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Peters Township looking for improvement this season

By Eleanor Bailey almanac Sports Editor ebailey@thealmanac.Net 3 min read
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Work is a four-letter word that rolls off the tongues of the members of the Peters Township boys’ basketball team. For the Indians know if they are to reach their modest goals this season, they must toil.

“Our expectations are to make the playoffs,” said Gary Goga, whose squad just missed a post-season berth with a 5-5 showing in Section 2, 6-A last winter. “In order to achieve our goals, we have to work hard.”

That shouldn’t be too difficult as the Indians, still smarting from a 13-9 overall campaign in 2016-17, return the makings of a winner. Coupled with their strengths, they welcome back three starters, two of them among their leading scorers.

A 6-1 junior, Dax Ploskina averaged 11 points per game in his first full year as a varsity starter. A 6-2 senior guard, Conor Pederson managed 10 points per game. Grant Mocharko is the other veteran. The 6-6 center averaged 5 points and 4 rebounds as a junior.

The Indians, however, must make up for the losses of Matt Thelk and Mike Cortese to graduation. Cortese led Peters in scoring with a 15.5 average.

Vinnie Cortese, a 5-9 junior guard, and especially Sam Petrarca, a 6-2, sophomore guard, could make up the difference.

“Sammie has really come into his own,” Goga said. “He has lots of potential.”

With Sean Werner in the line-up, Peters also has the potential to be a force inside. Of the 6-5 junior, Goga said, “Sean will be a big part of the team on both ends. He and Grant (Mocharko) playing together at times give us a look we haven’t had for a long time.”

Goga, likewise, hasn’t had so many talented reserves. He expects John Brucker, Luke Fountaine, Colin Cote, Dan Boehme, Matt Stuck and Max McCaig to make key contributions. Fountaine, Cote and McCaig are all sophomores. McCaig and Cote are twin towers at 6-4. Brucker is a senior forward while Boehme, a sophomore, and Stuck, a senior, are both guards.

“Those guys play hard and provide us with depth,” Goga said.

He then expounded upon his team’s overall strengths.

“We can shoot it,” he said. “We have a little bit of size and we have a good group of kids. We also have some experience mixed in with youth.”

As the Indians head into their tip-off tournament where they will host Thomas Jefferson at 8 p.m. Dec. 8 and West Allegheny at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 9, Goga is focused on the little aspects that will define his team’s success through the course of the season.

“We must rebound, defend and get better, everybody,” said Goga of what his team needs to do in order to achieve expectations. “We have to work hard on both ends of the court.”

After hosting Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic on Dec. 12, Peters Township embarks on section action on the road, facing Bethel Park on Dec. 15 and Baldwin on Dec. 22. The Indians expect their biggest test, however, after the New Year, when they travel to Mt. Lebanon for a 7:30 p.m. tip on Dec. 12. The Blue Devils are the defending section champions. However, Lebo finished only one game better than the Indians with an overall record of 14-9.

“Lebo is the best team in the section,” Goga said of the Blue Devils, who return four starters. “Everyone is pretty even, though. So it should be a really interesting year.”

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