Westmoreland athletes of the week: Belle Vernon’s Aaron Brown, Ligonier Valley’s Mia Lynn

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, October 25, 2017 | 11:18 PM

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Aaron Brown

School: Belle Vernon

Sport: Soccer

Class: Junior

Claim to fame: Brown, who has 12 goals and 11 assists this season, scored two goals to lead No. 8 Belle Vernon (14-4-1) to a 4-1 win over No. 9 Hampton in the first round of the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs Oct. 21.

“We played well overall and played well offensively,” he said. “We played really well together as a team. Coach (Rob Miele) is really happy. He has been coaching us hard since the summer. It all paid off on Saturday.”

What has been the message to the team going into the playoffs?

Don't let it be a repeat from last year. If we play as a team, no one can beat us. Our leaders on and off the field are really good people and show really good leadership.

How does it feel to advance in the playoffs after the team lost in the first round last season?

Getting that first playoff win in a long time is really good. We just knew we weren't going to let it happen again this year with a new coach. It feels really good to win.

What did the team learn from the late-season losses?

After losing a couple of games in a row, we just had to think about the next game and not look into the past. It really helps with the players' and coaches' attitude.

What is it like to play alongside someone like Markello Apodiakos?

We go way back. We have been playing since I was 4. If you give him the ball, he will give it back. You know if he's with us, we are going to do something special.

What do you like the most about Boy Scouts?

It's fun. I enjoy going camping and being a leader. I'm one of the oldest in my troop. It's really great to help the younger ones in the community.

Mia Lynn

School: Ligonier Valley

Sport: Soccer

Class: Junior

Claim to fame: Lynn, who leads the team with 19 goals and 13 assists this season, scored three times to lead Ligonier Valley (8-5-4) to a 3-0 win over United in Heritage Conference action Oct. 17. She also netted a hat trick in Tuesday's 3-0 win over Forest Hills in the opening round of the District 6-AA playoffs.

“I really just wanted to focus on getting the win for the seniors. We just wanted to show United we had a fluke performance on senior night,” Lynn said. “This year, I wanted to focus on mentally preparing for games. I also wanted to focus on my shot.”

How does it feel making the District 6 playoffs this season?

It's a really good feeling. We were way more prepared for the game this year. We wanted to show what we could do as a team.

What did the team learn from last year that could be applied to this year?

I think we learned we didn't put in all that we had. We have been putting in a full 80 minutes for all of the games. Last year, we weren't doing that for all of the games.

What is your favorite sport, soccer or basketball?

Soccer has been my favorite sport. I like a lot of action. Soccer just flows better on the field for me. I like the atmosphere when a person scores a goal. There's a different environment on the soccer field than the basketball court.

Who is your favorite soccer player?

Mia Hamm. She has set so many records for the women's program professionally. She grew up playing against a lot of guys. She has shown that anyone can play with anyone as long as you stay true to yourself.

What is your favorite candy?

Kit Kats. I don't really like hard candy. I just love chocolate because it's sweet. The Kit Kat gives it more of a crunch.

— Andrew John

Tags: Belle Vernon, Ligonier Valley