Top dogs to meet in WPIAL 5A final
ADAMS TWP — It's No. 1 vs. No. 2.
It's two teams flush with WPIAL championship experience.
And it has the potential to be an epic clash.
The Mars and Moon boys basketball teams are no stranger to high-pressure games.
The Planets (23-1), the top-ranked team in the state in 5A, have played 23 playoff games in the last four years and will make their second-consecutive trip to the WPIAL 5A title game when they take on the Tigers at 9 p.m. Friday at Petersen Event Center.
Moon (23-1), the second-ranked team in the state, has played in just as many playoff games over the years and will be making its second appearance in the final in three years.
“That experience is definitely helpful,” said Mars boys basketball coach Rob Carmody. “But our opponent has been there as well. There's really no advantage for either side on it.”
It's still a championship game in a Division I college arena — an experience many players don't get.
Carmody said no matter how seasoned a team is, that kind of atmosphere causes pause.
“Even if you've been there, when that ball gets tipped at 9 p.m., all that goes out the window,” Carmody added. “Your kids are going to have that awe moment. I want them to have that awe moment. This is a special thing and something they'll remember 30 years from now. But after a few minutes ... you want them to realize the hoop is still 10 feet high. The foul line is still 15 feet away and get to just playing basketball.”
Neither team should worry too much about that.
Mars is led by senior guard Andrew Recchia, who is averaging 18 points per game.
Junior Michael Carmody has also put up eye-popping numbers. The 6-foot-6 forward is averaging 15.3 points and 16.4 rebounds per game.
Clairton transfer Khori Fusco, a senior guard, has infused the Planets with some explosiveness and outside shooting. He's averaging 15.5 points per game.
Brandon Caruso is averaging eight points per game, but the senior guard is regarded as one of the best defenders in the WPIAL.
Moon can counter with a standout quartet of its own, led by its own transfer.
Donovan Johnson, a 6-foot-6 junior forward who spent the last two years at OLSH and will make his third WPIAL final appearance in three years, scored 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a semifinal win over Penn Hills.
The Tigers also have senior standouts Jioni Smith, Connor Ryan and Austin Ryan.
As good as Moon has been on offense, its defense has been at time overlooked.
The Tigers are surrendering a WPIAL 5A low 46-3 points per game.
“They don't do it flashy,” Rob Carmody said. “They're just solid. They're always where they are supposed to be. It's going to be a real challenge for us.”
But Mars is used to challenges.
Last year the Planets beat Franklin Regional in the title game and advanced to the PIAA championship game, where they lost to Abington Heights.
“When you're playing for a championship, it's not supposed to be easy,” Carmody said. “People always say the playoffs are watered down now. I'm not sure about that. You have the No. 1- and No. 2-ranked team in state playing here in Pittsburgh for a championship. That's pretty special for this part of the state.”
