Kiski Area boys basketball team proving it will be force when section play starts

By: Jerin Steele
Thursday, December 21, 2023 | 5:43 PM

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Corey Smith always has believed in making the nonsection schedule as difficult as possible, and that’s what he has done at Kiski Area.

He wants his team to be battle-tested before section play.

This year, his team has proven it belongs in the discussion among the best.

The Cavaliers have signature wins against New Castle, Mars, Deer Lakes and Hempfield and had a 6-1 record entering a matchup with Woodland Hills on Thursday.

It’s a fantastic start for a team that returned only one starter, Isaiah Gonzalez.

“It’s great to see that they continue to play hard for four quarters, believe in me as a coach to make the right decisions and believe in each other this early,” Smith said. “A lot of times, good players tend to try to do a lot on their own. We have good players, eight to nine of them, that battle and play for each other night in and night out.”

Kiski Area took down Deer Lakes, 69-41, to win the Armstrong Tip-Off Tournament on Dec. 2 and, three days later, defeated New Castle.

The Cavaliers led throughout and were up 21 at one point on their way to a 58-45 victory. New Castle has played in a WPIAL championship game six of the last seven years.

“Everyone knows about the tradition that New Castle brings when it comes to basketball,” Smith said. “I believe that win opened the WPIAL’s eyes, but it also opened our own team’s eyes. It showed them they belong here. We worked for it and now we’re seeing everything we do in practice pay off.”

Gonzalez had 28 points in the New Castle win. He has been in double-digits in most games and provides a steady presence.

“When we need a bucket, we go to him,” Smith said. “When we need something to happen, he knows that I expect to try his best to make that play. He’s our glue guy and our captain. He’s got a bright future whether it’s in football or basketball.”

Gonzalez is the catalyst, but the Cavaliers have been getting contributions throughout the lineup. Colin Keller has been a strong scorer. He had 23 points in the season opener against Westmont Hilltop.

“Colin is there a half hour before practice getting shots up and getting a good workout in, and he stays every night after practice,” Smith said. “His dad comes in, and they get good workouts in. Noah Thimons is there with them as well getting shots up.”

Thimons had 11 in a win over Indiana. Bart Martin has been in double digits on multiple occasions. Carson Heinle had a key steal to help secure the win over Hempfield. Jacob Musselman hit the winning layup against Mars.

Kiski Area will take part in the Peter Sauer Memorial Tournament at Shady Side over the holidays. Neighborhood Academy and Baldwin will be their opponents.

After the calendar turns to the new year, Kiski Area starts Section 3-5A play with a trip to Latrobe on Jan. 2. Games with Franklin Regional, Gateway, McKeesport and Penn-Trafford follow. Gateway is ranked first in 5A by Trib HSSN. There are a couple more tough out-of-section games remaining with Knoch and Highlands in mid-January.

It will be a gauntlet, but given how many quality opponents the Cavaliers have faced already, Smith expects his team will be ready.

“I know a lot of coaches say that their section is the best section, but I really believe our section is one of the top sections around,” Smith said. “Franklin Regional is off to a hot start. They are playing well and sharing the basketball. Latrobe has pretty much all of their guys back, and they’re doing well. Gateway has loaded up on their nonsection schedule like we did. They’ve played the best of the best as well.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

Tags: Kiski Area