Graytok develops into leader for Latrobe girls basketball
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Tuesday, November 28, 2017 | 5:36 PM
Latrobe won four if its final five games last season but missed the WPIAL Class 6A girls basketball playoffs.
With five starters back, including standout guard Laura Graytok, the Wildcats have their sights on changing their postseason fortunes.
A more experienced group, third-year coach Mark Burkhardt said, should have a better handle on how to deal with close games — and how to finish them. Latrobe was 8-14 last year and tied for last place in Section 2. Being in games is nice, but winning them is better.
“We had five- and six-minute stretches in games last year where we would dig ourselves into a hole and not play well,” Burkhardt said. “But we were in a lot of games. I'd say of our 14 losses, we could have won more than half of them. I attribute that to confidence. I have coached boys, too, and they tend to be overconfident. Girls can lack confidence and not realize how good they can be.”
Graytok is one of the top returning scorers in the WPIAL. She led Westmoreland County with 21.6 points per game, and also posted averages of 4.0 assists, 4.0 steals and 3.5 rebounds.
She has signed with American University.
“Laura has matured mentally two-fold,” Burkhardt said. “We know she will draw a lot of attention, and she will help get our other girls involved. She will still get hers, but she has really become a leader for us.”
Graytok will be a combo guard for the Wildcats, playing the point and shooting guard. She has 1,047 career points.
“I think our chemistry is a lot better,” Graytok said. “We're going to be a small but fast team. Our speed is our strength.”
Graytok has embraced the senior leadership role.
“I like it,” she said. “It's about breaking out of your shell.”
Latrobe gave up 60 points a game last year, the most in Section 2. The team's chances aren't good of leading the section in blocked shots, but Burkhardt thinks speed can overcome size issues.
“We're still going to be one of the smallest teams in 6A, in both enrollment and stature,” Burkhardt said. “That's not an excuse, but it's a concern.
“I'm not concerned about our offense. We have to work on our defense and rebounding. We'll have to rebound by committee. Hopefully our quickness will create matchup problems.”
Juniors Carly Augustine and Bethany Havrilla and senior Shelby Wetzel will join Graytok in the backcourt, and senior Mackenzie Markle will be on the low block.
Markle averaged five points and seven rebounds a game last season. Augustine scored six a game, and Wetzel, five.
Burkhardt thinks Augustine, Markle and Wetzel can take some of the scoring pressure off of Graytok.
Key reserves will be junior forward Kayla White, sophomore guard Lexi Pynos and freshman guard Rachel Ridilla, a quality shooter who has a bright future.
Havrilla and Ridilla will share point guard duties with Graytok.
Burkhardt said the usual suspects will be the teams to beat in Section 2: Norwin and Penn Hills. Penn-Trafford also returns some key talent. Latrobe and Penn-Trafford were separated by six points in their two meetings last year. The Warriors won both.
Latrobe split with Hempfield, a WPIAL and PIAA playoff team.
Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.
Tags: Latrobe
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