Butler Catholic claims title
For 16 years, Butler Catholic went without a Pittsburgh Diocesan Championship in basketball.
That stretch won’t reach 17.
The Saints’ junior varsity team (fifth-sixth grade) recently capped an 18-2 season by winning the Pittsburgh Diocesan title. The team defeated John F. Kennedy Catholic from Washington, Pa., 31-16, in the championship game.
Nate Gilkey scored 19 points and Tommy Edwards snared 13 rebounds in that contest. Both boys were named to the all-tournament team.
“We had nine kids on the roster and great defense was the key to their success,” Butler Catholic coach Matt Friel said. “We didn’t allow many points to the opposition.
“Everybody got along. These guys love to play basketball together.”
The bulk of them will be staying together as well. Six of the nine players are in fifth grade. The other three will bump up to the Saints’ varsity team — which won one game in the Diocesan tournament — next year.
The Saints’ JV went 4-0 in the playoffs, also defeating Saint Peter and Paul (Beaver) 36-11, Our Lady of Fatima (Hopewell) 46-21 and Saint James (Sewickley) by a 39-19 count.
Gilkey averaged 17 points per game, Edwards and Liam Hohn seven points per contest. Other players on the team are Willem Leyland, Clifford Aufman, Derek Ricciardella, Teddy Miller, Atticus English and Brady Green.
The Saints’ lone losses this season came to Mary of Nazareth (McKeesport) during the regular season. John F. Kennedy defeated the latter in the Diocesan semifinal round.
Hank Leyland is the Saints’ assistant coach. He returned to the program this season after coaching with his father, the late Harry Leyland, nearly 20 years ago. Butler Catholic’s last basketball championship season was 2006, when the varsity won with Harry Leyland at the helm.
“The last time our junior varsity won the title, I’m not even sure ... It’s been a few decades,” Friel said.
Hank Leyland said this year’s championship run reminded him of some of his father’s teams.
“This was exciting for me, watching these young kids succeed like that,” he said. “From the beginning of the season on, they just kept getting better each week. What’s impressive to me is that almost every boy in these (fifth through eighth) grade levels was involved in some way with basketball.”
Butler Catholic’s varsity (seventh-eighth grade) had eight players.
“This is a small school. Like a lot of other schools, it’s not as big as it used to be,” Leyland said. “This was a lot of fun.”
