How does that saying go about two birds and one stone?
Greensburg Central Catholic’s Erica Gribble took advantage of that last Monday when she called up her future college coach and verbally committed.
Gribble then not only knew where she would be playing in college, but the commitment also brought with it something else.
“It was an early Christmas present to my parents,” Gribble quipped.
Gribble, a 5-foot-11 guard and one of the top juniors in the state, committed to Richmond, a program that she has liked since she went to an elite camp there in eighth grade. Gribble, who was offered by the Spiders in June, said she has been to the school three or four times, the most recent being an unofficial visit with her family at the beginning of November.
“I felt like it was the right choice, so I called [head coach Aaron Roussell] and told him I wanted to commit,” Gribble recalled. “He was excited, but I also think surprised. I don’t think he thought I was going to commit that early.”
Richmond won Atlantic 10 regular season and postseason titles last season when the Spiders went 29-6 and reached the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2005. This season, the Spiders are 10-4 overall and tied for first place in the Atlantic 10.
“I love the campus, and I love the atmosphere,” Gribble said. “I think that last visit kind of sealed it for me. I got to know the team a little bit. I watched a game and really like their style of play.”
Gribble said she chose Richmond over St. Joseph’s, Bowling Green and Lehigh. She had close to 20 offers overall, the first coming from St. Joseph’s when she was in eighth grade.
A three-year starter, Gribble ranks among the WPIAL’s top scorers this season with 20.8 points per game. She has helped Greensburg Central Catholic, the defending WPIAL Class 3A champion, to a 6-2 start. A season ago, Gribble averaged a team-best 20 points a game on her way to first-team all-state honors. She scored 28 points in the WPIAL championship game.
Gribble will join older sisters Alayna and Olivia as college basketball players. Alayna played at Pitt and St. Joseph’s, while Olivia played at Marietta.
“It means a lot,” Erica said. “I’ve watched Alayna and Olivia play my whole life. I was on Alayna’s first college visit when I was young. I just remember thinking that that’s what I wanted to do growing up. They have both been big role models for me.”
Mitchell to Sac State
Penn Hills linebacker Naytel Mitchell was considering offers from a pair of Northeast colleges, but some recent California love has the standout headed to play on the West Coast instead.
Mitchell committed to Sacramento State on Saturday, just a day after picking up an offer from the Hornets. Sacramento State is an FCS program that competes in the same conference (Big Sky) as Montana State, which will play in next week’s national championship. He also had offers from Albany and Robert Morris.
Mitchell was one of the first recruits locked in by new Sacramento State coach Brennan Marion, a Greensburg Salem graduate and former Pitt assistant who spent the past two seasons as offensive coordinator at UNLV. Marion was announced as Sacramento State’s coach on Dec. 20. One of Marion’s assistant coaches also has local ties, as Woodland Hills graduate and former NFL player Darrin Walls was named cornerbacks coach and pass game coordinator.
In Mitchell, Sacramento State gains a 5-foot-10, 190-pound linebacker who was a PUP All-Star pick this past season. Mitchell collected 83 tackles and two interceptions while leading Penn Hills to the WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinals. And if Sacramento State ever wants to throw Mitchell out there at running back (Arizona State star Cam Skattebo starred there a few years ago), he’s pretty good at that, too. He rushed for 1,321 yards and scored 20 touchdowns, highlighted by a 254-yard, three-touchdown effort against Moon in the first round of the playoffs.
Power Four transfers
A few dozen former WPIAL and City League players hit the transfer portal in December, and five of them have found new homes at Power Four schools.
• Penn Hills graduate Raion Strader signed with Auburn. Strader played the past two seasons at Miami (Ohio) and was named first-team All-MAC this past season.
• Pine-Richland graduate Levi Wentz committed to Kansas. A wide receiver, Wentz is a transfer from FCS Albany.
• Steel Valley graduate NiJhay Burt signed with Michigan State. A defensive back, Burt is also an FCS transfer, as he previously played at Eastern Illinois.
• Westinghouse graduate Dayon Hayes committed to Texas A&M. Hayes, a defensive end, previously played at Pitt and Colorado but missed most of last season with an injury.
• Perry graduate Tyreese Fearbry signed with Wisconsin. A linebacker, Fearbry is a transfer from Kentucky.
Transfers to keep an eye on
Two additional former WPIAL standouts who are in the transfer portal have been receiving Power Four interest. Blackhawk graduate Marques Watson-Trent is a linebacker and Georgia Southern transfer who has picked up offers from Florida State, West Virginia and Nebraska. Watson-Trent, the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, said he plans on visiting Florida State on New Year’s Day. A day later, Florida State could be hosting another former WPIAL player. McKeesport graduate Deamontae Diggs, a Coastal Carolina defensive end transfer, said he will visit Florida State on Jan. 2. Diggs has offers from Kansas, Purdue, UNLV and James Madison.
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.