Keller Chamovitz one-ups dad, leads Quaker Valley past North Catholic in WPIAL finals
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Thursday, November 4, 2021 | 9:05 PM
Quaker Valley’s Keller Chamovitz celebrates his hat-trick goal against North Catholic during the WPIAL Class 2A championship game on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021, at Highmark Stadium.
Quaker Valley’s Keller Chamovitz celebrates his second goal with Wil Dunda during the WPIAL Class 2A championship game against North Catholic on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021, at Highmark Stadium.
Quaker Valley’s Keller Chamovitz (23) celebrates his first goal with Ryan Edwards during the WPIAL Class 2A championship game against North Catholic on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021, at Highmark Stadium.
Quaker Valley’s Wil Dunda battles North Catholic’s Nick Rine for a header during the WPIAL Class 2A championship game on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021, at Highmark Stadium.
Quaker Valley’s Keller Chamovitz celebrates his fourth goal against North Catholic during the WPIAL Class 2A championship game on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021, at Highmark Stadium.
The Quaker Valley student section ceers on the Quakers during the WPIAL Class 2A championship game against North Catholic on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021, at Highmark Stadium.
Quaker Valley’s Wil Dunda hoists the WPIAL championship trophy after defeating North Catholic, 5-0, in the Class 2A final on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021, at Highmark Stadium.
Quaker Valley’s Keller Chamovitz celebrates with fans after defeating North Catholic in the WPIAL Class 2A championship game on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021, at Highmark Stadium.
The Quaker Valley boys soccer team celebrates with the WPIAL championship trophy after defeating North Catholic, 5-0, in the Class 2A final on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021, at Highmark Stadium.
Keller Chamovitz has some bragging rights in his household.
In 1996, his father Sam scored twice in a WPIAL championship game for Quaker Valley. The younger Chamovitz doubled his total Thursday night.
Chamovitz scored four times, helping Quaker Valley earn its 10th WPIAL championship in a 5-0 victory over section rival North Catholic in the Class 2A final at Highmark Stadium.
“He came to watch tonight, so I get to rub it in when it get home, that’s for sure,” Keller Chamovitz said with a laugh.
Chamovitz scored in the 24th, 38th, 74th and 78th minute. Ryan Edwards also added a goal on a corner kick.
“Big players show up in big games, and our biggest player showed up today,” Quaker Valley coach J.J. Veshio said. “There was nothing but quality and class from him and everyone else on the field.”
Veshio said the team is dedicating the win to former Quakers coach Gene Klein, who is currently battling Stage 4 brain cancer. Klein coached the Quakers for 35 years and was Veshio’s former coach.
Winning the WPIAL championship had a little extra meaning for the Quakers this season after not being able to participate in last year’s tournament due to a covid-19 issue.
They were out to prove they were the best team in the WPIAL from the start.
“I feel like we were robbed in a way last year, because it wasn’t a team that knocked us out. It was coronavirus,” Chamovitz said. “To finally get that win and show that we deserved it last year and that we are the best 2A team in WPIAL means a lot and it feels great.”
Quaker Valley (18-2) knocked off North Catholic (12-8) twice in Section 4 play during the regular season, winning 3-0 and 7-0.
The Trojans made an impressive run to the WPIAL final as a No. 9 seed, and goalkeeper Devin Paschall did his best to keep them close Thursday with a dozen saves, but their section rivals proved to be too much.
“Even though we lost, our guys still have their heads held high,” North Catholic coach Ricardo Headley said. “If you look at where we started, nobody would’ve put us in the championship game. It’s just us growing. We have a young team. We started only two seniors for most the season. We’re going to states and we’re still very confident.
“We’ll watch this tape together as a team. We’ll correct our mistakes. Hopefully we can get a better start (in the first round of state playoffs) than we did today.”
Quaker Valley will open the PIAA playoffs against District 10 runner-up Grove City on Tuesday. North Catholic plays District 6 champion Richland.
Jerin Steele is a freelance writer
Tags: North Catholic, Quaker Valley
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