The Fox Chapel Area High School basketball program had quite an exciting and record-breaking year filled with an abundance of victories and some pretty remarkable individual achievements. Yet, some of the most dedicated and hardest workers weren’t the athletes on the court, but rather their coaches, Zach Skrinjar for the boys and Meghan Meabon with the girls.
Both coaches have been recognized for their efforts by being named head coaches for the prestigious Cager Classic All-Star tournament, which will be held on Saturday, March 22, 2014. Coach Skrinjar’s staff will join him in coaching the boys’ team, while Coach Meabon’s assistants will help her lead the girls. It will be a special experience for everyone, especially since some of their own outstanding players – seniors Brian Papich, Matt D’Amico and Erin Mathias – have been voted to play on the all-star team.
“Both Zach and Meghan have worked tirelessly and devoted themselves to their individual programs,” says Fox Chapel Area School District Athletic Director Michael O’Brien. “It is an honor for the two of them to be selected to coach in what has become a very well respected event in Western PA. I believe the student athletes who participate in the event will enjoy the opportunity to work with them and the experience will be a positive one for all.”
Coach Skrinjar has been an integral part of the Foxes’ program for nine years. He was an assistant coach for four years and has served as head coach for five. Under his leadership, the team has advanced to the WPIAL playoffs three out of those five seasons, including this year. In Skrinjar’s own playing days, he was a standout at Central Catholic High School and played collegiate ball at Point Park University.
Coach Meabon has led the Lady Foxes for four years. During that time, she has taken the team to the WPIAL playoffs three times and won back-to-back section titles. This season the team was the WPIAL runners-up and advanced to the Quad-AAAA PIAA championship where they secured their first state playoff win since 2009. Coach Meabon also was honored as the Section-2 Coach of the Year. During her years as a student athlete, Coach Meabon played for the North Catholic High School team that lost only four games in her four years as a player and won a few state titles and WPIAL championships. Although recruited by Division-I University of Miami (Florida), she opted to stay closer to home and ended up setting more records as a star player at Edinboro University. Last year, she was inducted into the university’s Hall of Fame.