Rembember When: Monessen kisses win to Hershey

By Jeff Oliver

Monessen vs. Elk County Christian
PIAA Class A Western
Regional finals

With 2:14 to play in last night’s PIAA Class A western finals between Monessen and Elk County Christian at Ebensburg, an anxious Monessen fan tossed a single Hershey Kiss on to the court. 

At the time, Monessen led the contest 48-38. And while the Monessen players immediately went toward the stands and motioned for the fans not to throw anything on the floor, 2:14 later they were leaping for joy as they were showered by thousands of tasty treats that have come to signify one thing – Hershey-bound. 

The Greyhounds, overcoming the slow, deliberate style of play by the Crusaders, took a shaky one-point halftime lead and built on it slowly in the second half and came away with a 54-44 win. With the result, Monessen (23-5) won the right to play for the state championship in Hershey Friday at 4 p.m. against Bristol High (28-1), an 88-80 winner over Millersburg. 

The win also allowed the Greyhounds to successfully avenge a loss to Kennedy Christian in the west finals a year ago and to forget about the WPIAL defeat to Frew Mill this season. 

“This means we’re No. 1 now. We’re No. 1 in the west and we’re going to Hershey. It’s a helluva feeling,” said an excited Monessen coach Jo Jo Salvino. “After you win a game like this, you forget all about those other losses. 

“We wanted this game,” understated Salvino. “We went into the locker room at halftime and they said ‘16 more minutes and it’s ours’ And it was.” 

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