Senior spotlight: North Allegheny’s Isaiah Davis hopes to lead Tigers to title

By: Bill Hartlep
Thursday, April 9, 2020 | 6:01 AM

Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight a WPIAL spring athlete whose senior year has been put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic.

The North Allegheny boys lacrosse team advanced to the WPIAL Class AAA semifinals last season before losing to runner-up Mt. Lebanon.

Isaiah Davis was a major reason for the Tigers’ success.

The standout attack scored 62 goals and had 15 assists for the Tigers, who also were crowned Section 2-AAA champs.

For his performance, he was named all-section and All-WPIAL and picked first-team All-Midwest at the MSCLA Tournament in Ohio.

After signing with Division I Bryant in the fall, Davis was looking forward to helping North Allegheny compete for a WPIAL title this spring.

The coronavirus pandemic has put the spring season on hold, leaving the senior wondering if he’ll get a chance to finish his high school career on the field.

“I hope to be a leader on the team and contribute every way possible so that our team can win,” Davis said. “I am still hoping to win the championship or whatever kind of playoffs there might be, given the times.”

Davis took some time to answer some questions during the coronavirus quarantine.

How have you been keeping busy during the coronavirus pandemic?

I have been spending a lot of time with my family. We have been able to eat dinner together more than usual and get outside together which has been nice. I work out and train a few hours daily still, as well as work on my schoolwork. I also have been spending a lot of time playing Xbox and watching Netflix, if I’m being honest.

Have you been doing any lacrosse activities?

As of right now, everything team-related is canceled, but I continue to shoot in the backyard and do footwork and lift and do all I can to keep preparing for when things do get going again. Coach (John) Rullan and the NA coaches, and Coach (Mike) Pressler and the Bryant coaching staff have all shared workouts and expectations for us to keep in shape.

How much practice time did you have before the shutdown?

We had a decent amount of time through our voluntary workouts and lifting during the offseason for those interested in staying in shape, and then we had about a month of real practices before things were shut down.

If there is a season, what are the goals for the team?

Our ultimate goal is to win. We are a very competitive team, so I think for us to have the most fun, which is what it’s all about, we hope to win as many games and lose as little as possible.

How about for you personally?

Personally, I love scoring goals. I was hoping to score as many goals and dish as many assists as possible for our team to succeed. I am hoping that can still happen.

How did it feel to be named All-WPIAL last season?

The awards are definitely an honor. I was very happy to win All-WPIAL, but it has only caused me to work harder pushing for All-American. Also winning first-team All-Midwest MSLCA spoke highly of my abilities and was another great accomplishment.

What do you plan to study at Bryant?

I plan to major in finance and minor in communications and hopefully get my MBA as well.

What do you like most about lacrosse?

For me, I love the incredible relationships that lacrosse has brought me with coaches and players from all over, as well as the competitive nature of the sport. Another thing is that no two plays are the same, so there seems to be a beauty behind the sport.

What have you missed most during this quarantine period?

I have missed my friends, the team and lacrosse a lot. I often think to myself what I would be doing if this was a normal day, and sometimes I find myself realizing that I am missing a big game against a rival school that would be happening at that time, or simply missing a practice with the team. I’m not going to lie. It brings me some pain.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

My mom constantly reminds me to do my best no matter what I am doing. I have found these to be some great words to live by, because at the end of the day, if you give your all, no matter what you do, big or small, great things will come your way and all you can feel is satisfaction.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: North Allegheny