PENNSYLVANIA SPORTS Blackhawk's Miller gains 600th victory

Both the coach and the school played down the milestone win.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
No big ceremony -- and, to Blackhawk boys basketball coach John Miller, no big deal.
Miller won his 600th game when Blackhawk defeated Jeannette 71-68 in the title game of the Blackhawk tipoff tournament. But the school and the coach downplayed the occasion.
"There was no big ceremony or anything," Miller said. "The PA announcer just said, 'Coach Miller has just won his 600th game,' after it was over and that was it."
Miller's teams have won six PIAA District 7 Class AAA titles and played in the title game 10 times. Blackhawk has made it to the PIAA title Class AAA final five times, winning four championships.
Blackhawk has another outstanding team this season led by 6-foot-2 senior guard Ryan Evanochko, a Division I college prospect. Evanochko averaged 18.2 points, five rebounds and three assists a game last season. The team also has 6-5 junior Joe Powell and 6-6 senior Nate Hupp.
This is Miller's 28th season at Blackhawk and his record was an impressive 5-0 this season and 526-208 overall entering the week. He also coached at Riverside, winning 74 games there.
The Cougars have won 20 or more games 13 of the past 14 seasons, missing only last season, when they were 19-9.
Miller's teams have come a long way since his first team went 1-21.
"I had some people tell me I was crazy for taking the job here," Miller said. "We had a nice program going at Riverside and had some success. Blackhawk hadn't done anything, but here we are.
"Getting to 600 wins means I've stood the test of time, and that's something I'm proud of."
Will he make it to 700 wins?
"I don't know. I still enjoy it and have a lot of energy," said the 59-year-old Miller, who has retired as a teacher. "As long as we're competitive and I'm enjoying it, I'll stay with it. But if we start to tail off and I don't have the energy any more then I'll probably get out. I won't stay on just to get to 700 wins."
Closing in
Maureece Rice of Strawberry Mansion scored 24 points in a 54-49 victory against Frankford on Tuesday night, giving him 2,001 points for his career.
Rice, a senior guard, moved into third place on Philadelphia's all-time scoring list. Wilt Chamberlain, who played at Overbrook High, is the city's all-time leader with 2,206 points.
Ivy Leaguer
Oakland Catholic senior Christiana Lackner will play basketball at Harvard. The 6-foot-1 forward averaged 13 points and 10 rebounds a game last season in helping Oakland Catholic win the PIAA District 7 Class AAAA title.
Irish eyes
Washington High School running back Travis Thomas, a 6-foot-1, 188-pound senior, has verbally committed to Notre Dame.
Thomas, who rushed for 1,176 yards and 18 touchdowns this season and helped Washington to the PIAA Class AA title last year, also visited Purdue, Northwestern, Iowa and Boston College. He also considered Pittsburgh.
Thomas isn't the only Wash High football notable who will be leaving the school.
Guy Montecalvo has resigned after 23 seasons as football coach. He led the Little Prexies to the PIAA Class AA title last year and a 15-0 record.
Montecalvo was 192-71-2 at the school.
Two to state
Williamsport running backs Darrell Blackman and Ray Brooks have verbally committed to North Carolina State.
Blackman (6-1, 198) rushed for 2,487 yards and 22 touchdowns on 245 carries this season and gained 6,771 yards in his career. Brooks (6-4, 245) who played fullback and defensive end, rushed for 783 yards and eight scores.
Job opening
Harrisburg High opened the football coaching position, which means Earl Mosley won't return following a 1-9 season.
Mosley's teams were 12-18 the past three seasons. He was 43-31-2 during an earlier seven-year stint at the school.