them their enthusiasm and hard work. They look to continue to improve for their first scrimmage coming up on November 24 vs. Quaker Valley and Deer lakes.
First Game of the 2014-2015 Season
This upcoming Friday, December 5. The girl's basketball team will kick off their 2014-2015 season. Both JV and Varsity will take on North Catholic at the Oakland Catholic Tip Off Tournament. The JV is set to start at 6:00PM, while the varsity begins at 7:30PM. The team begins the start to what could prove to be a very competitive schedule. The girl's will play the following night, Saturday, December 6, against Oakland Catholic. Both games are going to be competitive in nature as all three of these programs have proven year after year that the catholic schools bring talented teams to the court. Check back for results to both of the games this weekend.
OLSH Opens Strong At Oakland Catholic Tournament
December 5 and 6 marked the beginning of games for the OLSH girl's season. Friday night the OLSH Chargers took on the North Catholic Trojans for what proved to be an exciting night. Both the Chargers and the Trojans stepped on to the court ready to play. The Trojans used their height inside and quick guards outside to give the Chargers a defensive challenge. The teams went back and fourth all night. The Chargers lead for most of the game until the fourth quarter. During the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Trojans made a come back and fought their way to obtain the lead. Despite the Trojans surge, the Chargers remained calm, cool, and collected. They played outstanding defense in the last two minutes of the game, forcing North Catholic to turn the ball over. OLSH capitalized on those turnovers, which would ultimately help them regain the lead. The Chargers fought their way all the way to the end and would walk away with a 49-44 win over the Trojans.
The next night the Chargers took on Oakland Catholic. The game got off to an intense start with both teams playing aggressive defense. After the first quarter, OLSH settled in and earned the lead. They kept the lead for the remainder of the game and would leave with a 52-32 victory over the Eagles.
The girl's team leaves Oakland Catholic's tournament with a 2-0 start to their season. They look to take this momentum into the game Tuesday night against McKeesport.
Chargers Fall to Tigers On The Road
On Tuesday, December 9, the Chargers took on the McKeesport Tigers at McKeesport. The Chargers came out to a slow start, but after the first quarter they were back to playing their game. At half time, the Chargers led the Tigers with a score of 23-20. McKeesport and OLSH exchanged baskets for most of the third quarter, until McKeesport pulled ahead by 3 at the conclusion of the third quarter. The Chargers continued to battle against the Tigers, but ultimately they did not convert on their shots. The Tigers came away with a victory, defeating the Chargers 37-32. OLSH looks to come back this Saturday as they travel to Laurel. JV game begins at 1:00PM, and Varsity follows at 2:30PM.
OLSH Advances Record Against Laurel
The OLSH girl's basketball team advanced their record to 3-1 as they defeated Laurel on Saturday. The Chargers came onto the court ready to avenge their previous lost to McKeesport. The Chargers jumped to a quick lead of 16-0 in the first quarter. The jump was a direct result of the intense defense that OLSH was playing. The Chargers played well as a team and kept up the defensive pressure for the remainder of the basketball game. The Chargers left the gym with a 65-32 victory. They now look to take the same defense displayed against Laurel into their Monday night section opener against Freedom. Jv will begin at 6:00PM, followed by the Varsity at 7:30PM.
Coach Eckerle Earns his 200th Win
The week of December 14-21 was a good one for the OLSH Chargers. The girl's defeated Freedom on Monday, and grabbed another win on Thursday at Northgate. The big news of the week goes to Coach Eckerle. Coach Eckerle earned his 200th win with OLSH at the Northgate game defeated the flames 83-6. He hopes to expand his record when he takes on section rivals Carlynton on Monday. Come watch the team as they play the Cougars at home. Wear purple, as it will be a purple out. Free movie tickets will be raffled off to students at half time of the Varsity game. JV starts at 6:00PM and Varsity follows at 7:30 PM.
OLSH Beats Section Rivals
On Monday, December 22, the OLSH Lady Chargers defeated their section rivals, the Carlynton Cougars, at home. The game was energetic from the very tip off! Fans for both teams flooded the gym cheering loudly for their school. The atmosphere was that of a playoff game. The game turned out to also be a game of playoff caliber. The Chargers played outstanding defense on the Cougars, allowing them only 26 points the entire game. This was a shock for Carlynton, who previously held the highest points per game average among AA girl's basketball. This win moved OLSH to first place in their section. The two teams will face off again on January 26.
Chargers Continue to Improve
The Chargers are having a good 2014-2015 season so far. They currently are in first place in their section, having only expereienced two losses the entire season. Both of those losses came from out of section, higher class teams McKeesport and McGuffey. The Chargers are looking to continue to improve each and everyday to increase their chance of becoming a top contender in the AA Playoffs. They still have many games ahead of them that will test their abilities. They play section rivals, Carlynton, again later this month, as well as a tough Burrell team in Febuary.
