Upper St. Clair, Chartiers Valley lead list of Almanac all-stars
Robbins earns MVP honors
The high school boys basketball season is history but the memories live on at Upper St. Clair and Chartiers Valley. The two squads enjoyed one of the finest campaigns in their respective school’s programs. Both teams captured WPIAL championships and advanced to the semifinals in the PIAA tournament. The Panthers finished 26-3 overall while the Colts compiled a 26-4 mark.
So it comes as no surprise that USC and CV dominate this year’s Almanac Elite Eleven list. The all-star squad was selected based on player performances, games watched by staff and a survey of the area coaches. Each was asked to supply nominations and supporting data, specifically stats. All players nominated for The Almanac All-Star team received recognition, whether as a member of the Elite Eleven, honorable mention or players to watch.
Tyler Robbins was the consensus choice for Player of the Year.
For the second straight season, the 6-foot, 10-inch senior led Upper St. Clair to a district Class 5A crown. He averaged 15 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocked shots per game. He shot 57 percent from the field and converted 16, 3-point field goals. Last year as a junior, he managed 13.6 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.5 blocks.
“Tyler was a dominant player on offense and defense,” said USC skipper Dan Holzer. “His ability to score and pass on offense for a forward was tremendous.”
That ability led to dramatic wins for the Panthers.
For example, his dunk with 1.2 seconds left in overtime catapulted USC to victory, 51-49, over McDowell in the quarterfinals of this year’s PIAA tournament. He finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocked shots in the win.
Robbins also provided 12 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocked shots in USC’s win over New Castle, 65-43, in the WPIAL championship contest. In last year’s district final, he was the model of efficiency, converting 9 of 11 shots from the field and connecting on 4 of 6 from the free-throw line. He fired in 22 points, hauled in 12 rebounds and blocked 5 shots as the Panthers defeated Baldwin, 64-41, in the 2024 championship game.
A Miami of Ohio recruit, Robbins scored 855 career points. He also amassed 586 rebounds and 239 blocked shots.
“Tyler was an amazing player and person that will have a lasting impact on our program,” said Holzer. “On and off the court, he led by example. He affected games on both sides of the ball. Just his presence,” added Holzer.
Holzer, himself, has impacted the USC program.
Since his debut in 1996, Holzer has won more than 500 games. He reached that milestone on Dec. 10, 2024 when the Panthers defeated Norwin, 57-42. Holzer is only the 21st coach in WPIAL boys’ basketball history to top 500 career wins. He owns five WPIAL championships, including this year’s title, which came on the heels of the 2024 triumph.
“This one’s different because it’s back to back,” Holzer noted of the 2025 banner. “”We were preseason No. 1 by everybody. Everyone was gunning for us. We went wire to wire and that’s hard to do at any level in any sport.”
For keeping the Panthers on top of their game and leading them to their best-ever record, Holzer has been recognized as Almanac Coach Of The Year.
The Panthers did not reach the pinnacle with just Holzer at the helm and Robbins close to the hoop, they managed their two-year run thanks to Julian Dahlem. He started the past two seasons at point guard.
As the quarterback of the offense, the senior dished up 6 assists while averaging 6.6 markers. He also managed three steals on a defense that surrendered just 39.8 points per game, second lowest in the league.
“Julian was our engine on offense and our energy on defense,” Holzer said.
A standout on the gridiron, Dahlem has committed to play football at John Carroll University.
COLTS’ CORE
Under first-year head coach Corey Dotchin, Chartiers Valley returned to its winning ways of capturing championships. Two core players – Jayden Davis and Julian Semplice – contributed majorly to that comeback.
A senior, Davis finished his career as the second-leading scorer in school history with 2,211 points. He ranks 24th in WPIAL history. NBA guard T.J. McConnell owns the school record with 2,404 career points.
A four-year starter, Davis averaged 23.3 points per game. He also managed 3.1 steals, 3.8 assists and 6.1 rebounds. Davis converted 57 percent of his field goal attempts.
In leading the Colts to their fifth WPIAL championship, first since 2015, Davis scored a game-high 28 points and dished up 9 assists as Chartiers Valley defeated Peters Township, 73-66. He also had three steals in the Class 5A final.
A junior, Semplice pitched in 12.5 points per game for the Colts. He scored 13 points and grabbed a team-high 8 rebounds in CV’s WPIAL championship win.
PT PAIR
A trio of players helped Peters Township reach the WPIAL finals in Class 5A for the third time in school history and second time since 2023. The Indians, however, lost their bid for a title, falling to Chartiers Valley, 73-66. The Indians finished 19-9 overall after falling to West York in the PIAA state playoffs.
Dylan Donovan led PT’s attack. The junior guard averaged 18.9 points and also led the team in assists. He tossed in 10 tallies and dished up six assists in the district final.
“Dylan was an excellent shooter and a threat to score both inside and out,” said PT head coach Joe Urmann.
A senior, Nick McCullough supplied 9.5 points to PT’s attack. He led the Indians in the WPIAL final with 17 points. He also had four steals and two assists.
“Nick was an outstanding defender with a relentless motor,” Urmann said. “Dangerous transition player who can score at the rim,” he added.
A two-sport standout, McCullough will transition to the collegiate level, continuing his athletic career at Carnegie Mellon University, where his brother, Brendan, competes. On the gridiron too, he helped the Indians reach two district finals, winning a WPIAL title in 2023 and finishing runner-up in the state.
The Indians also had a standout sophomore in Jake Wetzel. The 6-8 forward garnered Almanac Rookie of the Year honors after he averaged 7.4 points a game. He also averaged 2.1 blocked shots.
