With supporting cast thriving, Belle Vernon’s no 2-man show

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, February 17, 2022 | 6:55 PM

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Belle Vernon is miscast sometimes as a two-man basketball team. A two-man show.

Now, senior Devin Whitlock and sophomore Quinton Martin are about as NBA Jam as you can get as a scoring pair, but they don’t do it all.

Whitlock and Martin have an ensemble of role players with whom they continue to develop chemistry.

The dynamic duo is good — really good — but the growth of a full rotation is what has kept the Leopards (18-3) among the elite contenders in WPIAL Class 4A.

“We know we need more than two people to score,” coach Joe Salvino said. “We getting contributions from a lot of guys. They’re pushing each other.”

As they await the winner of Freeport and Uniontown for their quarterfinal playoff opener Wednesday at Belle Vernon, the third-seeded Leopards are teeming with athletic playmakers who allow Whitlock to do more than score, and permit Martin to play in the flow without forcing the issue.

Take Daniel Gordon, perhaps the most unheralded senior guard in the WPIAL.

Martin averaged 19.1 points and 8 rebounds, Whitlock 15.2 points and 5 assists. But close behind is Gordon with 14.5-point and 7-rebound averages. He’s always been lurking in the shadows as a sort of an X-factor.

“Daniel has really come into his own,” Salvino said. “When I got to Belle Vernon, he was a freshman who could shoot the ball. He was an offensive ballplayer. But his junior year, he really turned into an all-around ballplayer. It’s because of how hard be worked.”

Gordon was steadfast in elevating his role — and what it took to do so.

“I don’t want to say my shooting regressed, but I really worked on other areas of my game,” Gordon said. “I think everyone has. Everyone can do multiple things. Playing in a lot of games has helped me develop as a player.”

The 6-foot-1 Gordon has a number of double-doubles in his career. That is a product of being active without the ball.

“If I get 10 rebounds, that means more to me than points,” he said.

So if Whitlock and Martin are Batman and Robin, who is Gordon?

“I’d say the Joker,” Gordon said, a smile crawling across his face. “I like to talk a lot of crap on the court.”

Another key contributor is 6-2 freshman Alonzo Wade. He has worked alongside Martin in the post, defending and rebounding while adding more athleticism to the unit.

“I have known Alonzo since he was 6 years old at Monessen,” Salvino said. “I remember watching him play when he was in sixth grade. He came a long way.”

“Zo”was the high scorer when the Leopards lost to Montour in a game Martin missed because he was in Las Vegas for a football showcase and Whitlock didn’t play the second half in due to a tight back.

Wade is the fourth-leading scorer at 7.2 points. He moved into the starting lineup when the Leopards played South Park.

Senior Logan Cunningham also has added valuable minutes on both ends of the floor.

“He can come off the bench and shoot the 3 for us,” Salvino said of Cunningham. “But he has really contributed to our defense when we go into a zone.”

Since so much runs through Whitlock, the Leopards can almost hide their quiet size when teams scout them.

Joe Klanchar is a 6-3 senior forward, while sophomore Brandon Laux is 6-5 and shows a promising future. Both have been key rebounders and shot-altering defenders.

Senior guard Tyler Kovatch is the glue player on defense who gets teammates to feed off his aggression.

“We have more depth than we’ve had before,” Gordon said. “When you get deep into the playoffs, you need that. Our bench can give us a spark.”

Another guard Salvino has worked into the mix is 6-1 junior Evan Pohlot, who plays big.

“He had 10 rebounds when we played Montour,” Salvino said.

And speaking of Montour, the last team to beat the Leopards, the Spartans are the No. 2 seed and could be awaiting Belle Vernon in the semifinals.

“We’d like to play Montour again,” Salvino said. “We look forward to that game, but we have to take care of business first. If we play Uniontown, we can’t take them lightly. It’s tough when you play a team three times.”

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

Tags: Belle Vernon