CURWENSVILLE — A quartet of Curwensville Area High School senior basketball standouts have been named to 2006-07 all-star teams selected by Moshannon Valley League and Allegheny Mountain League coaches.
Rewarded with post-season recognition for their efforts were Dani Struble and Jackie White, the record-setting duo that led the Lady Tide to the best season in school history, and Philip Michaels and Craig Bartlett, who keyed the Golden Tide\’s winning record.
Struble and White, both two-time MVL and AML all-stars, are four-year letterwinners who ended their careers third and fourth, respectively, on the school\’s all-time scoring list. They were on teams that won two MVL championships (2004 and 2007) and tied for another (2006) and also won two AML South Division titles.
Struble set school records with 547 points and consecutive free throws with 28 over five games. The 5-6 guard hit 159 of 368 two-point attempts, 26 of 73 three-point shots and 151 of 197 free throws (77 percent) to wipe out the single-season record of 438 points set by Debbie Spackman in 1984-85. Struble finished her career with 893 points.
District 9\’s No. 1 scorer, who averaged 18.9 points a game, also registered 160 rebounds, 57 assists and a team-high 103 recoveries.
White provided the inside presence for the Lady Tide, scoring 330 points and pulling down a school-record 259 rebounds. She hit 110 of 265 two-pointers and was 95-for-144 (66 percent) at the foul line. The 5-10 forward was counted as a ballhandler, too, and led the team in assists with 93.
White, whose 11.8 average was No. 29 in District 9 though her point total was No. 18, closed her career with 819 points, 651 rebounds and 237 assists. She broke her own season rebounding record to take the career record away from 1996 graduate Beth Vokes. White also owns the career record for assists.
Spurred by the all-around play of Struble and White, who accounted for more than 62 percent of the team\’s offense, coach Vic Gearhart\’s Lady Tide won the MVL championship with an 8-0 record and the AML South Division title with an 8-2 record. For the second year in a row, Curwensville and DuBois Central Catholic tied for first place in the AML South, with the Lady Tide claiming the title because of a better overall record.
Curwensville lost to Elk County Catholic in the AML championship game but later defeated Moniteau and Redbank Valley to become the second Lady Tide team to play for a District 9 crown and the first to qualify for the PIAA Playoffs. Curwensville lost 42-33 to Karns City in the District 9 Class AA finale and 69-38 to Greensburg Central Catholic in the state tournament to finish 21-8, a school record for wins.
Moshannon Valley League All-Stars
First Team – Seniors Dani Struble and Jackie White, Curwensville; junior Kari Larson, West Branch; senior Amy Tomasko, Moshannon Valley; freshman Alyson Leyo, Harmony.
Honorable Mention – Junior Jordan Cook, Moshannon Valley; sophomores Megan Brink and Kierstyn Kruise, Harmony.
Moshannon Valley League Standings
Curwensville 8-0, West Branch 5-3, Harmony 4-4, Moshannon Valley 3-5, Glendale 0-8.
Allegheny Mountain League All-Stars
Seniors Dani Struble and Jackie White, Curwensville; senior Marissa Ferraraccio, DuBois Central Catholic; seniors Laken Lenox, Andie Beveridge and Emily Radkowski, Elk County Catholic, senior Kae Thorwart and sophomore Abby Grumley, Johnsonburg, sophomore Bree Bergman, Kane; sophomore Amanda Craker, Sheffield.
Allegheny Mountain League Standings
South Division – Curwensville 8-2, DuBois Central Catholic 8-2, Brockway 1-9, Ridgway 1-9.
North Division standings – Elk County Catholic 9-0, Johnsonburg 4-5, Kane 4-5, Sheffield 3-6.
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Michaels was selected for both the Moshannon Valley League and Allegheny Mountain League teams, while Bartlett was an MVL honorable mention pick.
A 6-1 guard who could shoot from outside and also drive to the basket, Michaels scored 344 points for a 14.3 average that ranked No. 14 in District 9. He also excelled in rebounding and dishing out assists.
Bartlett, a 5-9 forward who was a threat from three-point range and along the baseline, tallied 257 points for a 10.7 average.
They fronted a balanced offense that made coach Matt Wassil\’s Golden Tide second-best behind PIAA Class A runner-up DuBois Central Catholic in the AML South Division and District 6 runner-up Harmony in the MVL.
Curwensville lost 41-36 to Cameron County in the first round of the District 9 Class A Playoffs to finish 14-10.
Moshannon Valley League All-Stars
First Team – Senior Philip Michaels, Curwensville; junior Chris Dotts, West Branch; sophomore Tom Rowley, Moshannon Valley; junior Sam Yingling, Glendale; senior Chris Priester Harmony.
Honorable Mention – Senior Craig Bartlett, Curwensville; sophomore Tyler Ferguson, West Branch; sophomore Tyler Neff, Moshannon Valley; sophomore Jeremy Priester, Harmony.
Moshannon Valley League Standings
Harmony 8-0, Curwensville 6-2, Moshannon Valley 3-5, West Branch 2-6, Glendale 1-7.
Allegheny Mountain League All-Stars
Senior Philip Michaels, Curwensville; seniors Cody Wilson and Chris Wulderk and junior Christian Spilman, DuBois Central Catholic; seniors Jesse Bosnik, Josh Salter and Brad Meholic, Elk County Catholic; senior Calvin Grumley, Johnsonburg; juniors John Bizzak and Mike Punk, Kane; senior Dan Lindgren, Ridgway.
Allegheny Mountain League Standings
South Division – DuBois Central Catholic 10-0, Curwensville 6-4, Ridgway 4-6, Brockway 1-8.
North Division – Elk County Catholic 9-1, Johnsonburg 6-4, Kane 3-6, Sheffield 0-10.