Tigers crush Mt. Pleasant

By Jason Black

For the MV Independent

Finally, after a series of practices following a nearly month-long state-mandated shutdown due to COVID-19, high school winter sports teams were able to take to the courts, mats and pools on Friday.

While many teams jumped right into section play, the Mt. Pleasant and McKeesport boys basketball teams faced one another in a non-section game to get things started. As expected, both teams struggled with some ragged play early, but the Tigers found their game about midway through the first quarter. The Vikings, on the other hand, never found any kind of rhythm the entire 32 minutes. The result was a lopsided 58-17 road victory for McKeesport.

“You could just see that they were an aggressive team,” Mt. Pleasant first-year coach TJ Kravits said, noting that the Tigers completely controlled the glass. “And even when we got shots, we didn’t make them. McKeesport is a good team.”

While Kravits did say he was able to pick up on a few positive aspects for his team, it’s clear that the Vikings have plenty to work on.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever coached a team that didn’t break 20 points, so that is concerning,” Kravits said. “The good news is that we only have one way to go, and that’s up.”

While the Vikings (0-1) must return to the drawing board, the Tigers (1-0) can savor the feeling of a season-opening victory. It was one in which they played well for the most part. 

“I think being disjointed at first is something you will see (with a lot of teams) today and tomorrow,” McKeesport coach Kevin Kovach said. “But I thought our effort was good. We played really well defensively and I thought we rebounded the ball very well.”

To read the rest of the story, please see a copy of Saturday’s Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at http://monvalleyindependent.com.