With section championship behind them, Gateway boys eye WPIAL playoff goals

By: Michael Love
Sunday, February 12, 2023 | 11:01 AM

The Gateway boys basketball team again is a section champion, claiming its first such crown since 2017.

While that was a major goal for the Gators this season, coach Alvis Rogers said it’s just one step on their journey to their ultimate championship destinations.

“The guys are excited,” Rogers said. “There is so much still to accomplish. They feel confident they can make a run to win a WPIAL championship and then onto states. We still have a lot of work to do to get ready. Hopefully, things will fall into place.”

Gateway was to cap its section schedule Friday at home against Latrobe before closing out the regular season Monday against Butler, just a few hours after the WPIAL playoff brackets were to be revealed on the TribLIVE High School Sports Network.

Rogers, who spoke prior to the game with Latrobe, said he felt good about where his team stood going into the playoffs based not only on its play within the section but in its nonsection schedule against some top WPIAL talent.

The nonsection slate started with a season-opening win over Chambersburg and also included victories over Central Catholic, Woodland Hills and Belle Vernon.

The Gators also challenged Laurel Highlands and highly touted West Virginia football recruit Rodney Gallagher and came up just short in a 59-56 setback to the Class 4A power Mustangs.

Laurel Highlands was 18-2 overall heading into its clash with Uniontown last Friday.

“It’s that time of the year where anything can happen,” Rogers said. “Everyone heads into the playoffs with an opportunity and a clean slate.”

Gateway showed that last year as it garnered the No. 6 seed in Class 5A after a 13-5 overall record in the regular season and a runner-up section finish to Penn Hills. It upset No. 3 Mars, 66-61, in the quarterfinals.

The Gators continued their march in the PIAA tournament, taking out District 9 champion DuBois, District 3 third-place Hershey, and WPIAL champion Laurel Highlands before falling to New Castle in the state semifinals.

Gateway makes its fourth straight trip to the WPIAL playoffs.

“There are a lot of great teams and great players in Class 5A,” senior guard Jaydon Carr said.

“It won’t be easy, no matter who we play. But I think we are ready and can beat anyone we face.”

The Gators were smarting after a 30-point loss at Penn Hills on Jan. 24 and a six-point section setback to McKeesport on senior night three days later.

But they regrouped and finished off the section crown with consecutive section wins over Penn-Trafford, 67-50; Kiski Area, 66-53 (OT); and Franklin Regional, 62-43.

The win over the Panthers on Feb. 7 put the Gators at 14-5 overall heading into the matchup with Latrobe.

Gateway’s game against Kiski Area didn’t start out too well as the Gators fell behind 23-5 after the first quarter. But while there were still three quarters left, Gateway needed just one to make it all the way back.

It outscored Kiski, 21-4, in the second quarter and trailed by just one at the half. The teams played even in the second half, and the game went into overtime where the Gators outscored the Cavaliers, 14-1.

“Kiski went on their run, and we went on ours,” senior guard Kaleb Pryor said.

“Basketball is just a game of runs. Then we just stuck together and were disciplined. We cut down our mistakes from earlier in the game and were able to get the win.”

Pryor finished with a game-best 22 points, Carr added 17, and Sherrod scored 14.

The McKeesport loss was a bittersweet moment for the team as the setback came on the heels of a senior-night ceremony honoring Carr, Pryor, Sherrod, Tra Williams, MJ Stevenson and Dallas Harper.

“They have poured their hearts out for this program,” Rogers said.

“They’ve worked so hard every day in practice, and also in the offseason. They wanted their final year to be special. A lot of them play AAU basketball, so they’ve put in the time in a number of ways. They are not just good players, but they also are good, competitive and respectful kids. They want to win. They saw what they did last year. They want to close out their careers with another nice playoff run.”

For Pryor, this postseason is a special one. Last year, in his first varsity season with the Gators, he was ruled ineligible for the playoffs after transferring back to Gateway from Norwin.

“It is definitely some personal motivation and also being there for my brothers this year,” Pryor said.

“It was so tough to watch them in the playoffs last year and not be able to be out there on the court with them. There’s a lot of hunger and ambition built up inside me to help us get on a run and get to the WPIAL championship.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Gateway