Promises to late coach, younger teammate bring senior basketball stars back to volleyball
Greg Guidinger and Joe Sedora wrapped up very successful senior basketball seasons and could have eased into graduation.
But they had promises to keep.
So now they are spending the final months of their high school careers playing volleyball, Guidinger for Central York and Sedora for Red Lion. They were at Northeastern High School on Saturday, taking part in the 40-team Bobcat Invitational.
Like basketball, Central York is among the top teams in the state, and Red Lion is working hard to make some noise. Unlike basketball, Guidinger and Sedora are role players in volleyball instead of being the go-to guy.
Both say it's a refreshing break after the long basketball season.
Guidinger said the two weeks since Central York won the PIAA Class 6A basketball title have been surreal, but he is looking for another long run with the Panthers' volleyball team.
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Central York's Guidinger keeps promise to a late coach
"Todd [Goodling] took a chance on me as a scrawny freshman," Guidinger said of the former Central York coach who died in January 2023. "He gave me an opportunity despite not playing for a while because we don't have a middle school program here. He pushed me and made me uncomfortable, but he knew it was going to only make me better."
Guidinger, played for a local AAU team that year, so he could also play volleyball.
Guidinger said the flexibility Goodling gave him as a freshman to miss practices for AAU basketball wouldn't be enough when he joined the Philadelphia Pride, a national AAU program. He said Goodling was understanding when he picked travel ball over high school volleyball, even though he did encourage him to keep playing.
"He was like, 'Come on, man, you could do the same thing for volleyball,'" Guidinger said. "But it wasn't a difficult decision, and that's because Todd was so open. We had such an honest relationship, and we had a good relationship afterward."
Before Goodling died, Guidinger told him he would play volleyball his senior season because he wouldn't be playing AAU. Central's long run to a state basketball title didn't allow the 6-foot-7 outside hitter to join the volleyball team until the day before their first match. But with plenty of talent back from last year's team that reached the state semifinals, Guidinger has been able to ease back into the sport.
"I'm just trying to, you know, live up to my word, and, you know, be a spark of energy on the bench," Guidinger said.
Red Lion's Sedora paying back a teammate
Sedora is back on a volleyball court because of Tyler Good, a junior who was a first-team league volleyball all-star last year and also plays basketball. And because it's helping his ankle.
So Sedora made a deal with Good. He told him if Good played basketball, and the team had a good season, Sedora would play volleyball.
The Lions did have a good season. They got off to a rocky start as Sedora recovered from a broken ankle, but finished 20-10 to reach the district semifinals. The 6-5 wing scored the free throw that derailed Central's hopes of a district title and hit the 1,000-point milestone when the Panthers ended the Lions' season in the second round of states.
"This year he didn't play club volleyball, so he could give full attention to basketball," Sedora said of the outside hitter. "He was a huge defender for us, huge for the team. I felt like I kind of owed him."
So Sedora is back on the volleyball court, where he started junior varsity as a freshman and played limited varsity minutes as a sophomore when he tried to balance volleyball with AAU basketball.
As for the ankle, doctors warned him he might miss the entire basketball season. But he didn't. And he said playing volleyball has helped his ankle in different ways.
"The jumping and footwork, that all helps a tremendous amount," Sedora said. "I've stopped going to physical therapy because of it. I used to get a very stable tape job, but now I'm slowly decreasing it. Eventually, I hope I can get back to no tape at all."
Both players embracing new roles
Guidinger, GameTimePA's YAIAA Player of the Year, and Sedora, a first-team selection, led their basketball teams in scoring at 18.5 and 19.0 points per game, respectively.
Neither expects to carry that over into volleyball, and they are fine with that.
For Guidinger, he sees an opportunity to share what he learned on the state championship run with his volleyball teammates.
"There are so many things that I can bring from my experience with basketball," he said, "things I've learned that highly competitive teams have to have. My personal goal is to step in, help my teammates get better and just get one percent better myself every single day."
Central York coach John Feldmann is thrilled to have Guidinger on the Panthers' squad.
"Anytime you have an opportunity to bring a competitor such as Greg, such a phenomenal competitor and an athlete such as him, we're really excited," Feldmann said. "We have a lot of awesome players on our team. And to add another, to add to our depth, we are just thrilled."
Feldmann, who co-coaches the Panthers with Landon Shorts, said Guidinger brings a perspective to the team that coaches can't duplicate. He said the outside hitter knows first-hand the mental preparation it takes to make long runs in district and state tournaments.
"Taking care of your body, the hydrating, the sleep, all the things you need to do well in order to be able to compete well," Feldmann said. "So to have somebody who's been down that road very recently is an added bonus for us."
Sedora knows he isn't the best hitter on the team, and not even the best middle hitter. He said those honors go to Good and Chris Price, respectively. But he knows he has a role to play, and he's excited to be doing that.
"In basketball, I felt like I had a lot of pressure because how I performed had a big impact on the outcome of the games," he said. "Here, I'm probably the best blocker, but that's it. To not be the main guy, it's honestly refreshing because it's not as much pressure."
But he's quick to make sure you don't mistake the obvious fun he is having on the volleyball court with not wanting to win. Because he does.
"It's definitely fun, it's relaxing," Sedora said. "It's just not as stressful for me as basketball is."
Future is bright ... and muddled
Guidinger plans to play basketball in college; he just doesn't know where he's going. Sedora knows where he is going but doesn't know if basketball is part of the plan.
Sedora is going to Penn State and is going to try and make the team as a walk-on.
"I've been in contact with the coaches a little bit, but nothing's guaranteed," he said. "I'm going to try and make the team, but if I don't, who knows what happens? I have a feeling I'm going to miss it a lot, and I might transfer somewhere else."
Guidinger has been looking at a lot of Division I and II programs and is still waiting for the fit that is right for him. He has had some Div. I opportunities, but with the transfer portal, everything is still up in the air.
And if he discovers his best fit is at a Div. II school, he's fine with that.
"I've learned so many life lessons from how chaotic recruitment has been, that I want to go where I have an opportunity to play, where for the next four years you know what I'm going to be," Guidinger said. "So many guys, I feel, might get hung up on wanting to go here, wanting to go there. I think the biggest thing is understanding and finding myself as a person, and not just as a player, and coming to terms with that."
With parents and a sister who played basketball at the Div. II level, Guidinger knows there are good opportunities out there.
One thing is clear when it comes to Guidinger and Sedora. Once they give you their word on a plan, you can bank on it.
Shelly Stallsmith covers York-Adams high school sports for GameTimePA and the USAToday Network. Connect with her by email mstallsmith@ydr.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter @ShelStallsmith.