OLSh Prepares for Carlynton
The OLSH Chargers have been having a successful season thus far. With a current winning record of 14-2, the Chargers have another tough game tomorrow night. They will face their section rivals, Carlynton, at Carlynton. The Chargers are currently leading their section, and ranked third in WPIAL AA classification. Tomorrows game is sure to be intense, just as the first meeting was. In the last meeting, OLSH came out focused and played excellent defense against the Cougars. The Chargers will need to bring that same focus and determination as they face off for a second time. The games are set to start at 6:00pm(JV), and 7:30pm(Varsity). Make sure to come support your OLSH Chargers!
Chargers Prepare for Playoffs
The OLSH Lady Chargers are continuing to have a spectacular 2014-2015 season. The girls are currently 14-3 after losing a nailbiter to section rivals Carlynton the other night. They quickly jumped back after that loss defeating Avonworth at home. The Chargers are now looking to finish the section strong, and carry that into the playoffs with them. The team will finish up section play on Thursday, Febuary 5, on their senior night against Sto-Rox. The following Monday, they will play a tough, higher ranked, Burrell. Coaches and players alike are getting focused on what they are hoping could be another successful run in the playoffs
OLSH Advances to Next Round of Playoffs
On Tuesday night, OLSH took on Washington High in their playoff opener. OLSH jumped out of the gate quick with the first 8 points, but would finish the first quarter 12-11. The Chargers pulled it together in the second quarter and relied on their pressure defense to lead them to the end of the game. OLSH finished the game with a 65-34 win over the Prexies. The Chargers advanced to the quarter finals of the WPIAL playoffs where they will play Carlynton for the third time this season. The game will take place on Friday, time and location are yet to be determined.
OLSH Seniors Stand Out in All Star Games
Since the conclusion of the season, seniors Jackie Mathews and Heidi Langhorst have had the opportunity to continue playing. The senior were invited to play in a variety of all star games. Heidi played in the Roundball Classic, the Hershey Classic, and the Quigley Classic. Jackie joined Heidi at the Quigley Classic. During that particular game, both seniors stood out at various times. Jackie continued her outstanding shooting career as she won the three point contest during the event. Heidi was named MVP of the game finishing with 14 points and 18 rebounds.
Both seniors have left an impact on OLSH girl's basketball history and will be missed. Best of luck to both of the girls in their future endeavors.
2014-2015 Team Leaves Their Impact on OLSH
There is no question that the OLSH Chargers had an outstanding 2014-2015 season. The team captured the section championship, made it to the WPIAL playoffs, and continued play into the second round of the PIAA playoffs. This is the first time since 2008 that the Chargers have captured the section championship and continued into the second round of state playoffs.
The team had to make many adjustments throughout the year. The first adjustment came after only the second game of the season when Bri VanVolkenburg, the team's leading scorer, suffered a season ending injury. Instead of bowing down, seniors Jackie Mathews, Heidi Langhorst, and Taylor Harbaugh pulled their team together. The team fought on to a 11-1 section run, capturing the section championship. From there they went on to the WPIAL playoffs. They soared past Washington High in the first round to then play section rivals Carlynton in the second round. OLSH bowed out of the WPIAL playoffs with a tough loss to the Cougars.
Instead of calling it quits for the season, the team fought on. They went on to play Neshannok and GCC to fight for a PIAA playoff spot. OLSH won both games, but would lose their top defender, Bella Marra, to an injury.
The girl's then went on to play higher ranked Bishop McCort. The Chargers pulled out an underdog victory and brought the PIAA playoffs back to the Pittsburgh Area. In the second round they would play catholic rivals, Bishop Canevin. The girl's fought their hearts out but came up short, ending their season.
The season could not have been as successful without players stepping up and filling in positions. Sophomore Tara Richardson brought speed and vision to the court, while juniors Monica and Anna Lohman brought rebounding and aggressive defense. Junior Courtney Alexander stepped out of her shell and became a stand out on both ends of the court.
OLSH was successful because everyone stepped up when it was needed. The team, not individuals, is what took the Chargers farther than they have been in years. Congratulations to the 2014-2015 Chargers, they have left their mark on OLSH.
Langhorst and Alexander Receive Recognition
There is no question that both Heidi Langhorst and Courtney Alexander had an outstanding season. Both players stepped their games up from last season and continually inproved throughout the 2014-2015 season. They are being recognized by both the Post-Gazette and Beaver County Times. Both players were named to the All Section team by the Post-Gazette. They also were both named to the Beaver County Times Top 20 players. Heidi finishes her career at OLSH strong and will look to take that strong play to college. Courtney still has another season at OLSH and will bring the same determined play with her next year.
Congratulation to both Heidi Langhorst and Courtney Alexander. Both are very deserving of the awards.