by Malik Vincent
Last year, Pittsburgh Schiller (6-8) moved past east side foe Sterrett in the semifinals to move on and win the city title.
Sterrett was determined to avenge that, this year.
“This was an important win for our guys because they’re who scratched us out of the playoffs last year,” Sterrett coach Orlando Bellisario said. “It was huge for the guys who were seventh graders last year and who are eighth graders now. It was a great way for them to end their middle school days and move on to the next level.”
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| 2012 BOYS CHAMPS—The Sterrett Cougars show off their trophy after winning the City League Middle School Championship with a 46-30 win over Schiller Jan. 26 at Allderdice.
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They were led by Ramon Creighton, who was one of those guys who saw the loss last year. He scored a game-high 22 points in their 46-30 victory over Schiller Jan 26.
“I can’t say enough about the game that Ramon had,” Bellisario added. “He really showed us how he can be a leader. It was a very impressive showing from him.”
Sterrett was led, defensively, by first-year eight grader Martaz Arrington who had 8 steals.
Also a first-year player, Rashawn Edmonds—who transferred to Sterrett after Pittsburgh Lincoln closed at the end of last school year—was a big presence on the boards with a team-high 9 rebounds.
“It was amazing how the first-year guys that we have stepped up in a huge way,” coach said.” “They have been one of the key components to the success of this season.
This was the first opportunity for the Sterrett student body to see their home team. Sterrett‘s principal Sarah Sumpter said that there’s “not enough seating capacity in their gymnasium.” So, students are not allowed to attend the games unless accompanied by a parent.
That was certainly not the case at Allderdice in the title match.
“We supplied transportation for all the students and teachers who were interested in attending,” Sumpter said. “There was tons of excitement from the kids when they found out that we were going to get them there. The participation from them ended up being great, we filled our entire side of the gym at Allderdice.”
When the win came, according to Sumpter, there was an overwhelming feeling of joy amongst the kids.
“It just added to the feeling when we knew they would win,” she said. “The kids made posters and flyers and wore stickers on their faces to support their team. It turned out to be a tremendous experience for our student body.”
(Malik Vincent can be reached via e-mail: mvincent@newpittsburghcourier.com and on Twitter @malikvincent.)
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