Ligonier Valley boys ‘want to earn everything’

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, February 10, 2022 | 6:00 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Ligonier Valley got a free pass to the WPIAL boys basketball playoffs last year because the league had an open tournament where any team could participate, a result of the covid pandemic.

It was a nice benefit for the Rams in their first season in District 7. But they knew the handouts probably were going to stop there.

This year, the payout has been more rewarding because the Rams are headed to the postseason on merit.

“You can tell the mindset with our top seven, eight guys is that we want to earn everything,” senior guard Jake Hollick said. “We expect more this year, from ourselves and the season.”

The Rams (11-10, 7-4), who have won 8 of 12, began the week in third place in Section 3-3A, two games behind leader South Allegheny and Shady Side Academy.

Ligonier Valley’s run to the playoffs has been a steady progression — and a case of a team getting healthy at the right time.

Hollick and senior Dylan Rhoades missed time around Christmas and did not return full-time until after the new year.

The Rams are 8-4 since their return.

“We didn’t have our full lineup until January,” coach Tim Gustin said. “Dylan and Jake are two of our best shooters.”

Hollick and Rhoades tend to take scoring pressure off of senior standout Matthew Marinchak, who averages nearly 25 points.

Hollick missed a month with a fractured ankle, and Rhoades was in and out of the lineup with a torn right groin muscle. He missed two weeks.

Their return changed the way the Rams play and changed the way teams prepare for them.

“They make practice more intense, too,” Marinchak said. “Our second team makes us work. It’s a nice thank you to them.

“We jelled together when they came back. Hopefully we win out.”

Marinchak will be one of several 1,000-point scorers to be honored Friday night. The 41-player list includes milestone-makers from Ligonier Valley and Laurel Valley, boys and girls.

Sixth man Joey Kondisko, another senior, also missed a few games because he was out of town, once for an ROTC trip to Hawaii.

“The team held up without us,” Hollick said. “They didn’t do bad; I am proud of our guys.”

Others picked up the slack until the team healed.

Junior Haden Sierocky, who hadn’t played basketball since eighth grade, has been another scoring threat in the backcourt, and 6-foot-3, 290-pound forward Jude Grzywinski is a load around the basket.

Senior Connor Tunstal and freshman Parker Hollick have provided key minutes. Junior Jimmy Pleskovitch had 18 points and 10 rebounds in a 65-59 win Wednesday over Steel Valley.

“We all came back for the Southmoreland game (Jan. 5),” Jake Hollick said. “We got back to our normal selves.”

The WPIAL will announce playoff pairings Monday. Gustin said he expects his team to land anywhere between No. 8 and No. 15.

“We know our opponents’ backs are against the wall,” Marinchak said, “just like ours.”

Said Gustin: “We’re still looking for a signature win right now.”

Maybe it will come in the playoffs.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Ligonier Valley