Followingin the family’s footsteps Lowellville’s Ali Grapevine is an athletic standout and is preparing for a career in the military.
The senior basketball player has scored 1,000 points.
By JOHN BASSETTI
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
LOWELLVILLE — A basketball court is a lot safer place than a war zone, but Ali Grapevine may have to make the trade sometime in the future.
The Lowellville senior’s verbal commitment to West Point is a commitment to four years at the military academy, five active duty and two more years of reserve service.
Granted, women aren’t given potentially dangerous assignments, such as artillery or infantry, but the “in harm’s way” nature of the beast can’t be minimized.
“It just happened to be a good fit,” said Grapevine, who recently reached the 1,000-point plateau. “I wanted to go into the military [as a volunteer] after high school, but my parents said no.
“They wanted me to get an education first, then decide what I want to do with my life. Plus, I wanted to go on and play basketball somewhere. West Point just fit together perfectly.”
The daughter of John and Nancy (Perry) Grapevine has a service streak in her blood.
Both of her grandfathers were World War II Army veterans and her father is a Navy veteran.
“She fell in love with the place,” her father said of the family’s visit to West Point, N.Y. “We tried to show her other places, but she’s always had a passion for government.”
John Grapevine noted that, upon graduation, Ali will be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.
“I love history,” Ali said of her academic interests.
With situation in the Middle East and elsewhere, isn’t she apprehensive?
“I’m not afraid,” the 6-foot-1 post player said. “I’m ready. I just feel like I’m supposed to go.”
She gets most of her size from her father, who is 6-3 and played football and basketball at Lowellville.
John Grapevine was a member of the unbeaten (9-0) football team in 1972 and a senior center on the Rockets team that went 8-1 in 1973.
Her mother was a Lowellville cheerleader and track athlete who graduated in 1978. One of Nancy Grapevine’s nephews is Pete Perry, who was a tailback on Poland’s undefeated state championship football team in 1999.
“Ali will outrun anybody on the court,” John said of his daughter, who holds three individual school records in track along with three more as a member of relays.
She ran on Lowellville’s 4x200-meter relay that finished eighth at the state meet last spring.
Alison (her full name) Grapevine is also a letter-winning volleyball player, cross country participant and cheerleader.
Need more? Ali, whose only sibling is 24-year-old Gina Crilley, a Boardman high teacher, is a member of the school’s marching and concert bands and belongs to the National Honor Society.
While playing with the Penn-Ohio Blue Storm team during an AAU showcase at the University of North Carolina and North Carolina State, Ali was spotted by West Point’s Mary Kurnat.
“She was influential in recruiting Ali,” John Grapevine said of Kurnat, an assistant to head coach Dave McGarrity.
John said that McGarrity watched Ali play against McDonald in December.
“He was impressed,” John said of Ali’s impact on McGarrity in the overtime game which Lowellville lost. He said that McGarrity’s daughter, also an assistant coach, will attend another Rockets game.
Athletic director Bob Ballone believes West Point was attracted to Grapevine because of her work habits.
“She’s got to be first, even if it’s in practice,” said Ballone, who also coaches track. “I think they looked closely at her character, too.”
Lowellville coach Tony Matisi spoke about Ali, who became the seventh Lowellville player to reach 1,000.
“We threw her into the starting lineup in the middle of her freshman year. She’s gotten better every game since. She’s a tireless worker. I know West Point wants to work with her to get her stronger and want her to play a No. 4 position.”
Comparing her to Lowellville’s first two 1,000-plus female scorers — Lisa Rotunno and Amanda Nero — Matisi said: “Ali’s probably the best post player to come out of here, whereas Lisa and Amanda were natural scorers from the guard position. Ali plays best getting the entry pass down low and going from there.”
Grapevine also has 850 rebounds on her athletic resume.
Glance at the banner in Lowellville’s gym listing the names of the first six players to reach 1,000 — Dan Zarlingo, Rick Palumbo, Jim Smolko, Lisa Rotunno, Amanda Nero and Mario Nero — and it’s obvious that Grapevine doesn’t rhyme.
“Mine ends in ‘E’ instead of ‘O’,” Ali declared. “I guess I’m a little different.”
bassetti@vindy.com