Jan 16, 2025
UP THE FLOOR — Weir High’s Jonathan Horstman brings the ball up the floor after getting a steal against Madonna Wednesday night inside the Dube Dome. – Andrew Grimm
WEIRTON — Anthony Santangelo finally got to see what his team can look like when it puts four quarters together.
His Red Riders did exactly that on Wednesday night, putting up a new season-high point total to pull away from city rival Madonna on the road Wednesday night, 85-50, inside a packed Dube Dome.
“That is more of what we think we can look like at our best,” Santangelo said. “We’ve had a tough schedule leading up to it. Our guys gave 110 percent effort for the whole game, that’s what we teach at Weir High. We’ve got to keep that mindset.”
The Red Riders (3-6) scored 23 and 25 in the first two quarters and more than 18 in all four, putting six players into double figures in the process. It is the first time they have scored more than 70 since the third game of the season, and came as a big bounce back from a tough loss to Linsly the night prior.
“We had a tough game last night and we weren’t going to back down,” Santangelo said. “We went really hard against them and brought it tonight against a rival on a quick turnaround. I’m really proud of these guys.”
After an uneven start, albeit against some stout competition, it’s a big confidence boost to put a complete game together.
“It’s huge for our confidence,” Santangelo said. “We’ve played Steubenville twice, Quaker Valley, Park, Linsly … this is great for us confidence-wise going into another big game against Harrison Central.”
Ryant Lyons knocked down three of the Red Riders’ eight triples and finished tied for a game-high with 17 points, Anthony Jefferson also netted 17, while Justin Kaczmarek tallied 15 off the bench with a pair of 3s, Syncere Stevenson also reached double digits off the bench with 10 and two 3s, Damir Mowder tallied 12 and Jonathan Horstman also netted 10.
For Madonna, the Red Riders’ pressure was just too much to handle. The Dons (2-6) were able to hang within striking distance through one, trailing 23-16, but the Red Riders opened a 48-24 lead at halftime and Madonna was not able to claw back into it.
“It kind of got away from us,” Madonna head coach Matt Arlia said. “We knew what Weir High wanted to do, we had watched them, we knew they were going to come out and try to pressure us, we just had a hard time with it. It wasn’t effort or anything like that, it’s on me and the coaches — we just didn’t have them ready for the pressure we were facing.
“It falls on us as coaches, we have to do a better job of having them prepared for the pressure.”
The Dons will look for revenge when the teams meet for the city championship trophy next month.
“We have another shot at them in the city championship towards the end of the season, but anytime you play Weir High you want to beat them,” Arlia said. “These guys all know each other, it’s a great atmosphere and a great game for the community. It’s a game you like to see in every sport because it makes an awesome environment.
“We’ll give it our best shot when we see them again.”
Madonna got 13 and a pair of treys from Koleton Grishkevich and 11 from Andre Crossland.
UP NEXT
Weir High: Is on the road at Harrison Central on Friday night.
Madonna: Travels to Morgantown Trinity on Friday night.
Weir High 85, Madonna 50
W 23-25-18-19 – 85
M 16-8-13-13 – 50
WEIR HIGH (3-6): Mowder 6 0-0 12; Glypyis 0 0-0 0; Jeffers 8 0-0 17; Horstman 5 0-0 10; Lyons 6 2-2 17; J. Kaczmarek 5 3-6 15; Stevenson 4 0-0 10; Douglas 0 0-0 0; McNeely 0 0-0 0; Haught 0 0-0 0; E. Kaczmarek 1 0-0 2; Grays 1 0-0 2. TOTALS: 36, 5-8; 85.
MADONNA (2-6): Grishkevich 4 3-4 13; DoBraska 1 1-2 3; Miller 4 2-2 11; Crossland 5 1-2 11; Wilharm 1 1-2 3; Carte 1 2-2 4; Gray 0 0-0 0; Dillon 0 0-0 0; Fuscardo 2 1-2 5; Wright 0 0-0 0; Cantabury 0 0-0 0; Snodgrass 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 18, 11-16; 50.
3-POINT GOALS: Weir High 8 (Lyons 3, J. Kaczmarek 2, Stevenson 2, Jeffers); Madonna 3 (Grishkevich 2, Miller).
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