SCHOOL: Elizabeth Forward

WHO IS HE? A 6-foot-9, 240-pound junior on the Warriors' basketball team who is receiving attention from Division I colleges.

THE PAST WEEK: Swiech had 31 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocked shots in a 79-63 victory against Uniontown Tuesday. He had 32 points in a 71-54 victory against Mount Pleasant Saturday.

SEASON: Swiech (pronounced Swick) is averaging 27.8 points a game and has scored more than 30 points four times.

SLIMMER AND BETTER: Swiech is 25 pounds lighter than he was a year ago, when he averaged 22 points as a sophomore. "I ran a lot in the offseason and I just stayed closer to the game, playing AAU," Swiech said. "What happened was I just enjoyed the running and going to a gym to work out. Plus, I ate a little less junk food. I think when I lost the weight I became better. I was able to be more mobile."

A "BIG" MASCOT: You could call Swiech a warrior. After all, he was the school's "warrior" mascot for football games. You can bet there aren't many other 6-9 mascots around the WPIAL. He wore a head-dress and painted his face for games. "I'm pretty good friends with a lot of the football players," Swiech said. "We went to eat one day, and they said, 'Big Steve, we have a question for you.' "I said, 'What, you want me to play football?' Then, they told me they wanted me to be the mascot. So, it just went from there."

COLLEGE ATTENTION: Pitt is showing interest for Swiech, and he has attended a few of the Panthers' games as a guest of the coaches. He also made an unofficial visit to West Virginia and attended a film session with the players. He likes Pitt a great deal. "I went to camp there in seventh grade and always wished Pitt would take an interest in me," Swiech said.

'PLANE' AND SIMPLE: Swiech is a well-spoken 17-year-old with a 3.5 grade-point average. He is a history buff who is particularly interested in World War II. He also says he is "into aviation" and collects models of airplanes. "One of my favorite things to do is to drive up to Pittsburgh International Airport and just watch the planes land and take off," Swiech said. "I know that doesn't sound like much fun, but that's really interesting to me." Swiech would like to be an air-traffic controller someday.

-- By Mike White

SCHOOL: Southmoreland.

WHO IS SHE?: A 5-foot-6 point guard and one of the top scorers in WPIAL girls' basketball.

THE PAST WEEK: Abel had 28 points Monday in a 53-27 victory at Jeannette and 28 Thursday in a 76-54 rout of Clairton.

SEASON: A junior, Abel is averaging 28.2 points per game with a low of 25. She is the linchpin for the surging Scotties (6-0), who will open Section 3-AAA play tonight at home against Laurel Highlands.

CAREER: Abel, a Scottdale resident, has started since the opening game of her freshman year and has scored in double figures in 54 of 56 games. She topped 1,000 career points Dec. 6 in a 63-40 win against South Allegheny and has 1,062. Abel should shatter the school record of 1,266 established by Brandi Brown, class of 2000, and is on pace to reach 2,000.

FEELING STRONG NOW: Speed and athleticism are primary among Abel's attributes. She is a quality shooter from just about anywhere, but, until this season, strength wasn't a strength. "Vanessa dedicated herself to an intense weight-lifting program," Scotties coach Brian Pritts said. "She has gotten a lot stronger, which helps her with fadeaway shots when she's in tight against bigger girls. She concentrated in the offseason on what she perceived to be weaknesses." Abel, who grew about 2 inches in the past year, said, "I had to get stronger and work on my 3-point shot. I also went to a speed trainer to move my feet better on defense."

OTHER SPORT: Basketball isn't the only sport in which Abel gets her kicks. She is an all-section striker for the girls' soccer team at Southmoreland.

SUCCESS IS RELATIVE: Abel's father, Nate, was a star running back at Connellsville (1980-81) and an uncle, Rich Abel, was a top athlete at Southmoreland in the 1960s.

FUTURE: College basketball programs are beginning to court Abel, some from the Division I level. She is thrilled to have received letters from one team: Connecticut. "I've wanted to go there since seventh grade." Playing at a major college "is a goal," Abel said. "My dream is to go pro."

-- By Rick Shrum