By Michael Boytim mboytim@altoonamirror.com HOLLIDAYSBURG — Williamsburg coach Amy Hileman said her team was using the Blair Regional YMCA Summer Basketball League to challenge itself against higher-level high school basketball and alumni-team competition. But in Thursday’s high ...
By Michael Boytim mboytim@altoonamirror.com HOLLIDAYSBURG — The Blair Regional YMCA summer league can be an opportunity for young players to get their first looks against varsity action, but the last couple months have given the opportunity to Williamsburg’s Megan Palmer to get reacquainted with it. Palmer tore her ACL in the final game of her sophomore year at Williamsburg in a District 6 Class 1A semifinal game at Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic and did not play for the Lady Pirates last season. She’s back on the court with Williamsburg this summer prior to her senior year and ...
By Matt Michelone sports@altoonamirror.com It’s not often that the Williamsburg girls’ basketball program ever gets to go up against Blair County’s big-cat schools. After beating Hollidaysburg in the Building II Summer League semifinal last week, it cashed in on its chance to beat Altoona, which it did, 35-25, Monday night in the league championship. “(It’s) very nice to beat two tough teams,” Williamsburg coach Amy Hileman said. “They always dominate normally The Building II. Very nice to see my kids come together from where we started to where we ...
By Michael Boytim mboytim@altoonamirror.com HOLLIDAYSBURG — As summer basketball leagues across the area begin to wrap up and focus shifts to the 2023-2024 high school season, some coaches weighed in on the upcoming rule changes after the Blair Regional YMCA boys basketball semifinals. The PIAA adopted the National Federation of High Schools’ rule change that all common fouls after a team has reached the bonus will mean two free throw attempts, regardless of the result of the first attempt at its July 12 meeting. Teams will reach the bonus once they commit five fouls in a ...
By John Hartsock jhartsock@altoonamirror.com The Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic underclassmen won the championship game in the Building II High School Boys Basketball League by beating Altoona, 55-39 Thursday night, but Robbie Okonak — who served as the Marauders’ head coach in the league — was looking at the bigger picture. “It feels great to win, and it’s great for the kids, but it’s summer, and we’re looking for consistent improvement from the kids,’’ said Okonak, who is a member of newly-hired BG varsity coach Ryan Lestochi’s staff. “I think they’ve shown ...
By John Hartsock jhartsock@altoonamirror.com HOLLIDAYSBURG — High school basketball teams often make the largest strides toward their winter sports seasons because of the work they put in during the offseason. For that reason, summer league competition is a lot more important than a run-of-the-mill pickup basketball game. Both the Johnstown and Hollidaysburg boys basketball teams benefited greatly from their participation in the Blair Regional YMCA High School Boys Basketball League this summer, which wrapped up Wednesday night with Johnstown’s 66-52 victory over the Golden ...
