Boys Basketball
3/8
Shaler Area defeated Greencastle-Antrim 73-58 in the first round of the PIAA 5A boys basketball playoffs. After a slow start, trailing 18-12 after a rough first quarter buzzer-beater, the Titans started knocking down shots and forcing Blue Devil turnovers. Keegan Smetanka scored for the Titans early and often, contributing 21 points in one of his best efforts all season. Brandon London and Kaden Orga each added 13 points, London with a double-double, but it was the fast pace and generally turnover-free play by Shaler Area that propelled the team to the last 16 remaining in the 5A classification of Pennsylvania. The Titans take on Mechanicsburg, the champions of District 3, 6 pm Tuesday night at Altoona high school.
Hockey
3/4
Hockey took down Avonworth in the quarterfinals of the Penguins Cup Playoffs, 6-2. The game started off in favor of the Antelopes as they jumped out to a 1-0 lead early in the 1st. The Titans would respond with three-unanswered goals from Matthew Stelitano, Darius Malecki, and Luca Wallander that put them up 3-1. In the third, Stelitano would tally three more goals of his own to put the Titans in the semifinals.
The Titans will go on to play Greensburg Salem for a spot in the Penguins Cup finals. This game will take place on March 13th at 8:45pm at RMU.
Girls Bowling
3/8
Girls Bowling was represented by Brooke Callahan in the Western PA Regional Girls Singles Championship. Callahan would need to place in the top 12 out of 69 bowlers. Callahan finished the day with a 5-game series score of 759 which landed her in 39th place. Although Callahan didn’t qualify for states, she has a promising future ahead of her as she is only a sophomore.
3/9
The Titans turned around the next day to compete in the Western PA Regional Girls Team Championship. On the day, Shaler Area finished with a score of 2346, which was 19th place. The Titans had strong performances from Brooke Callahan who had the 22nd best score (490 3-game series) and Tara Demircelik who had a game-high of 146 and a 63rd place finish.
We would like to wish congratulations to Girls Bowling on a successful season. From what started as only having two eligible bowlers, they turned their season around to competing for a spot in the State Championships. Great season Titans!
