H.S. Notebook: McConnellsburg star deadly at line
There is no such thing as a "perfect" free-throw shooter.
No matter how mechanic it becomes throughout your career, gravity sometimes simply takes its course.
But McConnellsburg's Bronwyne Mellott is as good of a free-throw shooter as you can get. The junior missed a shot from the charity stripe just 19 times this year - out of 190 attempts - shooting with 90 percent accuracy from the line.
Only twice this season has Mellott missed more than two free throws in a game, missing three in back-to-back games. Yet, she still shot 18-for-21 and 12-for-15, respectively, on the way to adding 74 points to the scoreboard between two games.
Thirty-one percent of Mellott's total 548 points this season has come from free throws.
Scoring avalanche: The Waynesboro girls basketball team finished its 7-14 season with three wins in its last four games, building hope for a team with no seniors.
In their next-to-last game, the Maidens went on a scoring binge in a 76-68 victory over Carlisle.
It was the highest scoring game for the Waynesboro girls since an 81-52 victory over Scotland School in the 1990-91 season.
During that season, the Maidens had three other games in which they scored at least 70 points and 13 other games in which they scored at least 60.
In the years between the '90-91 season and this year, Waynesboro reached the 70-point plateau only twice.
Close, but no cigar: There's been a lot of talk surrounding the success of Forbes Road's girls basketball team this season despite having just six players on the roster.
Forbes Road (9-12) would have an even better record if it weren't for a number of narrow defeats. But the girls aren't the only Cardinals who are knocking on the door of victory.
The Forbes Road boys team finished with 16 losses this season, and exactly half of them have come by 10 points or less. This week was especially tough for FR, which was defeated in overtime by Belleville Mennonite then taken down by Everett, 52-45, to close out the regular season.
But with only one senior on the roster, the near-misses may be a sign of good things to come for the Cards.
Race to the finish: With the District 5 basketball playoff brackets pending release on Sunday, the pressure is squarely on McConnellsburg's shoulders.
Heading into Thursday's games, the Spartans needed to win their last two games of the season to clinch the No. 1 seed in the District 5 Class A boys playoffs.
Despite Southern Fulton sweeping McConnellsburg this year, the Indians may fall to the No. 2 seed after a loss to James Buchanan on Wednesday. The Spartans defeated JB, 46-43, on Saturday, giving them extra points for beating a Class AAA team. McConnellsburg also has an edge over SF because of a pair of wins against Chestnut Ridge, a Class AA team. The Indians split with Ridge this season.
On the girls side, the Indians have all but wrapped up a home playoff game, as they were the No. 2 seed after last week's rankings were released. The top four teams host a first-round game.
McConnellsburg is fighting for that chance as the most recent No. 5 seed, and Forbes Road is simply fighting for its playoff life at No. 9 with the top eight advancing to postseason play.