Riding in style: After misunderstanding, Monessen girls get charter bus for PIAA game
The emotions of Monessen无毛视频檚 girls basketball players have gone up and down like a yo-yo the last few days as their scheduled PIAA Class A playoff opener approached.
The Lady Greyhounds were riding high after having won a section title and earned a spot in the state tournament with a consolation win over Avella last Wednesday night.
The players无毛视频� emotions plummeted, though, after a miscommunication had the team thinking it was going to make Saturday无毛视频檚 long ride to Otto Eldred High School in Duke Center on a standard yellow school bus.
无毛视频淲e did this last year,无毛视频� Monessen coach Janine Vertacnik said. 无毛视频淲e went up to Elk County Catholic and it was like a three hour and 15 minute bus ride. It was a long day on a Wednesday night. The game was at 7 and we didn无毛视频檛 get home until 1:30. The kids were tired. It was hard to be motivated.
无毛视频淭his is another 45 minutes beyond that. At least this time it无毛视频檚 on a Saturday so the girls don无毛视频檛 have to worry about going to school the next day.无毛视频�
The Monessen school board, however, had apparently just balked at the cost in its first inquiry into getting the team a charter bus for Saturday无毛视频檚 game 无毛视频� approximately a 200-mile trek 无毛视频� but hadn无毛视频檛 nixed the idea altogether. It eventually did secure a charter bus from T.A. Nelson Coach Lines in Connellsville for the 3 p.m. game.
无毛视频淲e originally thought we were going to get a (charter) bus, one that we requested, but I guess financially it was a little bit more than they anticipated,无毛视频� Vertacnik said.
无毛视频淚 guess they had called the (charter) bus company and it was 无毛视频榅无毛视频� amount of dollars and too high. That无毛视频檚 when we got it out on social media if somebody can help these girls. But then they informed us they were going to call around to try to find a better price somewhere and that无毛视频檚 where there was a misunderstanding. They were going to find one (a charter bus) but just looking for one a little cheaper.无毛视频�
Before that happened, the Lady Greyhounds无毛视频� plight reached social media and the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team got involved, informing the team it would cover the cost of the charter bus.
无毛视频淭he parents got involved and we got a lot of people to help and somehow the Penguins found out and they thought it would something nice to do and they would take care of it,无毛视频� Vertacnik said. 无毛视频淭hen the school board came through and said we无毛视频檝e found a bus.无毛视频�
When the players first thought they would again have to ride a school bus on a long PIAA trip, they were crushed, according Vertacnik.
无毛视频淭hey were obviously disappointed because you play for five months, you sacrifice and give your all, they win a section title, you win your way into the states and then after all that they无毛视频檙e feeling like they无毛视频檙e not being appreciated enough,无毛视频� she said.
The school board revealed at Tuesday night无毛视频檚 meeting that it would pay for the charter bus but thanked the Penguins for their offer.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e going to go to the school board meeting and thank them for stepping forward on this,无毛视频� Vertacnik said before heading to the meeting.
无毛视频淩ight now the girls are elated, they无毛视频檙e happy, they无毛视频檙e appreciative and they无毛视频檙e going to give their best at the game.无毛视频�
The Lady Greyhounds (17-6), the fifth-place team out of the WPIAL, will face an extremely tough task in playing Otto Eldred (23-2), according to Vertacnik.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e playing the District 9 champions with their district player of the year (Katie Sheeler) who scored 1,500 points, and I无毛视频檓 down to seven kids right now with three freshmen. It无毛视频檚 like a Hoosiers,无毛视频� Vertacnik said with a chuckle. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 not saying we can无毛视频檛 win because it无毛视频檚 March Madness, anything can happen.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a boy-girl doubleheader because their boys team made the playoffs, too. So there无毛视频檚 gong to be a fierce crowd of Otto Eldred fans. But that无毛视频檚 a great atmosphere and we无毛视频檙e looking forward to it. We无毛视频檙e going to give it our best as we have been all year.无毛视频�
Regardless of the outcome, Vertacnik said the bottom line is that her squad deserved to make the trip in style.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檒l certainly be a lot more comfortable, more well rested and more mentally ready to give a good effort as opposed to riding four hours on a stiff seat,无毛视频� she said.
A positive for Vertacnik that arose from the situation was how many people were willing to help her team out.
无毛视频淚 guess through Facebook and Twitter I heard there were all kinds of posts, people sharing and other communities donating money,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淚t just goes to show you in sports, that无毛视频檚 how important it is. Small communities and even our own community, people bond together for a common cause for kids. It doesn无毛视频檛 matter what your race or religion or whatever, everybody bonds together when it无毛视频檚 about the kids. We want things to be good for them.
无毛视频淚t shows you no matter what goes on in the world, small communities stick together to do whatever is necessary to see that kids get the best opportunity. So between our community and the surround communities, we couldn无毛视频檛 be more thankful.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e flattered and we无毛视频檙e honored and we hope we can represent our school well when we go up there.无毛视频