“Jake provided rim protection,” said Urmann. “He improved exponentially as the season progressed. His skill set and physicality are evolving.”
Wetzel comes from good stock. His parents, Erica and Matt, both played the sport and his sister, Natalie, finished her career as the third top scorer in PT girls’ basketball history. She earned a scholarship to the University of Miami in Florida.
LEBO DUO
After a sensational sophomore season, where he gained Rookie of the Year acclaim, Liam Sheely suffered the junior jinx when he broke a bone in his arm during the preseason. Though he missed 12 games, Sheely roared back and led Mt. Lebanon to the semifinals in the WPIAL 6A playoffs. He converted 46 percent of his field goal attempts.
Sheely, who averaged 14.5 points during his breakout year, provided 17.6 tallies as the Blue Devils finished 19-9 overall.
Sam Diebert steadied the Blue Devils during Sheely’s absence and proved an anchor for the club. The senior averaged 13.4 points and grabbed 7 rebounds a game.
PLUS ONES
Tanner Pfeuffer from Bethel Park and Gavin Orosz from South Fayette complete The Almanac’s Top 10. Both are seniors and Orosz is a two-time pick on the all-star team.
After averaging 15 points and 3 rebounds as a junior, Orosz upped his game. He tossed in 16 points and grabbed five rebounds per game while also dishing up 3 assists and contributing 2 steals an outing for the Lions, who finished runner-up to Baldwin in Section 3 and 15-8 overall after a first-round exit in the WPIAL Class 5A tournament.
SF head coach David Mislan called Orosz a “coach’s dream” especially because of his commitment to the program. “It’s unmatched,” he said.
Mislan also added, “Gavins impressive stats do not tell the full story. He has the highest basketball IQ of any kid I have coached. He could impact the game at the defensive end of the floor with deflections and steals and disrupt as much as at the offensive end.”
Orosz, who scored 1,400 on his SAT, will study business at Penn State University.
Meanwhile, Pfeuffer will play football at Frostburg University. He was recruited as a quarterback, after passing for more than 6,000 career yards.
Pfeuffer though was a standout on the basketball court after returning to the sport as a junior. This winter, he averaged a team-high 12.7 points and 8.2 rebounds for the Black Hawks, who finished 7-14 overall this winter.
“Tanner played as a forward for us and led the team in scoring but he was also a tremendous leader in his captain role,” said BP head coach Rico Abbondanza.
HM LIST
Among the players garnering Honorable Mention recognition are: Niko Gidas, Jake Foster, Kaamil Jackson, Ryan Robbins from Upper St. Clair as well as Carter Gould from Mt. Lebanon.
A junior guard, Gould gained similar acclaim on the Big 5/6 All-Conference all-star list.
A senior, Gidas started at guard for the Panthers and averaged 9.1 points per game. He also led USC in 3-pointers with 59. He converted 40 percent from beyond the arc. “Niko developed into one of the best 3-point shooters in 6A,” said Holzer.
A senior, Foster averaged 7 points per game. According to Holzer, he was a “solid combo guard” for the Panthers all season.
A senior, Kaamil averaged 6 points per game. Kaamil was an athletic forward who made many key hoops in the postseason, said Holzer.
A sophomore, Robbins provided 7 points and 4 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-8 forward is the younger brother of Tyler and a standout lineman on the football team. Ryan is a dominant force on the block,” Holzer said. “He will be hard to handle as a junior and senior.”
PTW LIST
Among the Players To Watch are: Will Sabatos from Bethel Park; Luca Federico from Chartiers Valley; Jacob Zaber from Mt. Lebanon and Tyson Wright from South Fayette.
A sophomore guard, Sabatos came into the year with “zero” varsity experience and into pre-season training “quite late” because of an extended football season.
“It is very hard to immediately make an impact but Will became a great contributor for us,” said Abbondanza. “He developed into an outstanding scorer, with some outstanding moments, and into one of the more effective defenders for us.”
A freshman, Federico managed 8.3 points per game for the Colts. He also earned second team all-section honors in the Big 5/6 Conference voting.
A freshman, Zaber averaged 10 points per game for the Blue Devils.
Wright averaged 11 points and 5 rebounds for the Lions.
Almanac Boys Elite Eleven
FIRST TEAM
Tyler Robbins Upper St. Clair Senior 15 ppg. 8 rpg.
Jayden Davis Chartiers Valley Senior 23.3 ppg.
Dylan Donovan Peters Township Junior 18.9 ppg.
Gavin Orosz South Fayette Senior 16 ppg. 5 rpg.
Tanner Pfeuffer Bethel Park Senior 12.7 ppg 8.2 rpg.
SECOND TEAM
Julian Dahlem Upper St. Clair Senior 6.6 ppg. 6 assists
Sam Diebert Mt. Lebanon Senior 13.4 ppg. 7 rpg.
Nick McCullough Peters Township Senior 9.5 ppg.
Julian Semplice Chartiers Valley Junior 12.5 ppg.
Liam Sheely Mt. Lebanon Junior 17.6 ppg.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Tyler Robbins, Upper St. Clair
HONORABLE MENTION: Carter Gould – Mt. Lebanon; Niko Gidas, Jake Foster, Kaamil Jackson, Ryan Robbins – Upper St. Clair
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Jake Wetzel, Peters Township
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Will Sabatos – Bethel Park; Luca Federico – Chartiers Valley; Jacob Zaber – Mt. Lebanon; Tyson Wright – South Fayette
COACH OF THE YEAR Dan Holzer, Upper St. Clair