Mars’ Sfanos lighting up court as 1,000-point scorer
ADAMS TWP — The air had left the building and those wearing blue and yellow waited with bated breath. Everyone in the building knew who was going to take the last shot.
Visiting was North Hills, the leaders in WPIAL Section 4-5A and last year’s Class 6A district runner-up. Their star junior forward, Royce Parham, threw down a dunk with four seconds to go, putting the Indians up 72-70.
“You don’t have to be real smart (to know) who’s going to get the ball in that case,” Planets coach Rob Carmody said. “I’m not going to use Tasso as a decoy. We’re going to get the ball to Tasso … We created some space on that play. He had just enough room to get a dribble, get himself squared up, and let a shot fly.
“I don’t think there was any doubt once it left his hand.”
Nothing but net. Sfanos turned to Austin Campbell and flexed, then jumped into the arms of Ryan Ceh. He soon found himself engulfed in classmates that had rushed the hardwood in jubilation.
Carmody likened the scene to an eruption. Quite possibly, it was the best game to date for the three-year starter, whose 40 points against the Indians were a career-high.
“Coach drew up the screen to get me the ball and it was just to create a little bit of space,” Sfanos described the play. “I got to my spot, rose up, shot it, and I think I knew it was going in as soon as I shot it. With the crowd being there, it was just a surreal moment.”
Sometime around five years earlier — before Carmody met Tasso and his older brother, Mihali — he received a phone call from a coach in Wisconsin, informing him that the siblings were moving to the area. He gushed specifically about the younger one’s potential and Carmody realized very quickly why.
“I knew the first time I saw him,” he said of seeing Tasso work out as an eighth grader. “We were excited about his skill level the minute he came to us. It was just, ‘Hey, when’s the body going to grow?’ … Really, the first time I saw him in an open gym, I was like, ‘Okay, he really has something.’ He just moves differently with the ball and you’ve seen that translate into the success he’s had.”
As a freshman — with a stature that Carmody estimated was 5-6, 115 pounds — Tasso started the Planets’ state playoff game in 2020. The Planets fell a basket short of a win in overtime, but he bucketed 14 points over the final two frames. As a starter in his sophomore and junior years, he turned in all-conference campaigns.
“He’s always had a confidence to him,” Carmody said. “There are guys when they walk into the gym, they look and they say, ‘Okay, who can I pick to be on my team to make sure I win? I want to make sure I’m with the best guys.’
“Tasso walks into the gym and has the attitude of, ‘I don’t care who you give me, I’m going to find a way to beat you.’”
Against Moon on Jan. 17, he recently found himself passing the 1,000-point threshold for his varsity career — becoming the 12th Mars player to accomplish that feat since 2006. While not as dramatic as his buzzer-beater, the and-one post fadeaway he surpassed that mark on was in front of family and friends. Tasso’s uncle even surprised him and flew in from Las Vegas to be there to see it.
“It meant a lot, especially for him to be there,” Tasso said. “With all the guys to do that, all the great players, I think it’s just an awesome thing to be in (the conversation) with them.”
The Planets’ most experienced returner this season, he’s been counted on to guide underclassmen, as well.
“A big thing is leadership because I have the most experience,” Tasso said. “A lot of the young kids are definitely skilled and I think they’re coming along real well. I’ve just got to bring them up.”
Heading into Tuesday night’s trip to West Allegheny, Mars boasted a 12-5 overall record and a 4-2 mark in what Carmody says could be the WPIAL’s hardest section. There’s more work to be done for Tasso.
“I want to find myself at a good college,” Tasso said. “I just want to obviously win and get as far as we can. I want a WPIAL championship.”
To take the conference crown, the Planets have to win out and North Hills has to drop another. As for Tasso’s former objective, the transfer portal has muddled things.
“Three years ago, before COVID, if Tasso was graduating with what he’s done for our program and what he’s done on the AAU circuit in the summer, he’s a kid that would already have a scholarship and know what he was doing next year,” Carmody said. “As it is, he’s going to have to navigate it a little bit and stay patient with the process.”
Seton Hill, LaRoche, Penn State-Behrend, Allegheny, Hood College, and York College have all shown serious interest thus far.
