Westmoreland County boys basketball notebook: Latrobe willing to take foot off gas

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, December 11, 2025 | 11:01 AM

Latrobe hardly ever has had a Plan B under longtime coach Brad Wetzel’s watch.

No, it was always run-and-gun or bust. The higher the score, the more it favored the Wildcats.

But times are changing, and Wetzel is on board with it.

With one of their tallest lineups, the Wildcats (2-2) are looking for more inside scoring, which means slowing down the pace for more activity in the paint.

“It might take some time,” said Wetzel, who is in his 24th season. “We’re trying some new stuff. There is a lot of detail to it, so it’s not easy.”

One of the key reasons for the switch — don’t worry, they can still run when needed — is the addition of 6-foot-7 senior forward Robert Young.

A spectacle with his size — he’s 240 pounds — Young has the look of a man among boys. Someone who can take over around the rim.

“He changes a lot that they can do,” said Hempfield coach Austin Butler, a Latrobe alum.

Also, Latrobe features 6-4 Ian DeCerb and 6-3 Don Scarton, who plays more on the wing.

DeCerb and Young could be one of the top rebounding pairs in the WPIAL, hyperbole aside.

“We want to be able to utilize that size,” Wetzel said. “We feel like once these guys get some time to develop and play more together, they can be pretty good.”

FR roster changes

Jesse Reed doesn’t have the rotation he expected to start the season with.

“We have our core guys,” the Franklin Regional coach said, “but a lot has changed since July.”

The Panthers (3-1) had to do some adjusting after four players went down with injuries before the season.

Junior Cole Devola (knee) and senior Nick Devola (shoulder) were hurt during football season, while junior Aaron Novelli tore his ACL and 6-4 junior Shane Cartwright injured his finger and is out for six weeks.

In addition, two juniors, Thomas Bridges and Alex Musto, decided not to play this year.

Still, the Panthers started fast, scoring 90 points in a season-opening win over Plum (90-61), then defeating South Fayette 62-48 in the opening round of the annual Mike Rettger Memorial Tournament.

The Panthers took Class 6A Norwin to the limit before falling 61-60 in the tournament championship.

Derry tested

Derry is ranked third in Class 4A, and the Trojans have prepared for the start of Section 3-4A play with a demanding schedule.

The Trojans (3-2), who open section play Friday at East Allegheny, have played a pair of District 6 contenders in Forest Hills and Westmont Hilltop, as well as Class 6A Connellsville.

They lost to Westmont Hilltop, 58-54, and Forest Hills, 83-67. But they beat Connellsville, 64-52, as 6-7 Stanley Rajkovich, who is averaging a double-double, had 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Rajkovich has been dominating opponents with a multi-layered skill set that includes a pull-up jumper, the 3-ball and isolation moves off the dribble.

“I think we belong in the top five,” Derry coach Tom Esposito said. “We’re a battle-tested team. Westmont and Forest Hills will probably meet in the D-6 championship. Forest Hills has everybody back from that team that went 25-3 and lost to Aliquippa in the state quarterfinals.

“We have to continue to work and get better at all facets.”

Papuga still playing

Derry has a new assistant coach this season, but he won’t be around for long. Former Trojans player Nate Papuga is helping out before he takes on his next college venture.

Papuga, who felt dissatisfied after one season at Westmoreland County Community College, is going to play at Division III Penn College in Williamsport. He has three years of college eligibility remaining.

Penn plays in the United East Conference.

Bombs away

When Mark Katarski coached the Seton Hill women, the team became known for its bombs-away 3-point shooting. “3-ton Hill” once made 17 3s in a game.

Katarski is the Mt. Pleasant boys coach now, and the Vikings (2-2) are getting up shots. They made 14 3s Monday in a 62-46 win against Yough.

Section openers

Section play begins around the WPIAL on Friday night. Here are local games to watch: Section 2-6A — Connellsville at Norwin; Mt. Lebanon at Hempfield; Section 1-5A — Penn-Trafford at Franklin Regional; Section 3-4A — Derry at East Allegheny, West Mifflin at Belle Vernon, Yough at Greensburg Salem; Section 1-2A — Jeannette at California.

Westmoreland Christian wins 2

Westmoreland Christian Academy won a pair of games at The Champion Challenge at Champion Christian School.

Dante Ditch led four Eagles in double figures with 23 points in a 66-38 win over Champion Christian School. Titus Kail (12), Hunter Morrison (12) and Joey Drekler (10) also contributed to the victory.

Kaleb Dean had 14, and Landon Reed scored 11 for Champion.

Later the same day, WCC followed with a 34-26 victory over Calvary Baptist. Ditch scored 15.

Trent Rattigan led Calvary with 17.

Layup lines

Both Hempfield teams scored 44 points in wins Tuesday at Fox Chapel. … Greensburg Salem will play Elizabeth Forward twice this season in Section 3-4A play. Elizabeth Forward is coached by Greensburg Salem alum and former standout player Nolan Larry. … Belle Vernon has scored 65 or more points three times, including an 87-point game against Bethel Park. … Ligonier Valley is averaging 71.2 points. The Rams dropped a 74-72 game to Laurel Highlands in triple overtime.

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

Tags: Belle Vernon, Derry Area, Franklin Regional, Hempfield, Jeannette, Latrobe, Mt. Pleasant