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Thursday, December 14, 2000

Tanesha Capers

SCHOOL: Chartiers Valley

WHO IS SHE? A 5-foot-9 power forward for the Colts' girls' basketball team.

THIS PAST WEEK: Capers has led the Colts to a 3-0 record, including a big 41-40 victory at South Park in the team's WPIAL Class AAA Section 1 opener Monday night. Capers has scored 47 points and leads the team in rebounding.

CAREER: A three-year starter, Capers has scored 779 career points and has averaged more than 10 rebounds per game for her career. Last season, she was named to the all-section team after averaging 17.2 points and 12.3 rebounds per game.

EXCEPTIONAL ATHLETE: Despite her size, Capers is one of the best rebounders and post players in the WPIAL. She possesses tremendous leaping ability and exceptional quickness. Capers enjoys working out and is very strong and her coach, Judi Kosanovich, said she plays like someone who is three or four inches taller.

FAMILY TIES: Finding the roots of Capers' athletic ability is not difficult. Her mother, Robbin (Smith) Capers, is a former women's basketball player at the University of Kansas (1980-82) and played on two teams which won at least 25 games, and finished ranked in the top 10 nationally. One of her teammates was Hall of Famer Lynette Woodard. Capers' father, Wayne, is a former receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1983-84) and Indianapolis Colts (1985-86). Also, Capers' younger sister, Shea, is a sophomore reserve forward for the Colts.

TEAM PLAYER: Capers said the most important thing for her to accomplish this season is to help the team achieve its first winning season since 1985. Last season, the team finished 10-14 and this year, with more experience, the Colts figure to be a playoff contender. Chartiers Valley is off to a 3-2 start.

-- By Paul Zeise

JEFF MROZ

Jeff Mrzo

SCHOOL: Greensburg Central Catholic.

WHO IS HE? A 6-foot-5, 210-pound senior who has starred in basketball and football for the Centurions.

THE PAST WEEK: Mroz, a center, scored 27 points in a 61-38 victory against West Shamokin Tuesday. He had 20 points in a 74-52 win against Southmoreland on Friday and 17 in a 67-65 victory against Trinity on Thursday.

FAST START: Mroz is averaging 25.2 points and 14 rebounds a game, and is one of the main reasons Greensburg Central Catholic is off to a 6-0 start. Mroz has been a starter for the Centurions since his sophomore season.

"I think we've surprised a lot of people this year," Mroz said. "I think we have a strong team and we play pretty well together. Plus, we play a fun style. We like to run a lot."

THE OTHER SPORT: Mroz became Greensburg Central's starting quarterback late in his sophomore season. This year, he was one of the top quarterbacks in WPIAL Class A. He completed 116 of 216 passes for 1,716 yards and 15 touchdowns, and also ran 90 times for 386 yards.

BROTHERLY ADVICE: Mroz's brother, Dave, is a former Greensburg Central quarterback who plays football at Princeton. "I've always loved basketball ever since I was a little kid," Jeff Mroz said. "But my brother told me a few years ago that football would be my best way of getting into college. Ever since then, I've focused more of my attention on football. If you're from Western Pennsylvania, it just seems easier to make it in football. But I still love basketball."

THE COLLEGE SCENE: Mroz has Division I scholarship offers for football from Buffalo and Ball State and also an offer from Division I-AA Liberty University. Liberty is coached by former Shaler star QB Ken Karcher, who used to be an assistant at Pitt. Liberty assistant Frank Rocco, former head coach at Shaler, is recruiting Mroz.

But Mroz is holding out, hoping for a scholarship offer from Temple.

"Temple wants me to take a visit there. They're thinking about offering me a scholarship," said Mroz, who has a 4.0 grade-point average and 1,220 score on the SAT. "If they offer, that would be awesome because I'd like to go there."

-- By Mike White