Chris Raso Quotations

Yea, that was typical of how we have played all year. We like to play solid defense and rebound the basketball. That's how we win games.

(Losing three key players) was a blessing in disguise.

One thing is that we have changed the offensive systems to fit our personnel at each place. You can't do the same thing all the time and I think some coaches get caught up in trying to run the same system when their personnel doesn't necessarily allow it. Before this season, I never coached a girl over 5 foot 9 , so this is a little different and we made adjustments to utilize our height.

I got hit in the head with it. I'm going to keep it. I'm going to enjoy it.

I don't think it'll be a big deal for us to be out there playing for a state championship. They've been dealing with that bull's-eye from day one.

Kittanning is big, they're 5-10, 5-10, and 5-11 across the front. They just sit in a 1-3-1 zone and make it tough to get the ball inside.

Jordan understands we needed her. When she gets her feet set, she is going to knock some down.

It comes from them. Our coaches teach defense. We put the girls in position to make plays. But they go out and do it. They rebound. They defend.

NA is a great facility to play at. What I like most about it though is that we don't have to travel that far to play our first state game.

Winning the WPIAL has been one of our goals. Now we're going to focus on our next goal and that's to win a state title.

To be tested in a game-situation like this in front of 1,500 fans and their great student body, we hadn't seen anything like that. Sure, we needed it. Our players understood when you're under the gun, you have to find an extra gear and dig down and concentrate a little bit harder and we did that in the second half.

We're not looking at it that way. We looked at it that way last year and we lost.

Tonight I'll claim her as my niece. There's no one else I'd want at the line in that situation ... she has so much poise ... (She was) fabulous, unbelievable.

I've been watching these girls since they were in fourth grade. I knew what stride they could play at. I thought four years ago that we could possibly get to this level.

Sometimes you hear about the WPIAL champion having a hard time getting ready for states. I don't see that happening with this team. They'll be ready to play.

Sometimes as a coach, you think it's better to lose a game and get bumped down a few pegs, but they didn't want to hear any of that. They stood by what they said. They stayed true to their word and, hopefully, they'll keep rolling along.

Sarah was the X-factor again tonight. She turned things around for us. She turned up the intensity.

Day in and day out they've been able to take everybody's best shot because that's what you get, especially in the playoffs.

This first one was a grind, so we're going to enjoy it and appreciate it. But yes, we'd love to be back here again. Let's go again. I'm up for it.

They've been great senior leaders. Our juniors get a lot of credit for our success, but it's taken everybody on this team to accomplish what we've done. Our seniors were the ones who helped get this thing started.

They do a great job. They have great hands. They catch and finish.

This is the most level-headed group of girls I've ever been around.

It is such a luxury to have girls like the Novacek girls who can catch the ball in the post and move the way they can. A lot of times you get a girl in there who is big, but not very agile. I can't tell you how much easier it makes my job that those two are athletic on the inside.

I told the kids that this is a four-lap race. If we would lose this game, I don't know if we'd have the energy and the gas to keep going. We have four games now to get where we're going.

It's such a luxury to have girls like the Novacek girls who can catch the ball in the post and move the way they can.

It's not as hard as everybody thinks -- honest. They know our personnel. We know their personnel. From the aspect of preparing for somebody, now I'm going to watch the tape of whoever won that eastern final, but watching the tape and seeing them in person are two different things. So, I knew what (Moon) could do.

It's not even the same kid as last year. Her skills ... her decisions ... it's been an unbelievable progression.

They are very athletic kids who make it pretty easy to coach. But I didn't have any big kids for over 15 years, so I was overdue.

I'll take our chances any time in a one-game series.

He's right, she is our key. She understands her role very well, but she's also a scorer. She was a little frustrated in the first half, but she scored better in the second half.