Marian head coach Jeff Onushco talks to his squad during a timeout in their Schuylkill League playoff quarterfinal against North Schuylkill at Martz Hall (submitted photo).

Onushco stays at Marian, McGee takes over for Scheeler at Mahanoy

A pair of Schuylkill League Division II girls’ basketball playoff qualifiers officially hired new head coaches over the past week.

Marian Catholic announced Monday that Jeff Onushco will continue as the Fillies’ head coach after taking over the program five games into last season.

At Mahanoy Area, Tom Scheeler has retired after eight seasons as the Golden Bears’ head coach. Last Thursday, the Mahanoy Area School Board hired former Golden Bear point guard Abbey McGee to direct its program.

Each situation is slightly different.

Onushco becomes the full-time head coach after serving as interim head coach last season. The 56-year-old replaced Jeanette Shafer Barron in mid-December after the first-year coach resigned following a 2-3 start.

Onushco was no stranger to the Marian bench, serving as Paul Brutto’s assistant coach for 22 seasons. Despite a roster that had just eight players and no JV team, Marian went 13-9 under Onushco, who balanced being the head coach at Marian and the head coach at Penn State Hazleton.

The Fillies finished third in Division II with a 9-5 league mark, qualifying for the Schuylkill League playoffs. Marian lost to North Schuylkill in the league quarterfinals 49-31.

In the District 11 AA playoffs, the Fillies downed Lincoln Leadership before falling to Williams Valley in the district final. Marian decked Vaux in the opening round of the PIAA Class AA playoffs but were eliminated in the second round by Wyoming Seminary.

Overall, Marian finished the season 15-12.

“I would like to thank the Marian administration, especially Father Finlan and athletic director Billy O’Gurek for having the confidence in me to lead this prestigious program,” Onushco said in a release by the school. “I am also happy that my assistants Nick Miskar and Cheryl Stanitis will also be returning.”

Added O’Gurek: “We are thrilled Coach Onushco will be returning to the Fillies bench and continue to build on the great progress they showed during the last basketball season.”

McGee returns home

McGee is a 2019 Mahanoy Area graduate, playing four years under Scheeler from 2015-19.

The Bears were highly successful during her four-year career, winning three straight Schuylkill League Division III titles (2017, 2018, 2019), the 2018 Schuylkill League championship and three District 11 crowns. Mahanoy Area also reached the 2019 league final before falling to Jim Thorpe.

Scheeler compiled a 163-50 overall record in eight seasons stretched over two stints. He first guided the Golden Bears from 2014-2020, winning four District 11 titles and reaching the PIAA semifinals three times — in Class A in 2016 and in Class AA in 2017 and 2019.

Scheeler returned to the Mahanoy Area bench for the 2024-25 season, producing a 10-game improvement in his first season. The Bears were 14-10 that year, a mark that included a District 11 Class 3A playoff win over Pine Grove.

This past season, Mahanoy Area went 18-7 overall, placing second in Division II with a 12-2 mark. In the Schuylkill League playoffs for the first time since 2021, the Bears defeated Tamaqua 44-40 in the quarterfinals, then lost 53-38 to eventual league champion Schuylkill Haven in the semis.

Mahanoy Area’s season ended in the District 11 Class 3A quarterfinals with a 43-40 loss to Executive Education.

“Obviously, there’s definitely some big shoes to fill,” McGee said of Scheeler. “He’s accomplished so much as a basketball coach at Mahanoy Area.

“Definitely it means a lot to me. I played for the program. Mr. Scheeler and the program had a huge role in shaping who I am, not only on the court but off the court as well. To be able to come back and lead it is special.”

The daughter of Bob McGee and Michelle Wagner, Abbey originally attended the University of Scranton before transferring and playing two years at Marywood University.

McGee has no previous high school coaching experience. Around youth sports her entire life, the Barnesville resident coached travel and AAU teams in the Scranton area prior to being hired at her alma mater.

“I’ve always been around youth sports,” McGee said. “My dad runs the Mahanoy Area Biddy Basketball program. I’ve always helped out there, whether it was instructional or coaching youth teams there. While I was in college, I helped coach a travel/AAU team in Scranton.

“Everything is new, just trying to navigate the school district, all the rules we have to follow. I’m making my way, getting the team together and building a culture. That’s something that’s hard for anyone, no matter if they have experience or don’t have experience.”

A school psychologist intern at the John S. Clarke Elementary School in Pottsville, McGee will be joined on the Mahanoy Area bench by former head coach and current athletic director Eric Moucheron, former teammate Jordan Karmonick, former assistant coach Eric Berezwick and her father, Bob.

She’s excited to get started.

“We just had our first meeting … I’m trying to get familiar with everyone,” McGee said.

“With Mr. Scheeler, he’s always been very open-minded. He was always receptive to feedback and he encouraged it. That helped me have a coach’s mindset as a player. That’s something that I’m looking to do, be the same way as Mr. Scheeler was.”

Defending Division II champion and league runner-up Lourdes returns its top six players from a 28-3 squad, but both Marian and Mahanoy Area figure to be in the Division II playoff chase again in 2026-27.

Do-it-all guard/forward Addy Marek and point guard DeAnna Pugh will be back for Marian. Star guard Felicia Bro graduates for Mahanoy Area, but the Golden Bears return four starters, headlined by center Ella Connolly and forward Naomi Kowalick.

“Felicia was a phenomenal player,” McGee said. “She will definitely be a tough loss.

“We have a lot of girls (returning). We had a pretty young team, but we have a lot of girls coming up that can contribute.”