Westmoreland County boys basketball notebook: Class 5A section loaded with contenders

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, January 18, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Section 3 could be the most competitive lineup of teams in WPIAL Class 5A. That much is clear at the halfway point of the schedule.

Latrobe gave the standings a rip-roaring jolt Tuesday night with a 63-60 win at No. 1-ranked Gateway.

“You see how hard they play,” Gateway coach Alvis Rogers said of Latrobe. “We weren’t expecting to lose at home. We weren’t expecting to lose at all. The question now is, how do we respond?”

Gateway and Franklin Regional are tied at the top at 4-1 with Latrobe in third at 3-2, followed by Penn-Trafford and Kiski Area at 2-3.

Kiski Area had to grind out a 39-36 win over Penn-Trafford on Wednesday night.

“Any given night,” Kiski Area coach Corey Smith said, “any team can win.”

Said Penn-Trafford coach Doug Kelly: “It’s tough. It’s going to come down to who can sustain the focus and effort needed to win until the end.”

Consider: Latrobe beat Gateway and Kiski Area, Penn-Trafford beat Latrobe (by 27), Gateway only beat Penn-Trafford by six and Franklin Regional only defeated Latrobe by two and Kiski Area by three.

The top four teams make the WPIAL playoffs.

Rank and file

Franklin Regional dropped one spot in the TribLive HSSN Class 5A rankings this week, going from No. 4 to 5.

Burrell remained at No. 4 in 3A, and Greensburg Central Catholic and Monessen stayed at No. 2 in 2A and A.

Winning big

Greensburg Central Catholic barely has been tested in six Section 3-2A games.

The Centurions (13-2, 6-0), ranked No. 2 in WPIAL Class 2A, are winning section games by an average score of 71.2 to 39.3.

Their closest game was a 70-55 victory at Serra Catholic. Their largest blowout was by 51 against Leechburg (74-23).

Prime time

Belle Vernon (8-4) will get the star treatment Friday night when the Leopards host Gateway (11-2) in the KDKA Radio Game of the Week.

The game can be heard on 100.1 FM and AM 1020.

Harrell drops 50

Kason Harrell was an assistant coach on Jim Nesser’s staff last season at Yough, holding a clipboard and providing an extra set of experienced eyes to the team.

Fast forward a year, and Harrell is back to playing professionally in Ireland.

Harrell recently registered the second 50-point game of his professional career for Killestar Basketball Club in Dublin.

Harrell re-signed with Pyrobel Killestar and is back to doing what he does best: piling up points.

He hit 15 two-pointers, four 3-pointers and 8 of 9 free throws in a 110-91 win over Eanna in a Super League game.

Two years ago, he scored a team-record 56 points in a 102-87 win over Garveys Warriors.

Friday schedule

While some Westmoreland County teams are off Friday night, there are a few notable games, both in and out of section.

Section games include Burrell at Shady Side Academy and Deer Lakes at Ligonier Valley in Section 3-3A and Greensburg Central Catholic at Riverview and Jeannette at Serra Catholic in 3-2A.

Nonsection games to watch are Albert Gallatin at Derry, Gateway at Belle Vernon, Hempfield at Butler, Highlands at Kiski Area, Laurel Highlands at Latrobe, Mt. Pleasant at Elizabeth Forward, Plum at Norwin and Shaler at Franklin Regional.

On Saturday, Penn-Trafford visits Central Catholic for a 1:30 p.m. tip.

Layups

Monessen is on a nine-game winning streak. … Derry and Ligonier Valley combined for 17 3-pointers Wednesday as Derry won 76-65. Parker Hollick had six and Michael Vargulish-Graver five for the Rams. John Wasnick had three 3s for Derry. … Eight players scored in double figures Tuesday in Belle Vernon’s 63-60 win over Elizabeth Forward. For Belle Vernon, Zion Moore led with 19, Trevor Kovatch had 14, Curtis Wade 12 and Alonzo Wade 10. For Elizabeth Forward, it was Isaiah Turner (15), Cy Herchelroath (14), Daniel Spence (11) and Charlie Meehleib (10). … Franklin Regional’s Cam Rowell and Cooper Rankin combined for as many points as McKeesport in a 77-53 win. Rowell had a career-high 31, and Rankin scored 22.

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

Tags: Belle Vernon, Franklin Regional, Gateway, Greensburg C.C., Kiski Area, Latrobe, Penn-Trafford