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The Athletes of the Week - one boy and one girl - are chosen from teams in the WPIAL and City League by the Post-Gazette scholastic sports staff. Mark Franitti, Blackhawk - Amy Kunich, Oakland Catholic
Thursday, March 23, 2000
Mark Franitti
SCHOOL: Blackhawk.
WHO IS HE? A 6-foot-3, 185-pound senior guard-forward on Blackhawk's undefeated boys' basketball team.
THIS WEEK: Franitti scored 14 points in Blackhawk's 79-48 victory over Pine-Richland Tuesday in the PIAA Class AAA semifinals. Franitti made 5 of 9 shots and had two 3-pointers.
SEASON: Franitti is Blackhawk's third-leading scorer with an average of 12.5 points a game. He is shooting 48 percent (159 of 328) from the field for the 32-0 Cougars.
CAREER: Franitti is one of the few players in Blackhawk history to see regular playing time as a freshman. He has more than 1,000 career points.
A DIFFERENT POSITION: Through elementary school and ninth grade, Franitti was a point guard. He was the heir apparent to the position when Archie Miller graduated in 1997. But then Brandon Fuss-Cheatham moved into the district for the 1997-98 season, and Franitti was moved out of the point guard spot. He has been a swingman the past few years and even plays some power forward.
"I really wasn't that disappointed when Brandon came because he's a great player," Franitti said. "I knew he was the type of player who would get me the ball. Brandon and I get along real well. A lot of people think we don't because he came here, but we go out on weekends together sometimes. I was never mad at him."
AN EAR FULL: Blackhawk's John Miller is a demanding coach, and Franitti said he has had his "ups and downs" with Miller over the years. One of the "downs" came when Franitti got an earring last year.
"He told me [former Blackhawk star] Dante Calabria got an earring once and Coach had to have a talk with him," Franitti said. "He sat me down and talked with me. He got me to clean up my act a little."
Does Franitti still wear the earring?
"Yeah, but not around him. If I'm anywhere near the gym, I don't wear it. My mom doesn't like it, either."
BASKETBALL FAMILY: Franitti's brother, Nick, plays at La Roche College. He has a brother, Pat, who played on Blackhawk's junior varsity, and another brother, Matt, on the eighth-grade team. His sister, Krista, who is in the fourth grade, plays in a recreation league, and his father, Dave, played at Midland in the 1960s.
Mark hopes to play basketball beyond high school but is unsure of his college choice.
-- By Paul Zeise
Amy Kunich
SCHOOL: Oakland Catholic
WHO IS SHE? A 5-foot-6 junior starting point guard for the undefeated Oakland Catholic girls basketball team.
SEASON: Kunich is the Eagles' floor leader and the top defensive player. She is averaging 11 points, eight assists and four steals per game.
CAREER: Kunich has been a starter for the Eagles for three seasons and led the team in assists last year.
THIS WEEK: In PIAA playoff games vs. Seneca Valley and Mt. Lebanon, Kunich has been brilliant on defense. Against the Raiders, she shut down Seneca Valley's top scorer, Julie Ercole,. Against the Blue Devils, Kunich helped stifle the perimeter shooters, a big key to Oakland Catholic's victory. In two games, she had 19 points and 12 assists. The Eagles won both games and will play District 1 runner-up Cheltenham at 6 p.m. Friday in the PIAA Class AAAA championship game at Hershey.
"I enjoy defense because it is all about hustle and desire," Kunich said, "and it is often overlooked. I think a lot of times you read about players who score a lot of points, but playing defense is just as important. In fact, because of our style, defense is probably more important because it sets up our offense."
EARLY START: Kunich began showcasing her ball-handling skills as an 8 year-old at halftime of college and NBA games around the country. Among the players that Kunich worked out with and did shows together with is Blackhawk's Brandon Fuss-Cheatham, considered the top point guard in the Pennsylvania.
"I think being the point guard is a lot of responsibility," Kunich said, "but I enjoy the pressure. We have a lot of great offensive players so it is easy to pile up assists. I enjoy bringing the ball up the court and starting the offense."
SHE'S GOT MAIL: Despite being only a junior, Kunich has received interest from Division I colleges but said she is undecided about her future.
COACH'S COMMENT: "Amy will do for us whatever it takes for us to win," said Coach Suzie McConnell Serio. "She is our best defender and the first one to dive on the floor for loose balls or sacrifice scoring to help in other areas. Against Mt. Lebanon, she was the defensive player of the game."
-- By Paul Zeise
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