After falling just short of playoff berth, Riverview boys look toward future

By: Michael Love
Saturday, February 22, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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The Riverview boys basketball team finished with a 4-3 record in games played on its home court at Riverview High School.

The Raiders played there just three times through Jan. 17.

The final home game, a senior-night contest against Section 1-2A foe California on Feb. 7, marked the final opportunity for Riverview to earn a trip to the WPIAL playoffs.

The Raiders needed to win that game and get some help. They did their part, as sophomore guard Rex Roberts scored 19, and seniors Noah Vespi and Levi Roupas added 13 and 10 points, respectively, in a dominant 65-28 win over the Trojans.

Riverview needed Frazier to beat Bentworth that same night. But the Bearcats were victorious in their matchup and eliminated the Raiders from the postseason.

Bentworth and Springdale finished tied in the standings at 7-7 and picked up the final two playoff spots from the section behind Greensburg Central Catholic, Jeannette and Clairton.

Riverview, which split its season series with Bentworth, was left on the outside looking in by just one game at 6-8.

“It was the last game at home for our seniors, so it was a pretty emotional game and evening,” first-year Raiders coach Dru Corbin said.

“We knew things had to happen for us to still have a shot at the playoffs. The guys did their job and played really well. It was a great win in a really positive atmosphere.”

Corbin said it was frustrating for the team to be in the position at the end of the season where they needed help to get into the playoffs.

“We started off pretty strong in the section and, for the players, it was a goal for them to make the playoffs,” Corbin said.

“They also had a goal to win seven games in the section. They were upset they came up a little bit short of both of those goals. But at the same time, the guys showed maturity in realizing they had opportunities.”

Riverview battled to the end in the first meeting with playoff-qualifier Clairton on Jan. 10.

The Raiders owned the second half of the game, outscoring the Bears by seven. But a 22-9 second-quarter advantage for the Bears was the difference in Riverview’s 48-45 loss.

Seniors Matt Orbin and Alex Schultheis scored 13 points each to lead the Raiders.

After scoring a 44-39 win over rival Springdale to open the new year, Riverview was not able to complete the season sweep and fell to the Dynamos, 41-32, on Jan. 28.

“We had chances in a number of games to make it a different outcome, but we just weren’t able to take advantage of those opportunities,” Corbin said.

Corbin said the four seniors, Orbin, Schultheis, Vespi and Roupas, were instrumental in helping him and his coaching staff transition smoothly into their first season at the helm.

He also credited them for helping establish a strong base for the returning players to come back ready to fight next year for a spot in the WPIAL playoffs.

“I appreciate them and know that any success we have going forward is because of the effort they gave in terms of what they did on the court and their leadership with the younger players,” Corbin said.

Corbin said he saw his relatively youthful team grow throughout the season with players emerging and establishing themselves in starting roles or firmly entrenching themselves in the wider varsity rotation.

“Rex really came on strong, and he led the team in overall minutes played,” Corbin said.

“(Sophomore center) Miles Sigal started a good amount of games for us. If he wasn’t starting, he was playing good minutes. It was nice to see a lot of young guys be impactful for us on the varsity level.”

Corbin said he also saw his team improve defensively from the early part of the season to the latter stages.

“It was something we worked on in practices all year, and you could see by some of the box scores, it was one of our strengths,” he said.

“It’s at the offensive end where we want to improve with that younger group. We are planning a number of things going forward, and it is exciting going into the offseason to see how they can be better together after going up against teams with a lot of older, more experienced players.”

Schultheis led Riverview in scoring at 11.2 per game while pulling down six rebounds a contest. An effective basketball player for several years, the 6-foot-5 senior will turn his attention to preparation for a collegiate football career at Clarion.

“He was big for us rebounding the ball at both ends of the court,” Corbin said.

“He was aggressive going to the rim and was able to hone in on being dominant around the rim. He could also step out and take jump shots and knock down a three, but he realized where his advantages were and worked on being a dominant force in the interior.

“He’s going to do great things at Clarion. I am looking forward to watching his football career.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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