Vikings hit hard by graduation, injury
Mount Pleasant High School is looking for a few good scorers for its boys’ basketball team this winter.
“First of all, we lost our second-leading scorer and 20 points per game to graduation,” said Vikings’ Coach T.J. Kravits. “We also lost our leading returning scorer, Dante Giallonardo, to a season-ending football injury. He will miss the entire 2022-2023 season.”
Mount Pleasant has seven seniors who will see playing time, according to the coach. That class is Brayden Caletri, Yukon Daniels, Derek and Dylan Donitzen, Robbie Labuda, Lemont Rogers and Matt Shrum.
He added that the Vikings will also be counting on production from the following juniors: Nolan Harnish, Chase McCloy, Connor Pavlocak, Luke Rivardo and Garrett Spallone.
“The biggest question mark is who all will step up and fill in the scoring void left from graduation and injury?” the coach added. “The key to this season will be defense.”
The Vikings lost their season-opener, 62-54, to River Valley in early December. They followed that with a loss to Derry.
After that defeat, Mount Pleasant saw its losing streak extend to 16 in a row, dating back to last season when it lost its final 14 games.
Mount Pleasant is coming off a season where it went 3-19 overall and 1-11 in the section.
The Vikings, who are dropping down in classification, will play in Section 4-AAA with perennially strong Washington, Brownsville, Charleroi, McGuffey, Waynesburg and Yough. Washington has won more section championship than any team in the WPIAL other than Uniontown.
“I am only familiar with Yough and they are very good,” Kravits said.
Mount Pleasant has shown improvement defending the ball in the early going and that should aid them in getting a quicker start for the offense which is looking for any kind of spark.
“Defense has to become a strength for us when you lose your leading returning scorer,” Kravits said. “It isn’t an option not to. Our outside shooting has improved from last season.
“We need Yukon Daniels, Brayden Caletri, Matt Shrum to provide production and senior leadership.
“We’re trying different rotations to see which ones provide the most offensive production.”
Kravits said success in 2022-23 will if his team can “show improvement in points for versus points against as the season progresses.”
Non-section games for Mount Pleasant include Valley, Norwin, Southmoreland, Ligonier Valley and Geibel Catholic.
Kravits is in his third season at Mount Pleasant after being hired in June 2020 to succeed Allan Bilinsky. He previously served as head coach at Marion Center.