Jeannette, like Sewickley Academy, has been awe-inspiring in the 2025-26 boys basketball season.
The Jayhawks are 22-1 and riding a 20-game winning streak.
Sewickley is 24-1 with its only loss coming against Roselle Catholic from New Jersey. The Panthers were 21-0 before that game that was decided by a few unlucky breaks.
Sewickley and Jeannette were scheduled to meet Feb. 27 at 5 p.m. at Petersen Events Center in the WPIAL Class 2A championship round. The Jayhawks are defending champs.
“I’m not even thinking about other teams right now,” Sewickley coach Mike Iuzzolino said following the Panthers’ 56-30 win against No. 3 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the semifinals. “My focus is only on our team.”
Sewickley never trailed against the Chargers, jumping out to a 12-2 lead in the first quarter and holding a 28-15 halftime advantage.
Iuzzolino’s thoughts on his team’s performance immediately afterwards?
“It’s the same as it’s been all year,” he said. “We try to ‘out-team’ the other team. That’s been our motto all year. The guys are sharing the ball and making the extra pass.”
The Panthers take pride in employing an air-tight, laser-focused defense that gives up little to no space in the half-court due to great quickness and length. OLSH wasn’t able to make a single field goal in the first quarter, sinking only three of five free throws.
OLSH (20-5) managed just 15 points after the intermission break and the 30-point total virtually matched Sewickley’s defensive average for the season. The Panthers own the best defensive average in the WPIAL at 29.8 ppg, and they’ve accomplished it by pure hustle and determination.
“I think Sewickley played a great game,” OLSH coach Mike Rodriguez said. “We battled and tried to do our best against them; they rushed us on offense.
“They are very athletic, well coached, disciplined, and their kids are playing at a high level. I can’t say enough good thinks about them.
“Mike Iuzzolino has them playing really, really well. He’s doing a great job.”
After OLSH went 4-4 in its first eight games this season, the Chargers took a 16-game winning streak into the semifinal round that was quickly extinguished by Sewickley.
Jeannette defeated No. 5 Clairton, 44-29, in the semifinals to set up the highly anticipated matchup in Class 2A.
Both the Jayhawks and the Panthers were undefeated section titlists this year; both also rolled impressively through the district playoffs.
Sewickley ran past No. 18 Greensburg Central Catholic, 77-17, No. 10 Winchester Thurston, 61-33, and OLSH in the WPIAL tournament. Jeannette defeated No. 16 Brentwood, 70-49, No. 9 Eden Christian Academy, 52-36, and Clairton.
The Jayhawks average 65.3 ppg offensively and aren’t exactly slouches on defense, allowing just 39.2 ppg.
Sewickley’s starting lineup against OLSH consisted of 6-foot-8 sophomore forward Mamadou Kane, 6-8 junior forward Adam Ikamba, 6-5 senior guard/forward Lucas Grimsley, 6-foot sophomore guard Drew Steals and 5-8 senior guard Caiden Battles. The Panthers score close to 70 points per game, averaging 69.8 ppg.
“We’re proud of how far we’ve come, but we know the job’s not done yet,” Battles said. “This group has put in a lot of time and effort, and we’re excited for the opportunity to compete on a big stage.
“It means a lot to our team. We’ve worked for this since the summer, so getting the chance to play at the Pete for a WPIAL championship is special. But we’re focused on finishing the job and not just being satisfied with getting there.”
Kane, who with Grimsley are the team’s leading scorers, and Ikamba make a towering frontcourt presence for Sewickley.
Along with the Panthers’ strong rebounding abilities, they collectively possess an outstanding long-range shooting touch. The Sewickley backcourt accounted for nine triples against OLSH sparked by four from Steals.
Four players led a balanced attack against the Chargers with Steals and Ikamba connecting for 12 points, Grimsley with 11, followed by Kane with 10.
Sewickley also recorded six explosive slam dunks with Ikamba throwing down three crowd-pleasing jams.
Iuzzolino has substituted liberally in games this season and has received exceptional efforts from a strong bench that includes sophomore forwards Ja’mere Guyton and Rob Southall, senior forward Amere Spencer, sophomore guard Connor Tull and freshman guard Eric Cracium.
All five Jeannette starters from last year’s playoff run returned in 2025-26. The Jayhawks won the district title last season for the first time since Terrelle Pryor played in 2008.
Senior point guard Kymon’e Brown, a Robert Morris football recruit, scored a game-high 15 points against rival Clairton, including 10 of 12 free throws.
Jeannette held the Bears (18-4) to one field goal in the fourth quarter and limited Sewickley to 25 points in last year’s semifinal victory.
The Jayhawks made 14 of 20 free throws versus Clairton, including 10 of 14 in the fourth period when Brown was 6 for 6.
Junior guard Jayce Powell added 11 points in the win.
Along with Brown and Powell, the three other starters back from last season are frontcourt players Markus McGowan, a junior, and seniors Xavier Odorisio-Farrow and Noah Sunder
Jeannette’s bench includes juniors McAlister Steele, Noah Clary and Carter Mallich, sophomore Tsarr Detar and senior newcomer Zamyi Moore.
Note: The WPIAL Class 2A final at Petersen Events Center took place after this week’s Sewickley Herald was printed.