Mike Vukovcan Due to the weather, the Hopewell Vikings HS Boys basketball 2025-26 season opener against Shady Side Academy on Tuesday was cancelled.
Really though, that game being cancelled is only fitting considering Hopewell’s next opponent.
After retiring 8 years ago as head coach at Beaver Falls, Doug Biega returns to the sidelines tomorrow night in his new role as head coach of the Vikings program.
While at Beaver Falls, Biega compiled a career record of 385-118, winning 11 section titles, 4 WPIAL Championships and 2 PIAA Championships.
It’s only fitting that in his return to coaching, his first game will come against his old team, Beaver Falls.
Vikings Sports Now as able to catch up with Biega and got his take on a number of topics related to this 2025-26 Hopewell team.
Here’s a look at the roster and the composition of it. It’s a 15-man roster with 2 seniors, 1 junior, 11 sophomores and 1 freshman.
Starting Lineup:
1 Tre Cameron
0 Jack Biega
3 Nick Adams
23 Brody Rock
21 James Armstrong
22 Jeremy Benninghoff
31 Justin Shegog
15 Riley Biggins
2 Avery Bokor
4 Zack Sampson
14 Jayvion Lindsey
33 Aaden Gonzalez
30 Manny Gomez
10 Jackson Yurcina
13 Kaleb Corso
INEXPERIENCED ROSTER-
“It has been my experience that coaching a team is young as the one we currently have is like riding a roller coaster. Literally gigantic ups and downs,” Biega told VSN. “We have 15 people on our varsity roster. Two seniors, one junior, 11 sophomores, and one freshman. That is the least experienced roster I’ve ever coached. With that comes several challenges as well as rewards.”
“Their growth has been dramatic and a little quicker than anticipated. And when you talk about a young group that does not insinuate that they are not talented. They will make tons of mistakes that just baffle you. But they continue to show flashes of what they will be sooner or later. What I have had to guard against is demanding “experienced player results” from this group just because they happen to be the team we have. They have to be allowed growing pains without losing their confidence. James Armstrong is the only player returning with what I would call “legitimate experience”. The rest of the guys took their turns getting a little bit of playing time or being banished to the bench for games at a time. So even though they have some game experience, they are a very inexperienced group.”
THOUGHTS ON THE STARTING FIVE-
“Our starting five is very athletic and very strong. That will hopefully go a long way.
“Brody Rock was very limited last season. He is now a focus for us this year. He has come in after football ended and worked extremely hard both physically and mentally as well as growing his leadership skill set. All of those have improved night and day from what I saw last year. After one week in the gym, I named him a captain based upon what I just mentioned.”
Hopewell’s Brody Rock
“James Armstrong is a man among boys. This is not his main thing, but he is good at it. He is a difference maker for us. He is working himself back into shape after having an ankle injury for the last couple months of football. My favorite part about coaching him is he takes practice and getting in shape seriously. Sometimes your better players cruise on their talent. He is in the top two or three every drill, every sprint, every physical test. That makes coaching a group easy when the alphas are also the hardest workers.”
Hopewell’s James Armstrong
“After those two, we have a lot of pieces. Jack (Biega) has really gotten stronger due to his time in the weight room and has developed into a very good defender at the guard position. Coach Mike Sims specifically, and the rest of our staff have really worked hard on upgrading the skill set of all of our guards and Jack is no exception. He has shown a lot of growth shooting, especially.
Tre Cameron gives us that wiggle we need at the guard position. He had a great football season and that confidence has definitely carried over. Once he gets the conditioning down and can go for big stretches at a time, he is what every team needs at the guard spot. He can go get his own basket when the offense breaks down. And again, once he gets into elite physical conditioning, he can be a defensive stopper as well.
Nick Adams adds that senior leadership. But even with Nick, although he is a senior, he is not very experienced. I don’t know what his minutes number was last year but it was not what one would think. So he is learning and getting better every single day as well. He’s probably our best guard at attacking the basket and finishing around the rim.
Hopewell’s Nick Adams
That will be our starting five to open the season. But anything can happen. As we have a stable of people that will push not only people in front of them, but they will pull people from behind them up into working for minutes.”
NEXT MEN UP-
“Jeremy Benninghoff has been an amazing surprise for us. He works super hard every day and is a big, strong, really athletic kid. He is a very valuable piece. He has a little bit of guard skill to go with a big man’s body and strength. He’s going to have a great season in our system. I’m very excited to have him.
Justin Shegog is also figuring out his new role. He came to us from Freedom. He played every minute and scored a lot of points because the games ended up not being very competitive. But what I see in him is an absolute dog on defense. And he is a very tough kid finishing in the paint. He has, to his credit, changed his mind set to being a defensive guy and letting the points come. That is not easy for a kid to do so he deserves a tremendous amount of credit for that.
Riley Biggins will also be a key contributor off the bench. He started last year the first game and then left the team soon after. Riley has a really good offensive skill set and is learning the demands of the staff on the defensive side of the ball. But he is accepting that coaching not running away from it. Riley is probably our best shooter and is very crafty around the rim. He will be able to come into the games and spark us, and I look forward to him getting the senior year he deserves,” said Biega.
Hopewell’s Riley Biggins
“Avery Bokor, Jayvion Lindsey, Aaden Gonzalez, and Zack Sampson all have something they can bring to the table. Avery is intriguing in that he is as skilled as anybody. He will be super valuable once he gets the speed of the game and matches it. He has a super high ceiling.
Jayvion and Aaden are very aggressive, smart kids. In a team that focuses on defense and effort, their contributions will be invaluable. Zack Sampson is a super talented freshman. He will benefit from the JV atmosphere and spot varsity minutes. He can really score the ball and once he, like every freshman, is used to the physical demands of varsity basketball, he’ll be another one that has a super high ceiling.
Jackson Yurcina and Kaleb Corso show up every day and work as hard as anybody. They are incredible teammates and will develop tremendously through the JV portion of the game and the work they have put in since April. Very proud of both of them.”
VALUE OF HIS ASSISTANT COACHES-
“I know these kids have worked extremely hard since we got hired so late in the game. To my staff’s credit, guys like Dwight Hines, with head coaching experience and college player experience have worked tirelessly every single day to get this group where they need to be. I can’t put into words what his value has been,” said Biega.
“Same with Javon Turner, EJ Coleman, Kaden Vandevert, and as I already mentioned Mike Sims. They have been there every single day since April and made huge strides in areas we needed to improve the roster. These guys deserve a tremendous amount of gratitude not just from me, but from the entire community for the time they have put in voluntarily since April. I can’t even add up the hours they have committed to us. And I am so appreciative of all of them. And once Donovan Jeter ended his commitment coaching football, he has come in and definitely made an impact every day with the big men and the overall toughness of the roster. Donovan is one of those guys that understands his role perfectly.”
EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS SEASON-
“I can’t possibly predict a number on the way the season will go, anyone who thinks they can is foolish. We will surprise some teams, and we will stub our toes at times,” said Biega. “That’s just part of being inexperienced and so youthful. But I can guarantee that we will get better every day and the product on the court will be something the community can be very proud of. These kids deserve everyone’s support as they have worked as hard as any team in the area since getting together so late in April. We made up for lost time by the hours we have logged in the gym. Hopefully the community will be proud starting tomorrow night. I really look forward to coaching these guys and giving them the experience they deserve. We will get the best out of them, whatever that may be, it will be, but it will be their best.”
OPENINIG NIGHT: Beaver Falls vs. Hopewell, 7:30 PM Tipoff from Hopewell High School.
