Alle-Kiski high school notebook: Burrell's Bordonaro getting basketball looks
College recruiting is picking up considerably for Burrell basketball standout Sydney Bordonaro.
The point guard and reigning Valley News Dispatch Player of the Year has three Division I scholarship offers on the eve of her junior season.
Pepperdine, Cleveland State and St. Francis (Pa.) have offered the 5-foot-7 Bordonaro, who averaged 14.4 points and 5.0 assists last season for Burrell, which went 24-4 and reached the WPIAL Class AA semifinals for the first time since 1994.
Among several other pursuers includes Seton Hall, Charlotte, Toledo, Stetson, Bowling Green, Bucknell and Duquesne.
“Everyone wants to go big-time, to a major conference,” Bordonaro said. “The more I think about it, I want to go somewhere where I can play right away.”
Bordonaro said interest picked up during AAU season, like it does for many higher-level recruits.
“I am thinking about making a decision by next June or August,” she said. “Right now, my focus is on the high school season and winning a state championship.”
Bordonaro said she wants to become a sports broadcaster.
Rams gone wild
Highlands' “Big Bull” became a wildcat Friday.
Senior Allan Cratsenberg, whose nickname befits his 6-3, 225-pound build, provided the Golden Rams' offense an added dimension in a 24-19 win over New Castle in the first round of the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs. A tight end/linebacker who ran the ball four times for 12 yards and had five receptions during the regular season, Cratsenberg lined up as a wildcat or single-wing quarterback at times Friday and pounded away for 51 yards on seven carries. He also completed a pass to Elijah Jackson for 14 yards.
His highlight of the night was a 31-yard touchdown run through the heart of New Castle's defense.
“(Running back) Zach Mazur flattened the kid, No. 31 on their team, and then I trucked their No. 37, their safety, and got the touchdown,” said Cratsenberg, who scored twice during the regular season. “Our line did a very good job of pushing them right off the ball. We were catching the ball. Everything looked like we were in sync, and that's how we've been practicing.”
Highlands coach Sam Albert said the Crat-cat package — or maybe the “wild-Crat” — put in place since last season, seemed particularly useful once the coaching staff looked over its scouting report on New Castle.
“We watched West Allegheny and Moon pretty much do the same thing to them,” Albert said. “So we said, ‘Let's put it in one of our better player's hands,' and he stepped up.”
Apollo 13
Apollo-Ridge's football team will have its hands full with No. 1 Sto-Rox on Friday night in the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals, but three Apollo-Ridge players — Tre Tipton, Alex Smith and Dom Schrecengost — have been in this position before on the basketball court.
Last basketball season, Apollo-Ridge had to win a preliminary-round game to earn the No. 13 seed in Class AA, then pulled a pair of stunners to reach the semifinals. One was a 56-52 upset of No. 5 Sto-Rox in the first round; the other a 53-49 head-turner against No. 4 Jeannette.
Tipton agreed those wins proved anything is possible.
“Definitely did, but that's always been my motto,” Tipton said. “Nobody is perfect to a T. Everyone has flaws. You just have to find theirs before they find yours.”
Franklin, Gable return
Once Plum's all-time leading scorer in boys basketball, Bobby Franklin Jr. has joined the coaching staff at his alma mater.
Franklin will be an assistant this season under Mustangs coach Ron Richards.
Franklin finished with 1,364 points before playing at Clarion. Current Cornell sophomore Nolan Cressler broke Franklin's scoring mark two years ago.
Franklin's father, Robert, will continue to help coach at Plum.
Another more recent Plum grad, Jordan Gable, is coaching with the Mustangs' hockey team. He was a standout defenseman for the past few seasons.
