Westmoreland County boys basketball notebook: Teams set for WCCA Shootout

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, December 19, 2024 | 11:01 AM

Sixteen boys basketball teams will play in the sixth Westmoreland County Coaches Association Shootout on Saturday at two locations, Jeannette and Hempfield.

The annual event gives local fans a chance to see multiple county teams before the holidays.

The schedule is as follows:

At Hempfield — Southmoreland vs. Greensburg Salem, 9:45 a.m.; Burrell vs. Derry, 11:15 a.m.; Belle Vernon vs. Hempfield, 12:45 p.m.; Kiski Area vs. Greensburg Central Catholic, 2:15 p.m.

At Jeannette — Ligonier Valley vs. Yough, 9:45 a.m.; Latrobe vs. Monessen, 11:15 a.m.; Mt. Pleasant vs. Jeannette, 12:45 p.m.; Norwin vs. Valley, 2:15 p.m.

Rettger winners

Each year, the Mike Rettger Foundation awards two Franklin Regional seniors with a $2,000 scholarship in the late Panther athlete’s name.

This year’s winners were recognized during recent basketball games. Angelina Brush and Fin Hutchison were the latest recipients.

Both graduated last June and took their basketball talents to the college level, Brush at Westminster and Hutchison at Seton Hill.

Double trouble

Belle Vernon and West Mifflin played one of the more exciting, back-and-forth games of the season last week, with the Leopards pulling out a 92-82 win.

Belle Vernon showcased its offense, which has an explosive element to it. That was the pro.

Now the con: The defense gave up a season high for points against a winless team.

It was the most points the Leopards scored since putting up 98 against McKeesport in 2022 (98-73).

Seven players reached double figures in scoring, including Belle Vernon standout Zion Moore, who scored a season-high 40 points, including six 3-pointers. Curty Wade added 14 points, Tommy Davis 13 and Dominic Ghilani had 10.

For West Mifflin, three players combined for 69 points. Daven Reynolds had 34, Jose Perez 24 and Julian Dewberry 11.

The teams play again Jan. 13 at Belle Vernon.

Five of the Leopards’ first six games were on the road.

Pulling rank

Four Westmoreland teams are ranked by TribLive HSSN.

Greensburg Central Catholic remains No. 1, while Jeannette is No. 2, in Class 2A. GCC plays at Jeannette on Jan. 10.

The other ranked teams hail from the Mon Valley.

Belle Vernon is No. 3 in Class 4A, while Monessen checks in at No. 5 in Class A.

Friday night follows

The top local games to watch Friday include Central Catholic at Hempfield (Section 2-6A), Franklin Regional at Gateway (Section 1-5A), Burrell at Deer Lakes (Section 1-4A), Belle Vernon at Derry (Section 3-4A), Ligonier Valley at Mt. Pleasant (Section 4-3A), Charleroi at Southmoreland (Sectio 4-3A) and Riverview at Jeannette (Section 1-2A).

Layups

Latrobe senior guard Max Butler received a scholarship offer to play at Division II Coker College (S.C.). His brother, Landon, is a sophomore guard for the Cobras. … Greensburg Central Catholic scored 91 points in a win over Frazier. It was the most points the Centurions scored in a game since 2015 when they beat Summit Academy, 98-58.

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

Tags: Belle Vernon, Burrell, Derry Area, Franklin Regional, Greensburg C.C., Greensburg Salem, Hempfield, Jeannette, Kiski Area, Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Monessen, Mt. Pleasant, Norwin, Southmoreland, Valley, Yough