When people talk about the greatest basketball team in Schenley High School history, the conversation usually begins and ends with the DeJuan Blair, DJ Kennedy, and Dre Kane era.
Rightfully so.
That team dominated, won a PIAA championship, and is widely considered the greatest City League team ever assembled. But in celebrating that legendary group, another outstanding Schenley team has quietly been forgotten.The 2000 and 2001 Schenley Spartans deserve their flowers. Had they finished one more game, we might be having an entirely different conversation today.
That Schenley team advanced all the way to the 2001 PIAA Class AAAA championship game before falling to Coatesville. A state runner-up finish is an incredible accomplishment by itself, yet the team rarely gets mentioned among Pittsburgh’s all-time greats.
What made that team special wasn’t just one superstar. It was talent from top to bottom.
Every great team needs someone to run the show, and that player was Charles “Scooter” Jackson Aka Scoot. He was the floor general who made everything work. While others filled up the stat sheet, he controlled the pace, got teammates involved, and provided the leadership that championship-caliber teams need.
Larry Bryant often gets overlooked because he played Division II basketball, but people underestimate how difficult it is to earn a Division II scholarship. Thousands of high school players dream of playing college basketball, and only a small percentage ever get that opportunity.
They also had Jason Benson, who played at Mansfield University.
The Spartans also featured several Division I players. Nate Gerwig continued his career at Kent State. Chaz McCrommon went on to play at Robert Morris. Jack Higgins played at Cleveland State before transferring to Duquesne. Shawn Hawkins continued his career at Long Beach State. Basketball greatness also ran in his family, as his grandfather was NBA legend Connie Hawkins.
What’s even more impressive is that many of those players continued their careers professionally after college. That says a lot about the level of talent Schenley had on its roster. Sometimes history remembers champions and forgets everyone else. That’s unfortunate because making a state championship game in Pennsylvania basketball is never easy. It takes talent, chemistry, coaching, and players willing to sacrifice for one another.
The Blair-led Spartans deserve every bit of recognition they receive.
But the 2000 and 2001 Schenley teams deserve to be remembered, too.
They helped build the foundation of Schenley basketball excellence and represented the City League at the highest level. They may not have finished with the state championship trophy, but their legacy shouldn’t be overlooked simply because another legendary team came a few years later.
This article isn’t about comparing eras. It’s about making sure one outstanding Schenley team isn’t forgotten. Some teams win championships. Others deserve to be remembered just the same.
The 2000 and 2001 Schenley Spartans earned that respect.