Westmoreland County Senior Spotlight: Greensburg Salem’s Braedon Leatherman

By: Anthony DiFilippo
Monday, December 16, 2024 | 10:12 AM

Last year, the Greensburg Salem boys basketball team finished 4-17, 2-8 in Section 1-4A.

Determined to turn things around, the program underwent several offseason changes.

One of the biggest shifts was the rehiring of coach Paul Sapotichne, who previously led the team from 1982-2011.

Senior Braedon Leatherman said the changes have sparked new motivation for the team.

“It motivated me a lot,” Leatherman said of the transition. “Given that we also got a new coach and a new system, it gave me and the whole team a much bigger motive just to be better.”

The group of players remained mostly intact, save for sophomore A.J. Tarpley, who transferred to Greensburg Central Catholic.

Leatherman, who is a one of the returning starters, is excited about getting the opportunity to work with both the familiar and new faces.

“I’m super confident in my teammates all the time,” Leatherman said. “We can only control what we can control.”

One of the largest challenges will be dealing with players who are unfamiliar with Sapotichne’s coaching style.

“I had heard multiple stories about him, and I had, obviously, heard he was an extremely successful coach,” Leatherman said. “I think that every story I’ve heard about him is true. He is already showing how much he’s cared in a very short amount of time.”

Greensburg Salem, now competing in Section 3-4A, is embracing a fresh start with Sapotichne’s new system.

The team opened the season with nonsection losses to Connellsville (66-63) and powerhouse Greensburg Central Catholic (81-45), but Leatherman sees these games as critical for growth.

“In the first game, we got a lot of good looks. The ball just wasn’t going in,” Leatherman said. “We just need to be more patient and more confident and trust each other.”

In total, Greensburg Salem plays three nonsection games before jumping into section play.

“Oh, they’re extremely vital because, obviously, we got a new coach, so we have to be able to learn the system and be smooth with the system,” Leatherman said. “So the beginning-of-the-season games are extremely important for those section games.”

Leatherman wants to play baseball after high school but hasn’t committed anywhere. His major is undecided as well.

This week, Leatherman took some time for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:

How did you get started with basketball?

I was in fourth grade, and some of my best friends were playing basketball. I mean, I was also a lot taller than every kid in my grade, so I just tried it out and went through with it.

What are your team and personal goals for the rest of the year?

For myself, I would say I want to be the leader that this team needs. Then, as a team and as a whole, obviously, we’d want Coach Paul to get that 400th win. We want to make the playoffs and try to make a run.

How do you balance playing basketball and baseball?

It’s a lot, but it takes a lot of commitment. Sometimes even practicing baseball during basketball season, because I have to be prepared, because pretty much right when basketball season ends, I’m straight into baseball.

Is there anything from one sport that helps with the other?

The conditioning in basketball. Given that I’m a pitcher, coach (Anthony) Manley, my baseball coach, likes to make me run a little bit. So the conditioning and basketball help out with that a lot.

What’s one thing that people don’t know about you?

I would say that I really love to watch and play volleyball. My girlfriend plays volleyball, so practicing with her, I kind of gained a liking for it a lot. Obviously, I like hitting the ball.

Tags: Greensburg Salem