Penn-Trafford boys not shying from tough section

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, December 2, 2017 | 7:18 PM

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Junior guard Kevin Stinelli said he didn't mind when the Penn-Trafford basketball team saw an uptick in competition last season with the PIAA expanding to six classifications.

For one thing, the Warriors weren't going to have to worry about being tested.

“It was good coming in last year as a young player knowing that our team would be playing some of the best teams,” said Stinelli, who led the team with 12 points per game. “Our team knew that we had to come out and compete every game because every game was going to be a battle.”

Leaving those matchups with more victories will be the riddle Penn-Trafford tries to solve this season. The Warriors, who finished 5-16 last season, had a hard enough time gaining entry to the postseason in the four-class system.

When the WPIAL's realignment placed Fox Chapel and Penn Hills — perennial contenders for section crowns — into Penn-Trafford's section, the task of making the playoffs became harder.

The Warriors, who had only two seniors on their roster, had a difficult time keeping up, finishing 1-13 in section and losing their final six games.

That's a trend senior guard CJ Destefano wants to immediately reverse. Penn-Trafford opens the season against Greensburg Central Catholic on Friday at the Hempfield Tournament.

“It was pretty tough last year due to the experience that most teams had, and we were such a young team,” Destefano said. “I think this year we will have a lot more possessions than last year.”

The Warriors averaged 58.2 points last season and allowed opponents to score 67.9. Penn-Trafford, which missed the postseason for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign, only had one victory over a 6A opponent, a 55-53 win over Norwin.

Penn-Trafford doesn't have any players listed taller than 6-foot-3. Sean Kelly, a 6-1 senior guard, knows what that means.

“We could improve on defense and rebounding,” Kelly said. “We are not a very big team, so we need to have everyone on the floor crashing the boards to eliminate second-chance opportunities.”

Working as a group will be a must.

“We're all close as a team, and that helps with our chemistry on the court,” Destefano said.

“For this season, our defense has to be on point every game since we do have a small roster. Same with our rebounding. Also, we have to move the ball to get our key guys in position to make plays for the rest of the team.”

Josh Rizzo is a freelance writer.

Tags: Penn-Trafford