Westmoreland basketball notebook: Prep work paying off for Derry boys

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, December 20, 2018 | 7:15 PM

Preparation is everything for Derry boys basketball. The Trojans aren’t sparing a single detail this season.

From the four-page scouting report each player gets days before every game, to intensive film-breakdown, first-year coach Tom Esposito has his team doing its homework on opponents.

“A lot has changed since the last time I coached here,” said Esposito, who guided Derry from 1999-2006 before taking an extended break from coaching. “We used to use VHS tapes. Now, anyone can watch Hudl.”

Derry, which started 4-1, is barely finished with one game and Esposito and his assistants are game-planning for the next one.

“For us to be successful we need all five guys working together and knowing teams’ tendencies and what they do. I couldn’t be more proud of how our kids have played so far. Who knows how much success we’ll have this year but I like the way we’re playing.”

Showcase a success

The Westmoreland County Coaches Association Boys Basketball Showcase made a smooth debut last weekend at Hempfield, leading organizers and coaches to believe they will have the event again next season.

Hempfield coach Bill Swan played a key role in getting the shootout off the ground.

“Coach Swan did an excellent job with the showcase; it was something nice for the teams and fans to come out and see some local teams play,” Greensburg Salem coach Mark Zahorchak said.

Swan said the one-day event was a large undertaking and hopes it can possibly rotate to other county schools in the future.

Organizers also are mulling the idea for a girls showcase down the road.

Bigs still exist

True frontcourt players, legitimate forwards and centers, have long been forgotten in some sectors of basketball, including the high school game. Modern-day “bigs” like to shoot from the perimeter, defend away from the rim and run the floor like guards.

But there are a few big guys who remain true to their heritage in Westmoreland. Three 6-foot-7-ish players who are making an impact include Derry senior John Kerr, Ligonier Valley senior Marrek Paola and Franklin Regional junior Johnny O’Toole.

Kerr and Paola are scoring around 23 points a game to go with a boatload of rebounds. O’Toole has played into the flow of a balanced Panthers team but, like the other two players, has been an effective shot-blocker.

Paola had 32 points and 20 rebounds against Kiski Area. Kerr went for 26 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks against Greensburg Central Catholic.

“I feel like I can do a lot of things and our guards look for me,” Kerr said. “We have all worked hard to play faster.”

Many hoped Kerr and Paola would meet in the season-opening Derry tip-off tournament but the teams were not paired in the round-robin event.

P-T hits the road

Penn-Trafford’s boys team is off to a blazing start, their best in more than 15 years.

The Warriors, who are averaging 67.5 points, took a 4-0 record into the four-day Kreul Classic in Coral Springs, Fla., where they will test their skills against some high-level competition. They opened against Class 8A Mater Academy Charter, out of Hialeah Gardens, Fla.

Penn-Trafford is playing in the “No. 94 Challenge” bracket with Fort Lauderdale, Pine Crest, Piper, Copper Hills, Pine Crest and Taravella.

Top scorers

Latrobe senior Reed Fenton and Greensburg Salem senior Megan Kallock have the top individual scoring performances so far this season in Westmoreland, both with 42 points.

Fenton hit the number on a season-opening, 90-70 win over Altoona in the Canon-McMillan tip-off tournament. In that game, Fenton tied former teammate Austin Butler’s single-game school record with 10 3-pointers.

Kallock had 42 Monday in a 68-64 loss to Burrell.

Bill Beckner is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Bill at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Derry Area, Franklin Regional, Greensburg Salem, Hempfield, Ligonier Valley, Penn-Trafford