Latrobe might have cornered the market on rest and recovery with the help of physical education teacher Tim Evans.
The Wildcats girls team has numerous options when it comes to healing and recharging after practices and games.
Even on off days, players can be seen using vibration, compression and shock-wave therapy, along with the use of infrared sauna and red-light treatment as well as percussive gun therapy.
Technology has come a long way in the refresher game.
“The girls like it,” said coach Mackenzie Livingston, who also teaches gym at Latrobe. “It is helping them recover and get their bodies feeling good. They are just starting to get used to it.”
Evans introduced the cutting-edge methods to the team. He has a student-athlete training program through Innovative Performance training, which has a fitness center in Youngwood.
There is even a tanning bed-like chamber — Da Vinci Medical’s HyperT Pro-Plus Whole-Body Wellness Pod — that players can lie down in, as well as full leg compression air-wraps that promote circulation and reduce pain.
“We’re the first (team) to use it,” Livingston said. “More teams will probably use it, too.”
Norwin is No. 1
With Norwin winning its first six games and preseason No. 1 Canon-McMillan falling to North Hills, Norwin is the new No. 1-ranked team in the Trib HSSN Class 6A top five.
The Knights (7-0) are looking the part, too. They defeated No. 3 Upper St. Clair, 65-51, on Monday. USC beat Norwin in last year’s WPIAL championship game.
Two other Westmoreland teams are also ranked. Burrell (8-1) stayed at No. 5 in 4A, and Greensburg Central Catholic (6-2) held steady at No. 2 in 3A.
Road trip
Greensburg Central Catholic went 1-1 at the Tampa Bay Invitational (Fla.), capping the two-game trip with a 72-40 win over Charlotte (Fla.).
Jayla Peterson scored a season-high 25 points, and Erica Gribble added 24.
The Centurions opened with a 72-48 loss to Lake Highland Prep, a Class 4A powerhouse from Orlando. Gribble had 12, and Avery Jones 11 in the setback for GCC.
The big game on GCC’s schedule coming out of the holidays is Jan. 8 when the Centurions host rival Shady Side Academy. GCC rallied to beat the Bulldogs in last year’s WPIAL Class 3A championship game after Shady Side won both section matchups.
P-T playing fast
New Penn-Trafford coach Chuck Fontana wanted his team to play fast from the tip, and the Warriors (5-3) are responding.
They have scored 60 or more points three times and are playing high-energy defense to complement a guard-oriented lineup.
Fontana hopes the team can continue to sharpen its halfcourt man-to-man defense to create turnovers and kick up transition offense.
“The girls have been dedicated since I took over in May,” Fontana said. “They’re a great group of kids. We have to start fast, or we’re going to be in some long games.
“We have to play smart. We’re going to have some turnovers with how we play. We have to clean some things up there.”
More tournaments
Holiday tournaments return the day after Christmas with games set for Friday and Saturday.
The Latrobe girls will host a tournament on both days. On Friday, Hempfield plays Southmoreland at 7:30 p.m.
Oddly, Latrobe won’t play Friday but has two games Saturday: against Hempfield at 5:30 p.m. and Southmoreland at 7:30 p.m. The reason is because Indiana made a late decision to not play in the tournament, leaving only three varsity teams.
There are junior high and junior varsity games both days beginning at 3 p.m.
There are two local games Sunday at the Cal (Pa.) Holiday Classic: Canon-McMillan vs. Franklin Regional at 2:30 p.m., and Belle Vernon vs. Bethel Park at 5:30 p.m.
On Monday, the Mt. Pleasant Tournament features Connellsville vs. Greensburg Salem at 4:30 p.m. followed by West Mifflin vs. Mt. Pleasant at 6 p.m.
Greensburg Central Catholic, ranked No. 2 in 3A, plays Class 4A No. 3 North Catholic in a notable matchup at the North Catholic Tournament, with tip at 1:30 p.m. Monday.
Class 6A No. 1 Norwin faces Peters Township at 4:30 p.m. in the Peters Township Tournament, and Monessen plays the host team in the Burgettstown Tournament.
Franklin Regional and Belle Vernon resume the Cal (Pa.) tournament Monday. Franklin Regional plays Upper St. Clair at 2:30 p.m. Belle Vernon and Allderdice meet at 5:30 p.m.
Jeannette plays California at the Mapletown Tournament at 5:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, Norwin plays Trinity at 3 p.m., and GCC takes on Seton LaSalle at 3 p.m.
Johnson closer to milestone
Monessen senior Madison Johnson is on pace to reach a career scoring milestone. Johnson has 905 points, so she needs 95 to reach 1,000 for her career.
Stat of the week
Greensburg Central Catholic is 4-0 so far in Section 2-3A. The Centurions’ average winning margin is 49.3 points.
Stat of the week II
Latrobe has scored as many points as it has allowed: 285.