Sharpened by tough early schedule, Kiski Area boys heating up
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Thursday, January 26, 2023 | 5:47 PM
Kiski Area’s Lebryn Smith drives to the basket against Mars on Dec. 15, 2022, at Kiski Area High School.
Kiski Area’s Isaiah Gonzalez drives to the basket during a game against Mars on Dec. 15, 2022, at Kiski Area High School.
Kiski Area’s Noah Thimons drives to the basket during a game against Mars on Dec. 15, 2022, at Kiski Area High School.
Kiski Area head coach Corey Smith watches from the bench during a game against Mars on Dec. 15, 2022, at Kiski Area High School.
Kiski Area’s Connor Flemm celebrates a three-pointer against Mars on Dec. 15, 2022, at Kiski Area High School.
Kiski Area’s Dominic Dininno drives upcourt during a game against Mars on Dec. 15, 2022, at Kiski Area High School.
Kiski Area boys basketball coach Corey Smith senses that everything is coming together.
Not just because the team is on a four-game winning streak.
It’s more about how the Cavaliers are winning.
Smith called it “buy-in” to committing to winning as a group.
“They see my energy every day at practice and what we have to do and what we have to work on,” Smith said. “We watch a lot of film together. I break it down so they can see it and then we can go out and practice it.
“There’s also a lot of buy-in with each other. There were times at crucial moments when we were doing too much one-on-one. Now the guys are making the extra pass. We’re also limiting teams to one possession on defense and getting two or three stops in a row. At the beginning of the year, we weren’t doing that.”
During their winning streak, the Cavaliers (9-8, 3-2) have beaten McKeesport, Linsly School (W. Va.), Penn-Trafford and Knoch. They held three of the four to less than 50 points.
Kiski Area begins the second half of Section 3-5A play Friday night with a road trip to Latrobe. The Cavaliers won the first meeting 72-57 on Jan. 3.
The Cavaliers had some varsity experience returning in seniors Lebryn Smith and Dom Dininno and juniors Isaiah Gonzalez, Jason Flemm, Noah Thimons and Owen Pearson, so Smith decided to load up on the nonconference slate.
In one week in early December, the Cavaliers played road games against two top Class 6A schools (New Castle and Butler), a top Class 4A school in Highlands and a neutral site game against Belle Vernon.
Those four games were played over five days.
They also played Mars, Woodland Hills and Fox Chapel in nonsection play.
The Cavaliers ended up with wins over Fox Chapel and Belle Vernon. They also held leads against Woodland Hills and Butler before falling late.
Smith said nobody on the team complained about the schedule and just wanted to compete.
“I loaded up the schedule at the beginning of the season to prepare us for this next stretch of section play,” Smith said. “I saw our team and the potential that they have. I knew they were ready for the moment. I wanted to get our name out and say Kiski is not a pushover anymore. Kiski is going to be one of those top teams really soon. As far as a program from top to bottom, we’re right there with the rest of the programs.
“We are a much better team than our (overall) record says, and I know the other teams know that.”
The Cavaliers are tied with McKeesport and Franklin Regional for second place in the section standings behind Gateway. Latrobe and Penn-Trafford are on the outside looking in.
Last year, the last playoff spot in Section 3-5A came down to a three-way tiebreaker, which Kiski Area finished one spot ahead of in third place.
Smith expects it to be a dogfight once again.
“It’s about who’s going to make that extra pass and give that extra effort on 50-50 balls,” Smith said. “Those things play a part in every single game.”
Jerin Steele is a freelance writer
Tags: Kiski Area
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