Trib HSSN basketball team of the week – Knoch Knights
Coach – Joe Lafko (First season)
Record – 11-2 overall, 5-0 in Section 1-4A
#Earned – Following 28 seasons as head coach of the boys basketball team at Hampton, Joe Lafko stepped down at the end of the 2024 season to focus on some personal matters. A year later, he was hired to take over a Knoch program that was coming off back-to-back winning seasons of 15 and 19 victories. The Knights haven’t missed a beat as they began the week with nine wins in 11 games, sitting in a tie for first place in Section 1-4A. On Tuesday at home, Knoch defeated Deer Lakes, 67-57. That set the stage for a showdown for first place as the Knights headed to North Catholic to challenge the top-ranked Trojans. Trailing by three points after the opening quarter, the Knights outscored the Trojans, 16-11, in the second quarter to take a three-point lead at the half. Knoch outscored North Catholic, 32-25, in the second half to hand the Trojans their fourth loss of the season, but their first against a team from Pennsylvania, 65-56. At the same time, Knoch earned its 10th consecutive victory.
Scoring stars – While 6-foot-7 senior Derek Lang helped clean the glass on both ends of the floor for Knoch, four Knights led the way on the score sheet, allowing the team to average 66 points this past week. Senior guard Teegan Finucan scored 18 points against the Lancers and a team-high 26 points in the huge road win at North Catholic. Junior Liam Avon delivered with a combined 30 points in the two wins, including a team-high 20 against Deer Lakes. Fellow junior Roman DeFelice scored 13 points Tuesday, and senior Vincent DeFelice registered 14 points on Friday.
Last year – Under former coach Alan Bauman, Knoch went from an eight-win season to a 15-victory campaign in the 2023-24 season. Hoping to build on that last season, the Knights lost their season-opener to Moon, and then won seven straight games. Following two losses over the holidays, Knoch won six of its next seven games and finished in second place in Section 1-4A with a 10-2 record, one game behind section champion North Catholic. The Knights defeated West Mifflin in the first round of the 4A playoffs, 56-23, but then fell to Avonworth in the quarterfinals, 72-63. Two consolation wins allowed Knoch to qualify for the PIAA playoffs. However, the season ended with an overall record of 19-8 after a first round loss to Cathedral Prep, 70-57.
Remember when – Knoch has never won a WPIAL boys basketball championship, but it came close 22 years ago. The Knights finished the regular season in third place in Section 1-3A, five games behind champion Burrell and three games down from runner-up Valley. As the No. 11 seed in the 13-team field, Knoch first upended No. 6 Keystone Oaks, 71-59. In the quarterfinals, the Knights stunned No. 3 Uniontown, 60-52, and in the semifinals, they upset No. 2 Thomas Jefferson, 58-53. The unexpected run to the district 3A championship game ended with a loss to Moon at Duquesne’s A.J. Palumbo Center, 63-46. It was the Tigers’ first of three straight WPIAL 3A championships.
2024-25 Trib HSSN Boys Basketball Teams of the Week
Week 13 – Neighborhood Academy Bulldogs
Week 12 – South Allegheny Gladiators
Week 11 – Upper St. Clair Panthers
Week 10 – Latrobe Wildcats
Week 9 – Belle Vernon Leopards
Week 8 – Union Scotties
Week 7 – Knoch Knights
Week 6 – Woodland Hills Wolverines
Week 5 – Jeannette Jayhawks
Week 4 – Baldwin Highlanders
Week 3 – Elizabeth Forward Warriors
Week 2 – New Castle Red Hurricanes
Week 1 – Keystone Oaks Golden Eagles