Athletes of the Week: 11.9.12

November 9, 2012 12:30 am

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James Hathaway, Canon-McMillan

Last week: Hathaway got a shutout in the WPIAL Class AAA championship game as Canon-McMillan defeated Upper St. Clair, 1-0. The win gave the Big Macs the first WPIAL title in school history. Besides making some big saves in the game, Hathaway also stopped a crucial penalty kick.

Check this out: Hathaway, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound senior, was superb in the WPIAL playoffs, allowing only one goal in four games for a team that entered the postseason as the No. 13 seed. For the year, Hathaway gave up more than one goal only once. Canon-McMillan had 10 shutouts through the WPIAL playoffs. Hathaway, a starter since his sophomore year, also was a kicker on the Big Macs' football team the past two seasons.

Was the WPIAL championship your best game? That's hard to say. If it wasn't the best, it is probably tied for the best.

What goes through a goalkeeper's mind on a penalty kick? I know personally I try to look at the taker to see if he's giving away any hints. A lot of people like to guess. For me, I normally don't. I just try to react. On Saturday [against Upper St. Clair] I was fortunate to get a hand on the shot and then get on the rebound.

Are you guys a Cinderella team? I think if you look at the seedings, you could say that. But I wouldn't necessarily call us a Cinderella team. We only had four losses and they were all one-goal losses to Upper St. Clair and Peters Township. They were games that could have gone either way.

Parents just don't understand ...? How tired we are after a long day at school and then practice.

Teachers just don't understand ... ? Why our homework isn't completed to the best of our abilities the day after a game.

Abby Matusik, Mars

Last week: Matusik had a game-high 16 kills in helping the Mars girls volleyball team win its first WPIAL championship after a 3-0 triumph against top-seed and defending champion Hopewell in the Class AA final Saturday.

Check this out: Matusik, a senior outside hitter, is one of the top players in Class AA. A three-year starter, Matusik led the Planets in kills in each of their WPIAL playoff wins, all coming by 3-0 scores. The Planets, who beat Indiana in a PIAA first-round match Tuesday, play Meadville in Saturday's quarterfinals. Matusik has committed to California (Pa.).

What did the team do to celebrate the championship win? We all went to Quaker Steak and Lube for dinner.

Who can eat the most wings on the team? (Laughs) Definitely Jaden Zimmer.

Before the season, did you think you had a good shot of winning the WPIAL title? This actually surprised some of us. Some had a good feeling about it, but I was one of the ones who were a little skeptical. I knew we could do it, but knew it would be tough.

It's been a great fall for Mars athletics. I'm guessing the school spirit is pretty high, right? Yeah, it's crazy. We knew our [senior] class was really good at sports, but I don't think anybody thought we'd be this successful.

If you could meet any Steelers player, who would it be? Probably Ben Roethlisberger. He's one of the best players on the team and I think a lot of people don't give him enough respect.

Who would you most like to see in concert? Lady Gaga. Not because I like her music, but I know she's a good performer and would put on a really good show.

Favorite cartoon when you were young? Definitely SpongeBob SquarePants. It's a classic.


First Published November 9, 2012 12:00 am

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