H.S. Basketball Season Preview: Norwin Knights
Written by: Dan Flickinger
December 11, 2018
Tags: Gianni Rizzo Jayden Walker Logan Liebdzinski Owen Sabol Nick Fleming Ty Bilinsky Jess Kolesar Jayla Wehner Olivia Gribble Emily Brozeski Abby Best Cassie Cole Danielle Rosso Maura Polczynski Brian Brozeski Lynn Washowich
Norwin Knights Boys
Last Year's Record: 11-11 overall; 5-9 Section 3-6A (5th Place)
Head Coach: Lynn Washowich - 17th Season
2017-18 Season Review: Just after the turn of the new year things were looking pretty good for the Norwin Knights. In a stretch of six section games starting on January 3rd, Norwin defeated rival Penn-Trafford twice plus scored victories over Plum and Hempfield. But unfortunately things unraveled quickly for the Knights as they lost five of their next seven games and only managed one section victory the remainder of the season missing out on the WPIAL playoffs.
Key Losses: Josh Ratesic, Gage Luptak
Key Returners: Gianni Rizzo, Jayden Walker
Promising Newcomers: Logan Liebdzinski, Owen Sabol, Nick Fleming, Ty Bilinsky
Season outlook from coach Lynn Washowich: "Our season outlook will depend on our ability to defend as a team and to run our offense with constant movement. We are excited about our top 6 players and are trying to find our who our 7th and 8th men will be. We are young to a certain degree so we need continual improvement as the season progresses."
New Section: Two of the top three teams in Norwin's section last year dropped to Class 5A in Woodland Hills and Penn Hills. Only third place Fox Chapel has stayed in Section 3-6A. Plum also dropped to Class 5A.
Circle the Dates: Norwin will host Fox Chapel on January 8th, Penn-Trafford on January 15th, Hempfield on January 22nd and Latrobe on February 1st.
First Game: Norwin won its first two games of the season against Ringgold (49-48) and Southmoreland (66-39) in the Tom Traynor Tournament at Mt. Pleasant on December 7th and 8th.
Norwin Knights Girls
Last Year's Record: 12-10 overall; 8-2 Section 2-6A (1st Place)
Head Coach: Brian Brozeski - 8th Season (122-50)
2017-18 Season Review: With just three seniors on the roster, Norwin clamed its third straight section title finishing two games ahead of Latrobe and Hempfield which tied for second place. The Knights lost to Latrobe 60-45 in their first meeting of the season but turned around and beat the Wildcats 58-54 later in the year to help secure the section title. Norwin also won its WPIAL first round playoff match up against Pine-Richland 48-29 in which Emily Brozeski scored 16 points and Magen Polczynski (now playing at Westminster) added 15 points. The Knights season ended with a loss to Mt. Lebanon in the quarterfinals 53-40.
Key Losses: Magen Polczynski, Lucy Race, Mia Nicholes
Key Returners: Jess Kolesar, Jayla Wehner, Olivia Gribble
Promising Newcomers: Emily Brozeski, Abby Best, Cassie Cole, Danielle Rosso, Maura Polczynski
Season outlook from coach Brian Brozeski: "Expectations for this year are to compete with in the new section at a level that will hopefully give an extended season by making the playoffs. Some of our strengths are our team unity and variety. We have an ability to play multiple styles with a variety of players and hope to be able to keep fresh bodies on the court. Weakness could be our lack of size for rebounding."
New Section: The PIAA's expansion to six classifications continues to ruin local rivalries and for at least the next two seasons Norwin will be affected. The Knights are no longer in the same section as rivals Latrobe, Hempfield and Penn-Trafford. Instead, they will compete against new section foes North Allegheny, Seneca Valley, Pine-Richland, Fox Chapel, North Hills and Shaler in Section 1-6A. Fox Chapel is the lone school of that group that was in Norwin's section last season.
Circle the Dates: Norwin plays against new section foe and old playoff rival North Allegheny on January 4th on the road and January 29th at home. The Knights will play Penn-Trafford in a non-section game on January 9th and take on Hempfield in the WSN Shootout at Seton Hill on January 26th.
First Game: Norwin started the season with wins over Altoona (48-38) and Penn Hills (36-26) in the North Allegheny Tip-Off Tournament on December 7th and 8th.