George Guido: Valley and Burrell basketball alumni to face off in Brian Shaw memory

Through:

Georges Guido

Saturday 27 November 2021 | 13:41

For over 50 years, Valley and Burrell fought on the basketball court.

This Friday, however, alumni of the two schools join forces for a good cause.

A mixed basketball game will be held Friday at 7 p.m. at the Valley High School gymnasium. Proceeds will be donated to the Brian Shaw Memorial Fund. Shaw was a Burrell graduate and New Kensington police officer who was killed in the line of duty on November 17, 2017.

The event is organized by Brice Flenory, 1998 graduate of the Valley.

“We want to have a sense of tradition and a sense of pride,” said Flenory. “We’re going to have both men and at least one woman on the floor, sometimes two. “

Admission will be $ 5 for adults and $ 3 for students. Tickets will be sold at the door.

“It’s for a good cause and both communities have shared Brian,” said Flenory, 43. “I am fortunate to have stayed in shape and will always be a Valley Viking.”

Some of the alumni who signed up include Lindsay Danko, Amy Kolar, Val Steuben, Ian Benson, Llewellen Johnson, Jeremy Nabors, Steve Ross and the duo of sisters Marissa and Ashley Smith.

Flenory, who played with the Pittsburgh Xplosion pro team for a while, thanks athletic directors Muzzy Colosimo of Valley and Drake D’Angelo of Burrell.

While at Valley, Flenory helped lead the Vikings to two WPIAL playoff appearances and averaged 25 points per game in his senior season.

The rules of basketball are changing

As the basketball preseason is in full swing, the biggest rule change on the high school scene will come next season.

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has adopted a 35-second stopwatch that will be in effect from the 2022-2023 season.

One facet of the rule is that each state may adopt the shot clock. The PIAA has yet to determine whether Keystone State will have a shooting timer next year.

This will be somewhat of an expense for schools that need to install a clock above the basket, have an alternate sounding horn to the regular game alarm, and hire another person to operate the shot clock.

In an effective change this season, headgear worn for religious reasons should not be made of abrasive or harsh materials and should fit snugly so that they are very unlikely to come off during play.

Other head decorations and headgear are prohibited unless required by a licensed physician and approved by the state association.

Officials have been advised to be careful not to allow timeouts when the ball is loose and not under the player’s control. In the past, a philosophy existed that officials would allow a time out to avoid rough play and prevent other players from jumping into a stack.

Now officials are told that while it is desirable to avoid brutal play, “this should not replace” the fact that a player must have control of the ball, despite coaches and the like shouting for a time. dead.