Westmoreland H.S. athletes of the week: Hempfield’s Sean Gordon, GCC’s Mya Morgan
By:
Saturday, February 12, 2022 | 8:18 PM
Sean Gordon
School: Hempfield
Sport: Basketball
Year: Senior
Claim to fame: Gordon, who is averaging 18.4 points and 7.5 rebounds this season, scored 17 points to lead Hempfield (7-13, 4-6) to a 50-42 win over Penn-Trafford in Section 3-6A action on Feb. 8. Gordon led Hempfield with 15 points in a 56-28 win over Greensburg Salem in section play Feb. 11. With the two wins, Hempfield qualified for the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs.
“Both wins were a result of a big team effort. We had a lot on the line. We could see my senior season go out the window, or we could go to the playoffs. It was a lot of fun,” Gordon said.
What are your college plans for next year?
I still haven’t decided at the moment. I’m deciding if I want to play basketball, volleyball or if I want to play a sport. I want to major in Actuarial Science, so I want to go to a school that has a good program.
What sport, basketball or volleyball, do you like the most?
It’s very hard to decide. I like to say I’m a basketball player in the winter and a volleyball player in the spring. I have a lot of fun with both.
What does it mean to qualify for the playoffs even after losing four straight in recent weeks?
Everyone knew everything was on the line. We needed to put everything out there. We gave it our all and pulled out the wins.
What’s been the biggest key to the back to back wins?
Our effort in the games, and we played as a team. A lot of guys really stepped up.
What’s the team’s mindset as you get ready for playoffs?
We are ready to play whoever we face in the first round of the playoffs. We are really excited to be playing and being able to play is pretty much all you can ask for.
Mya Morgan
School: Greensburg Central Catholic
Sport: Basketball
Year: Sophomore
Claim to fame: Morgan, who is averaging 13.6 points this season, scored 19 points to lead Greensburg Central Catholic (16-4, 10-0) to a 70-20 win over Jeannette in Section 4-2A on Feb. 10. She added 19 points in a 60-22 win over Apollo-Ridge in section play Feb. 7. Morgan led the Centurions with 17 points in a 51-10 win over Ellis in section play Feb. 8.
“It was good. I feel like as long as we work as a team, everyone gets their points and everyone plays well,” Morgan said.
What does it mean to be going back to the playoffs?
I hope we can make it a little bit further than we did last year. I feel like we have a chance to win it this year. I have faith in my team.
What’s it mean to win your first section title since 2018-19?
It was really exciting for all of us. We were happy for each other. It was a really positive moment for our team and our coaches. We have seven seniors on our team, and I think it was really exciting for them.
What’s the team’s mindset heading into the playoffs?
We’re trying to take it game-by-game. We want to focus on the games coming up and preparing for those.
What did the team learn from the close loss to Laurel?
Against Laurel, I feel like we weren’t as prepared as we were with other games. But we came back stronger in the next game.
How would you best describe your style of play?
I like to shoot the ball but drive from here and there. On defense, I like to press the ball and help out on rebounding. I always try to have a positive mindset.
Tags: Greensburg C.C., Hempfield
More Basketball
• WPIAL launches investigations into Baldwin, Imani Christian over ‘possible recruiting violations’• Penn Hills notebook: Basketball grad to play professionally in Ireland
• New coach Gabby Baldasare excited to fill big shoes with North Allegheny girls basketball
• Woodland Hills provides ‘right situation’ for Steve Scorpion’s 2nd chance as head coach
• Gene Brisbane resigns as Derry girls basketball coach