Penn-Trafford basketball teams set for season’s stretch run

By: Paul Schofield
Sunday, February 4, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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It’s crunch time for the Penn-Trafford girls and boys basketball teams.

The regular season comes to an end Feb. 10 and both teams are in the running for WPIAL playoff spots with strong finishes.

As of Feb. 1, the Penn-Trafford girls (13-5, 6-3) were in third place behind Oakland Catholic (19-0, 10-0) and McKeesport (15-2, 7-1) in Section 3-5A. Oakland Catholic is ranked No. 1 in the state.

The Warriors had four games remaining, including three section games: Oakland Catholic (Feb. 1), McKeesport (Feb. 5) and at Latrobe (Feb. 8). They owned a two-game lead on both Latrobe (9-10, 4-5) and Thomas Jefferson (7-11, 4-5).

“We have some big games down the stretch, so we’d like to enhance our seeding if we can pull off some wins,” Penn-Trafford coach John Giannikas said.

The Warriors are led by senior Olivia Pepple, who recently surpassed the 1,000-point milestone.

The other veterans playing a key role in the team’s success are senior Elle Visco, junior Lauren Marton and junior Kamryn Pieper.

The other starter is sophomore Hanna Weishaar.

The team has picked up the slack after the loss of sophomore Tori DeStefano, who was injured early in the season.

“Everyone has picked it up,” Giannikas said. “Everyone has accepted the challenge with the loss of Tori. It started with the veterans. They are being leaders. The younger players have also picked up their games.”

Entering the game against Oakland Catholic, the Warriors had won six consecutive games. They hoped to keep the streak going, but knew it wouldn’t be easy because of the schedule.

“We knew we had a chance at being pretty good,” Giannikas said. “We had to change things when we lost Tori. It took a while, but everyone is getting more comfortable with their jobs. They continue to work hard.”

Others that have contributed to the team’s improved play include sophomore Olivia Weishaar, junior Paige Temple, junior Bella Klobucar and freshman Isabella Fontana, who is currently sidelined with an injury.

The Penn-Trafford boys found themselves in a three-way tie for third place in Section 3-5A with Kiski Area (12-6, 3-4) and Latrobe (8-10, 3-4).

The Warriors (9-10, 3-4) recently snapped a four-game losing streak by defeating Gateway on the road, 54-52.

Penn-Trafford trailed Franklin Regional (16-2, 6-1) and Gateway (12-6, 5-2).

The Warriors had three games remaining: McKeesport (Feb. 2), Latrobe (Feb. 6) and at Kiski Area (Feb. 9).

Seniors Tyler Freas, Jason Sabol and Carmen Metcalfe lead the Warriors, while other contributors include senior Ian Temple, junior Brayden Stone, junior Tyler Anthony and junior Evan Gross.

Freas is averaging 18.7 points per game, while Metcalfe and Sabol have been battling injuries.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Penn-Trafford