Hempfield boys ready to reap rewards from growing pains

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, November 18, 2023 | 4:20 PM

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Last season was a series of gradual improvements interrupted by teaching moments for the Hempfield boys basketball team.

The Spartans lost their first two section games by a combined 90 points but won two of their final three to settle at 8-14 overall and 3-7 in Section 2-6A.

Section coaches commented frequently on the Spartans’ tenacity and knack for hanging around in games.

Veteran coach Bill Swan’s youngest team is a year more experienced and looking to grind through a new season.

“Last year was an investment for now,” Swan said. “I think we had such low expectations coming in, it took us some time to get going.”

Swan, who was named the Section 2 coach of the year, has four returning starters in senior point guard Caden Biondi, junior guard Drew Gordon, senior forward Aaron Woodley and junior forward Maximus Williams.

Overall, seven lettermen are back for the Spartans.

Last year, Hempfield had “Dirty Harry,” as in Harry Sowers, now a guard at Washington & Jefferson.

This year, the Spartans have “Mad Max.”

Williams could be a force at 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds.

“We recognize we have a player in Max that most teams don’t,” Swan said. “It needs to touch it a lot. He needs paint touches; Throw it to the big fellow.”

Swan said he has seen steady improvement in Williams, whose skill has coincided with his body filling out.

“He runs the floor well. We tell him, ‘Max, you’re going to be unstoppable by the time you’re 20,’ ” Swan said. “He works so hard now. He wants to be unstoppable at 16 or 17.”

Williams averaged 6 points, 8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks as a sophomore.

Biondi will be the glue in the offense and a stopper on defense.

Gordon is the top returning scorer at 10 points a game.

Hempfield should once again be a 3-point threat from around the key, giving it kick-out options to complement Williams’ post play.

“You want to be balanced,” Swan said. “Max and Drew will be our leading scorers most nights. But we want to get three or four guys with 8-12 points.”

The coach called Biondi and Woodey “lunch pail guys.”

Sowers will be tough to replace. He led the team in scoring (18 ppg) and steals and was second in rebounds, assists and blocks.

He also frequented the free-throw line, as did his teammates: Hempfield attempted 336 free throws in 22 games (15.3 per game).

Others looking to provide key minutes include sophomore guard Danny Husenits, senior guard Matt Vohs, junior guard Dylan Firmstone and sophomore forward Dom Detruf.

The bench will include senior guard RW Dornin, senior forward Jayson Watkins and junior guard Joe DeSantis.

Hempfield opens the season with the 19th annual Hempfield Tip-off Tournament Dec. 1-2 at the Spartan Fieldhouse. The Spartans play Greensburg Salem at 7:45 p.m. on that Friday and take on Penn-Trafford at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Other nonsection opponents include Fox Chapel, Kiski Area, Penn Hills, Greensburg Central Catholic, New Castle, Pine-Richland and Butler.

Hempfield boys at a glance

Last year’s record: 8-14 (3-7 Section 2-6A)

Returning starters: Caden Biondi (Sr., G), Drew Gordon (Jr., G), Maximus Williams (Jr., F), Aaron Woodley (Sr., F)

Top newcomers: Dom Detruf (So., F), Dylan Firmstone (Jr., G), Danny Husenits (So., G), Matt Vohs (Sr., G)

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Hempfield