Upper St. Clair, Chartiers Valley dominate Almanac all-stars
Fans of television reruns and movie sequels would have enjoyed boys basketball this winter for the 2026 season was a virtual repeat of the 2025 campaign.
Upper St. Clair and Chartiers Valley reprised their success as both reached the semifinals in the PIAA state tournament. The Panthers and Colts also duplicated their showings on the local level, again capturing section banners and WPIAL championships.
With a veteran club, featuring four senior starters from a team that posted a 26-4 record in 2025, Corey Dotchin kept Chartiers Valley at the forefront in Class 5A. His Colts finished 26-3 overall after a one-point loss to West York, 45-44, in the state semifinals.
Under Danny Holzer, who has amassed over 500 victories and six WPIAL trophies since arriving on the scene in 1996, USC ended up 27-2 overall after falling to Central Dauphin, 55-52, in the semifinals of the Class 6A state semifinal game. The Panthers, who graduated eight seniors from a 26-3 squad in 2025, enjoyed a 23-game winning streak en route to capturing their third straight district banner and fourth WPIAL crown in six years.
So it comes as no surprise that the Panthers and the Colts dominated the 2026 edition of The Almanac’s boys basketball all-star team. Dotchin and Holzer have been named co-Coaches of the Year while USC’s standout center Ryan Robbins copped Most Valuable Player laurels. (See related article.) The all-star unit also includes two additional players from both USC and CV.
Julian Semplice and Luca Federico spearheaded the Colts’ efforts.
“They were our 1-2 punch,” Dotchin said. “They were equally important to our team and our success.”
Semplice embodied consistency. He averaged 14.7 points and dished up two assists per game. The senior also grabbed five rebounds an outing. An all-conference performer, he garnered Section 4 Player of the Year accolades.
“Julian was the motor that drove our team,” Dotchin said. “He was a great leader and made plays for us on both ends of the court.”
A sophomore, Federico led the Colts with a 15.8 scoring average. He also was tops in rebounding, pulling down six boards a game. He also dished up two assists.
Federico, who recently picked up a scholarship offer from La Salle, single-handedly controlled the action for the Colts during the WPIAL championship finals. The 6-foot-5 center exploded for 31 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Chartiers Valley to victory against Thomas Jefferson, 63-37, at the Petersen Events Center.
“Luca shined when the lights were the brightest,” Dotchin said. “He got the other team’s best defender but also would at times guard the other team’s best player as well.”
As dominant as Robbins was for USC, the Panthers relied on another key veteran as well as a newcomer to continue their reign at the Class 6A level.
A senior captain, Jake Foster ranked No. 2 on the team in scoring with 343 points. He averaged 11.8 points per game. Foster was the Panthers’ playmaker, dishing up 5.3 assists an outing.
A freshman, Andrew Gaither started every game for the Panthers. He averaged six points per game in garnering Almanac Rookie of the Year acclaim.
Dylan Donovan from Peters Township and Liam Sheely from Mt. Lebanon rounded out the first five on The Almanac’s all-star roster, which was selected with the input of the area coaches and with consideration of statistics as well as games played during the season.
A senior, Donovan leaves a legacy at Peters Township. In addition to surpassing the 1,000-point career mark this winter, Donovan became the all-time scoring leader in boys basketball history at the high school when he broke the record of 1,292 points scored by Eric Lang in 2000.
A four-year letter winner that played in two WPIAL championship games, Donovan averaged 19 points per game for the Indians, who posted a 16-7 record and qualified for the district playoffs.
In addition to leading the Indians in scoring, Donovan led the team in assists with 2.5 an outing.
Liam Sheely was not only Mt. Lebanon’s top scorer but he was a leader in the WPIAL with a 21.3-point average. The senior scored a career-high 39 points, 24 off eight, 3-point field goals, during a win against Bethel Park this season. Sheely also scored more than 1,000 points in his career.
Carter Gould joins Sheely on The Almanac all-star list as a second-team choice. A senior guard, he averaged 11.7 points and two assists per game. Gould, like Sheely, was a threat to score from beyond the arc, as well as an All-Section selection.
Jake Wetzel joins Donovan on the all-star roster. A junior center, he averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds for Peters Township. Wetzel, like Donovan, was an all-section selection. Last year, he was The Almanac’s Rookie of the Year.
On any other team, Julius Best would be a starter but Chartiers Valley utilized this senior’s talent off the bench. And, Best delivered. He averaged 11.7 points per game. He also dished up two assists each outing.
“Julius was the Sixth Man of the Year,” said Dotchin. “He brought a spark and energy off our bench. He embraced that role and made us a special team.”
Tyson Wright from South Fayette completes The Almanac’s Top Ten. A senior, he started every game for the Lions for the past two years. He averaged 12 points and six rebounds.
“He led our team in every category, points, rebounds, offensive rebounds and blocks,” said South Fayette coach David Mislan. “He works hard all the time and he’s the best leader a coach could ask for.”
Almanac Elite Eleven Basketball All-Stars
FIRST TEAM
NAME SCHOOL POSITION YEAR STATS
Dylan Donovan Peters Township Guard Senior 19 ppg. 2.5 assists
Luca Federico Chartiers Valley Forward Soph. 15.8 ppg. 6 rpg.
Ryan Robbins Upper St. Clair Center Junior 15.2 ppg. 11.2 rpg.
Julian Semplice Chartiers Valley Forward Senior 14.7 ppg. 5 rpg.
Liam Sheely Mt. Lebanon Guard Senior 21.3 ppg.
SECOND TEAM
NAME SCHOOL POSITION YEAR STATS
Julius Best Chartiers Valley Guard Senior 11.7 ppg. 2 assists
Carter Gould Mt. Lebanon Guard Senior 12.1 ppg. 2.1 assists
Jake Foster Upper St. Clair Guard Senior 11.8 ppg. 5.3 assists
Jake Wetzel Peters Township Center Junior 10 ppg. 8 rpg.
Tyson Wright South Fayette Forward Senior 12 ppg. 6 rpg.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER — Ryan Robbins, Upper St. Clair
Honorable Mention: Joe Parisi, Will Thomas – Bethel Park; Danny Slizik, Logan Helfrick – Chartiers Valley; Jacob Zaber – Mt. Lebanon; Jayden Greco – Peters Township; Owen Keener – South Fayette; Luke Marchinsky, Finn Beggy – Upper St. Clair
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR — Andrew Gaither, Upper St. Clair
Players to Watch: Josiah Martin – Bethel Park; Lucas Saxe – Peters Township
COACHES OF THE YEAR — Danny Holzer, Upper St. Clair & Corey Dotchin, Chartiers Valley