FOX CHAPEL TENNIS TEAM

	Pam Panchak, Post-Gazette Fox Chapel tennis team: Sarah Dieffenbach and Raechel Calderone, top row; Sarah Short and Elyse Steiner, second row from top; Amanda Campbell and Meghan Damico, second row from bottom; and Vanessa Steiner. Click photo for larger image.

WHO ARE THEY? The Foxes won WPIAL and PIAA Class AAA tennis championships.

The Magnificent Seven are: sophomore Vanessa Steiner (No. 1 singles), senior Amanda Campbell (No. 2 singles), senior Meghan Damico (No. 3 singles), junior Elyse Steiner and freshman Sarah Short (No. 1 doubles) and sophomore Sarah Dieffenbach and junior Raechel Calderone (No. 2 doubles).

LAST WEEK: Fox Chapel won the PIAA title at Blair Racquet Club in Altoona. The Foxes beat Lower Merion, 4-1, in the title match, and defeated Hempfield of District 3, Upper Dublin and Allderdice in the preliminary rounds.

TOTAL DOMINANCE: Fox Chapel finished 19-0. The Foxes won 17 matches, 5-0, and two, 4-1.

"When I looked at the talent we had this year, I expected us to dominate," said Fox Chapel coach Emma Dieffenbach, Sarah's mother.

ONE OF THE BEST? Considering the Foxes' dominance, it might not be an overstatement to call them one of the best teams in recent WPIAL history.

"I would say we have to be one of the best teams ever," Emma Dieffenbach said. "To win 5-0 or 4-1 all the way through the PIAA finals speaks for itself.

"Our caliber of team could beat some college teams, even at the Division I level. Our team is very comparable to a college-level team. That talent that was in that finals match [of the PIAA tournament] was unbelievable. I believe that was the best talent the PIAA will ever see."

THEY RANK: According to Emma Dieffenbach, Elyse Steiner is ranked No. 37 in the nation for 18-year-olds and Campbell 193. Vanessa Steiner is No. 108 for 16-year-olds.

DOUBLE THE FUN: Both Fox Chapel doubles teams will compete in the PIAA doubles tournament this weekend in Hershey.

THE FUTURE: Only the No. 2 and 3 singles players (Campbell and Damico) are seniors. That means Fox Chapel should be strong again next year.

"The thing about our girls is they act like professionals on and off the court," Emma Dieffenbach said. "We did a community service project this year where we gave a free clinic to students at a group home for disadvantaged and emotionally challenged residents. I would hope more varsity sports teams would follow our lead."

-- By Mike White

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DANA BROWN

SCHOOL: Clairton.

Dana Brown Click photo for larger image.

WHO IS HE? A running back/strong safety for the Bears (9-1), who are No. 1 in the Post-Gazette's WPIAL Class A rankings and will be playing Western Beaver (8-2) in the quarterfinals tomorrow.

LAST WEEK: Brown carried the ball only six times Friday, but gained 214 yards and scored four touchdowns in a 50-7 first-round thumping of California. He scored on runs of 52, 50, 10 and 55 yards.

CAREER: A 5-foot-11, 190-pound senior, Brown has gained 1,695 yards on 153 carries (11.1 yards per carry) and scored 28 touchdowns this season. He also has four receptions for 133 yards.

Brown, a starter on offense and defense the past two seasons, had 844 yards rushing and seven touchdowns in 2003. He missed most of his sophomore season with an Achilles' tendon injury.

FAST COMPANY: Brown began his scholastic football career across the Monongahela River, at South Allegheny. He started at wingback as a freshman, and one of his backfield mates was a fellow freshman named Shane Brooks.

At that time, Brown and Brooks were students at Wilson Academy, a technical school that had a cooperative agreement allowing its students to play sports at South Allegheny.

That agreement dissolved, and Brown transferred to Clairton and Brooks to Duquesne before they were sophomores.

FLEET FEET: Known primarily as a power back last year, Brown added 25 pounds in the offseason through a rigorous training program. Yet he is more than a physical runner.

"I think I'm a better all-around player," Brown said.

Bears coach Tom Nola pointed out that Brown incorporated agility drills into his workout regimen.

"Dana still has a lot of power," Nola said, "but he has picked up speed and improved his moves. His footwork is much better this year."

FUTURE: Brown has the grades and test scores to be eligible to play as a college freshman next fall. He has received scholarship offers from two Division I-A schools, Ohio and Kent State, and from Maine, a I-AA program.

Nola said that Brown has been attracting interest recently from other teams, including Division I-A Kentucky and Cincinnati.

-- By Rick Shrum