West Hills Girls Basketball Wins Tournament

by Jonathan Weaver

A group of West Hills Intermediate athletes won a local tournament earlier this month.

The 10-member girls team won the Lenape Elementary 6th Grade Girls Basketball Tournament March 11-12 at Armstrong Junior/Senior High School in Manor Township.

During the tournament the girls defeated teams of sixth graders from Lenape, Freeport, Kiski, and Redbank Valley.

Lenape Elementary hosted the tournament as a fundraiser, but it was the first year the event was held in Armstrong Junior/Senior High’s gymnasium rather than in Ford City High School.

Coach Andy Miller, one of four coaches, said West Hills Intermediate won the championship game versus Redbank Valley, 20-14, and that the girls also had a successful regular season.

“They were very excited,” Coach Miller said.

Miller said the team started practicing in October before a tip-off tournament in November also held at Armstrong Junior/Senior High. He added that West Hills Intermediate won a majority of their regular season games.

“What we tried to do was get the girls to learn the game, play hard and have fun,” Miller said.

Miller, a science teacher at Armstrong Junior/Senior High School, has coached elementary basketball the past five consecutive years due to involvement by his daughters Layne and Quinn. He also coached Quinn this past Fall and will coach one of his daughters next school year.

Miller’s fellow coaches included Matt Pawk - the district Coordinator of Special Education and Psychological Services -, Kirk Lorigan - the junior high principal as well as 8th grade and senior high girls` varsity basketball coach - and Rick Burns, Freeport Area Middle School Special Services Coordinator.

Athletes played two 20-minute halves with a running clock.

Locally, Miller said there were also fifth-grade teams from West Hills Intermediate and Lenape Elementary competing in the tournament.

The tournament earlier this month ended the basketball season.