Westmoreland County Senior Spotlight: Greensburg Central Catholic’s Cara Dupilka

By: Anthony DiFilippo
Monday, January 22, 2024 | 9:57 AM

It has been a strong season for Greensburg Central Catholic’s girls basketball team.

With a roster filled with talent, the Centurions started 10-4 with a 6-0 section record.

One of those gifted individuals, Cara Dupilka, likes the way her final high school year on the hardwood is going.

“We’re playing a tough schedule loaded with talented teams this season. We’re hoping this prepares us for our section schedule and the playoffs,” Dupilka said. “The perfect section record so far is the product of our practice and preparation up to this point.”

Outside of the section, the Class 2A Centurions have played their share of big schools, beating 6A Altoona, Canon-McMillan and Upper St. Clair.

Dupilka recognized those wins but kept her thoughts forward-thinking.

“Those games are all part of our overall goal to prepare us to be competitive down the stretch and come playoff time,” she said.

She kept that mindset when looking at both her personal and team goals for the remainder of her senior season.

“My personal goals mirror our team goals: win our section, make a run at the WPIAL title and go as far as we can in the state playoffs,” Dupilka said.

The final stretch is not going to be easy for GCC, with seven more Section 3-2A games to play.

Serra Catholic, Winchester Thurston and Clairton are within striking distance of the section crown.

Mya Morgan and Erica Gribble do a good chunk of the scoring for GCC, but the contributions of that dynamic duo shouldn’t undermine the impact that Dupilka has night in and night out.

“I try and do the things that are within my control: defense, rebounding, energy and effort,” Dupilka said. “Hopefully, those things set me up to score when they need me to.”

Dupilka plans to play basketball at Saint Vincent, and she’s going to be a part of a newly developed nursing program there.

This week, Dupilka took some time for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:

How did you get started with basketball?

I started around fourth grade, playing Latrobe Rec and travel league along with the CYO League.

What’s it like being surrounded by a lot of talent on the court?

We have great players from top to bottom. (Gribble, Morgan and senior Avery Davis) are great all-around players, Jayla Peterson, Erica Rodriguez and Abby Dlugos are fierce competitors and our younger girls give us their best in practice every day. GCC is going to be strong for years to come.

What do you have to do to come out on top in a strong section?

Our section is very competitive, and every team we face has great players. It seems like all our opponents get up for the games with us, and we always get their best efforts. We have to continue to play our game and give those teams our best effort. If we do that, we’ll be tough to beat.

What did the recruitment process look like for you?

My relationship with the Saint Vincent coaches started years ago, going to games, attending their camps and talking to current and former players. Coach (Jimmy) Petruska and his staff stress leadership and accountability and always get the most out of the players they recruit. When they offered me an opportunity to be a part of their team and family, I jumped at it.

What is one thing that people might not know about you?

Once basketball season finishes, I jump into track and field and lacrosse season. Basketball and lacrosse have a natural overlap skill-wise, and track is a great release for me.

Tags: Greensburg C.C.