A-K Valley boys basketball notebook: Despite injuries, illness, Fox Chapel still finding ways to win

By: Greg Macafee
Thursday, January 9, 2020 | 4:54 PM

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Fox Chapel is one of only two teams remaining in the WPIAL that has an undefeated record and they’ve been doing it in all the right ways.

They’ve been putting up the numbers offensively, averaging 57.6 points per game, while only allowing 43.9 points per game. From their four seniors to their underclassmen that have played valuable minutes, the Foxes have been producing at all levels.

In the past week, the top-ranked team in WPIAL Class 6A has had to find different ways to win.

They’ve been playing without Arnold Vento, who has missed the past few games with an ankle injury, and a few players on the team have been battling an illness. No matter the lineup, though, the Foxes have prevailed.

Coach Zach Skrinjar attributes that to the system that’s been put into place at Fox Chapel.

“We’ve always just had that next-man-up attitude and these guys have just embraced it,” Skrinjar said. “They know the expectation because we always talk about knowing your role and doing your job and they’ve all kind of done that.”

On Tuesday, the Foxes handed Norwin its third loss of the season and once again held their opponents below 50 points. They will have another tough test Friday when they take on Penn-Trafford in a Section 3-6A matchup.

First loss

The Springdale Dynamos lost for the first time Saturday as Shady Side Academy handed them a 63-59 setback.

The Dynamos were one of a few undefeated teams left in the WPIAL. Only two, Fox Chapel and Brentwood, remain unbeaten.

In the loss, leading-scorer Demitri Fritch only had 11 points while sophomores Logan Dexter and Ryan Reinsfelder scored 15 and 12. Shady Side was led by Grady Munroe, who scored 21.

Springdale did bounce back Tuesday with a 51-48 win over section opponent Apollo-Ridge.

Rising up

Plum has only won two games this season and last Friday, a couple of clutch free throws from junior guard Connor Moss with the game on the line solidified that second win. He scored 21 points in the victory.

Moss rose up again Tuesday as the Mustangs came within three points of defeating Mars. Moss scored 32 in the loss. It was Plum’s fourth loss by four points or less.

Greg Macafee is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Greg by email at gmacafee@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Tags: Fox Chapel, Plum, Springdale