A spotlight on the Times’ bay area players of the week.
Female Hot Shot: Aileen Hnatiuk, Bishop McLaughlin
Sport: Volleyball
Skinny: With a tough opponent (Springstead) in the gym and star junior Alyssa Mathis out with a leg injury, Bishop McLaughlin needed a standout performance from Hnatiuk, a junior hitter. And she delivered. Hnatiuk recorded 31 kills to help the Hurricanes sweep the Eagles in a rowdy, three-game match. “I have been around a long time…” Hurricanes coach Doug Chinchar said. “This one will go in my top 10. The train is headed in the right direction.” For Bishop and for Hnatiuk. The victory helped the Hurricanes improve to 9-1, and a few Division I colleges have started to express interest in Hnatiuk.
Male Hot Shot: Pierre Johnson, Pinellas Park
Sport: Football
Skinny: Johnson needed only six carries to gain 157 yards against Seminole, 90 of which came on one touchdown run. The RB/DB now has gained 404 yards on 36 carries in four games, an average of 101 yards per game. What’s more impressive is that the Patriots do not have a feature back. Against Seminole, seven players carried the ball. “He’s one of those guys where if you give him a step, he’s gone,” Patriots coach Kenny Crawford said. “He’ll find the hole and just burst right through it.” Johnson also had an interception against the Warhawks.