Valley boys look forward to productive offseason

By: George Guido
Monday, February 28, 2022 | 9:01 AM

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John Stone’s first year as Valley’s boys basketball coach didn’t produce a leap in the standings.

But Stone feels the program soon could be headed in the right direction.

The Vikings finished 1-11 in Section 3-3A, 1-21 overall. The one victory was a 59-57 win over playoff-bound Steel Valley that ended a 22-game losing streak.

“Looking at the way it went, the younger players bought into what we want to do a lot faster than the older ones,” Stone said. “It’s a process, and we have to find ways to get out of the losing atmosphere.”

One off-court victory Stone and school officials can look to is the fact all players remained academically eligible throughout the season.

“Every student remained eligible,” Stone said “Part of the process is getting them to understand that academics are important, and we made sure that was taken care of.”

There were no serious injuries or covid-related setbacks.

Stone, who teaches in the technology department at Central Catholic, wasn’t hired until September, so he quickly had to play catch-up to the other teams in the section.

“We had to come in and build quickly in what we wanted to install,” Stone said. “The other teams in the section had their stuff in, so we had to quickly prepare.”

It didn’t help Valley that the other teams in the section were senior-oriented. The likes of Shady Side Academy, Ligonier Valley, South Allegheny and Steel Valley had played numerous games together while Valley was constantly looking for the right combination.

Nothing in the way the section played out was a surprise to Stone.

“Anybody on any night can show up and beat you, whether it’s on the elementary level or the NBA,” Stone said.

The Vikings will lose senior starters Ben Aftanas, the leading scorer at about 16 points per game, and forward B.J. Harvey.

Stone had made it clear to the returning players they have the opportunity to step in and make their mark instead of waiting on the bench for a chance.

“Everyone’s on a level playing field,” the Central Catholic graduate said. “I feel like the spring, summer and fall will be very competitive. It will be a different kind of atmosphere in practice where you hope someone steps up. But you have to do it on your own.”

As for the offseason, Stone is in the process of putting together an itinerary for his returnees in about four to six weeks that centers around getting into the gym a couple nights a week for those not playing other sports.

It’s part of the process.

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