Experience helps Shaler boys navigate WPIAL playoff bracket

By: Josh Rizzo
Sunday, February 25, 2024 | 11:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Previous Next

Whether teams are playing man defense or zone defense doesn’t matter to Shaler senior forward Brandon London.

Nor does it matter if the other team wants to play fast or slow. The Titans, who have their top eight rotation players back from last season, have enough experience that they’ve seen it all before.

Shaler welcomes whatever style opponents would like to play.

“Our mindset, because a lot of us have played varsity basketball since freshman year, is we can play a lot of different styles and we are ready for whatever zone you are going to throw at us,” London said. “Bring it on. We’ll see it on film before the game and we will remember playing in a game like that before. We talk about what we can do better and let’s improve here.”

Shaler doesn’t want to let that go to waste this season. The third-seeded Titans won their first game in the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs, defeating No. 14 Chartiers Valley, 73-71, in front of a raucous home crowd. Shaler was scheduled to play No. 11 Bethel Park in the quarterfinals in a game played after deadline for this edition.

The Titans haven’t made it past the quarterfinals in coach Rob Niederberger’s tenure. Niederberger took over the program during the 2015-16 season. However, Shaler’s found plenty of success during his time on the sidelines, as the Titans have reached the PIAA tournament several times.

Last year, Shaler made the WPIAL quarterfinals and lost to Hershey in the first round of the state tournament.

The Titans’ previous playoff experience has taught them to take every step on the postseason road carefully.

“You respect every opponent,” Niederberger said. “We know that every game is going to be a challenge. We are approaching them the same way. We want to be the first group to bring the WPIAL back to Shaler and that’s what we are working on every day.”

The Titans had a nice wake-up call against Chartiers Valley. The No. 14-seeded Colts weren’t intimidated by the environment and led 19-14 after the first quarter.

Niederberger felt the Colts were better than their seed.

While Shaler led by six points at halftime, Niederberger knew it would be a battle to the finish.

“In 5A this year, every team that made the playoffs is good,” Niederberger said. “Chartiers Valley, for certain, is not a 14 seed. If you talk to any other coaches, they would have said no way because their best player was out for half the year. It was hard to plan for them because we knew the team on tape was different than the team we’d see.”

Sam Himrod led Shaler with 20 points. Kaden Orga contributed 12, and Keegan Smetanka and Joey Desaboto added 11 apiece.

London said Shaler is motivated to get back to the semifinals. This group has been playing together since elementary school and wants to complete a deep playoff run.

“What makes us so tough is that we are eight kids deep and all eight kids are above-average basketball players,” London said. “We just keep coming at you and coming at you. We play defense and good team ball.”

Tags: Shaler