Westmoreland H.S. athletes of the week: Franklin Regional’s Gianni Diacopoulos and Tatum Gretz

By: Andrew John
Tuesday, October 8, 2019 | 8:06 PM

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Gianni Diacopoulos

School: Franklin Regional

Sport: Soccer

Class: Junior

Claim to fame: Diacopoulos earned two shutouts for Franklin Regional (12-0-1, 11-0-1) this past week. Franklin Regional defeated West Mifflin, 5-0, and Chartiers Valley, 5-0, in Section 4-AAA. Franklin Regional has 10 shutouts this season.

“Last week was a pretty good week for us. We played two good games. A lot of credit goes to the defense since they block a lot of shots. We have good chemistry. We’ve played together since we’ve been little. It’s been fun playing with them,” Diacopoulos said.

What has been the key to the team’s success?

We have a lot of good strategy, and a lot of it goes to the chemistry we have with each other. Without the chemistry, a lot of it would fall apart when we face adversity.

What has it been like to take over for Jeremy Lucas, who’s a volunteer coach?

It’s good for me to have a good mentor, and I’d like to follow in his steps. He wants me to stay confident and know what’s going on in the game.

What has been the message to the team as you continue to post shutouts?

We always go in with the same mentality. We stay focused and don’t goof around in warm-ups and training. If you do, then you don’t have the mentality to play a good game.

What’s your favorite subject and why?

Math. It has a lot to deal with comprehension. If you learn one thing, you use it for the entire year in math class.

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Tatum Gretz

School: Greensburg Central Catholic

Sport: Soccer

Class: Sophomore

Claim to fame: Gretz, a Villanova commit, scored three goals to lead Greensburg Central Catholic (8-3, 7-1) to a 7-3 win over Serra Catholic on Saturday in Section 1-A. Gretz has 12 goals this season.

“I thought my performance was really good in the last game because I had a lot of breakaways and opportunities,” Gretz said.

What made you commit to Villanova?

I’ve always loved Villanova. It has been a dream of mine to play for Villanova. I’ve gone to their camps. I love the campus. I love their coaches. When they gave me the offer, I couldn’t not accept it.

What has been the difference from your freshman to sophomore year?

I think I was getting better last year in terms of goals. But it’s coming along.

What did the team learn from the three-game losing streak?

I think we’re improving a lot. They were all really good games. I think the team is coming together and taking everything more seriously. We don’t want to lose another game. We are coming out a lot stronger

With coach Ashley Davis on maternity leave, how have things been with coach Bri Guy leading the team?

Everything has been really good. There hasn’t been a big difference. They are both very different in the way they coach. Coach Bri has helped us come together as a team, and she has us play different formations.

If you weren’t playing soccer, what sport would you play and why?

Track. I used to run track to help with my running. I wanted to run to build up my endurance.

Tags: Franklin Regional, Greensburg C.C.