Trib HSSN boys basketball team of the week for Feb. 11, 2024

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, February 11, 2024 | 6:58 PM

Trib HSSN boys basketball team of the week: Beaver Bobcats

Coach: Casey Kaiser (third season)

Record: 8-4 in Section 2-4A, 12-9 overall

Last year: Beaver finished in third place in Section 2-4A with a record of 8-4, four games behind section champion Lincoln Park and two games behind second-place North Catholic. The Bobcats were the No. 9 seed in the 4A postseason and opened with a first-round loss at South Allegheny, 59-57. Beaver finished 17-5 overall, good for an eight-game improvement over the 2022 season in which they won nine games.

#Earned: The Bobcats entered last week in third place, two games behind North Catholic and only one game in front of fourth-place Central Valley. At Ambridge on Tuesday, Beaver led by seven points after the first quarter and held the same lead at halftime. The Bobcats came out flying in the third quarter, outscoring the Bridgers, 26-9, and eventually winning 78-65. Beaver lost to North Catholic by 15 points in their first meeting, but again jumped out to a lead at home after the opening quarter, 18-10. The Bobcats maintained the lead throughout and held on to upset the Trojans, 69-60.

Scoring stars: Junior Brady Mayo is one of the top scorers in the district. He is third in the WPIAL with 503 points and an average of 24 points per game. He scored 13 points in the victory over Ambridge and eclipsed his average by one when he dropped 25 points in the victory over North Catholic. Joining him in the big week for the Bobcats was junior Ty Butler, who scored 19 points in each victory last week, and junior Nick Krzeczowski who had 13 points against the Bridgers and scored 16 in the triumph over the Trojans.

Remember when: While Beaver is surrounded by school districts that have enjoyed great success in district boys hoops, such as Blackhawk, Central Valley, Rochester and Beaver Falls, the Bobcats have never won a WPIAL boys basketball championship. The Beaver girls basketball team claimed gold three years ago, winning the 2021 Class 4A crown. This year’s Bobcats squad is looking for the program’s first playoff win in more than a decade. The last time Beaver had success was in the 2013 Class 3A playoffs when it beat Indiana and Kittanning before falling to Chartiers Valley in the semifinals. The Bobcats’ season ended that year with a loss to General McLane in the second round of the PIAA playoffs.

2024 Trib HSSN Boys Basketball Teams of the Week

Week 5 – Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils

Week 4 – South Allegheny Gladiators

Week 3 – Central Catholic Vikings

Week 2 – Gateway Gators

Week 1 – Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions

Tags: Beaver