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Whitlock centerpiece for Belle Vernon

3 min read
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A year ago, the Belle Vernon Area boys basketball team was the WPIAL Class 4A runner-up and came up a basket short of making the PIAA quarterfinals.

Gone are four starters, but coach Joe Salvino has all-section point guard Devin Whitlock back and the team will be built around the junior.

“Devin is Devin,” Salvino said while smiling about Whitlock, who is on pace to go over 1,000 career points early in the season. “He is a kid who is going to compete against you no matter who you are, how big you are or how strong you are.

“His athletic abilities are a plus and when he does something, other players see him lead by example and the team feeds off of him.”

Senior guard Jake Haney made a few spot starts a year ago and has shown glimpse of scoring abilities, especially from the outside.

Three juniors are filling out the starting lineup to begin the season in guard Daniel Gordon, small forward Tyler Kovatch and power forward Joe Klanchar.

“Daniel brings a lot to the outside game and Tyler is a good defensive player,” Salvino said. “Joe is going to have to handle the inside for us as we don’t have a lot of great height but hopefully we use our athleticism.”

Three key reserves are junior forward Tommy Kovatch, junior guard Logan Cunningham and 6-2 freshman Quinton Martin, who Salvino said doesn’t have a specific position.

“Quinton is coming along and can play the point, shooting guard or small forward,” he said.

Martin is a stud athlete who has already received college football offers.

When asked about his expectations, he said that he hopes the players have set expectations for themselves.

“From what we did last year, I am hoping the players expectations are very high,” he said. “They have seen what has to be done to get to a certain point.

“This group is more of a group that concentrates on everything they do, meaning when it is football season, they focus on football and when it is basketball season, they focus on hoops.”

Salvino said North Catholic and Lincoln Park will probably be the top teams in Class AAAA, and he broke down Section 3-AAAA.

“EF is going to be good and Uniontown with their athletic ability, will be good,” Salvino said. “Southmoreland and Mount Pleasant are new to section, and we know about South Park and Yough.”

When asked about what it will take to have a successful season, Salvino did not hesitate.

“Staying healthy is a big key and we are doing what has to be done,” he said. “We will have to put a lot of effort into the defensive end.

“We lack height, so we have to push the ball up and down the floor, take good shots, box out and rebound.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every team and Salvino said he wishes the season would start in January.

“We could play each section team twice a week to keep teams away from each other,” he said. “But this is a very different year, and after 37 years, I didn’t think I would be (coaching under these circumstances).”

BVA has been practicing with the varsity and JV teams apart from each other.

“We are being as safe as possible, sanitizing balls and doing whatever we need to do,” he said. “But we have some really good young players with size and in time, they may be able to move up.”

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