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Hopewell HS Boys Basketball

Hopewell Boys HS Basketball

Hopewell HS Boys Basketball Show Character with Win Over Springdale

by Mike Vukovcan
written by Mike Vukovcan 2 minutes read

The Hopewell HS Boys Basketball team earned one of the programs biggest wins in years on Friday night as they defeated 1st place Central Valley.

However the challenge for HC Doug Biega and his staff was to get his players physically and mentally ready for a game 24 hours later against Springdale.

Mission accomplished! Although it wasn’t easy, Hopewell found a way to win, 74-68 in overtime.

Vikings Sports Now was able to catch up with Coach Biega to get his thoughts on yesterday and the Vikings road ahead.

“When you’re dealing with a young team, you really never know what you’re going to get,” said Biega. “So after Friday night’s game, which has been the biggest win around here in a while one would think, I expected the kids to be a little bit flat. I even spoke to the staff Friday night, telling them to expect the kids to be flat and tasked them with providing the emotion and motivation necessary for a Saturday afternoon game after a Friday night match up.”

“We did come out expectedly sluggish. But we hung around and the game was never more than seven points either way. Springdale has a couple very good players and provided some difficult matchups. But, just like Friday, when we were down late, the kids did not fold. They fought back. Which I’m extremely proud of. We had a chance to lose, plenty of chances to lose, but we made some defensive stops, got some key rebounds, and Jack (Biega) and James (Armstrong) made some huge free throws down the stretch to get us a win we probably didn’t deserve. But our program is not a position to not appreciate any win we can get.”

Here’s a look at the Vikings Boxscore: James Armstrong (25 points), Brody Rock (15 points), Justin Shegog (13 points), Jack Biega (8 points), Zack Sampson (5 points), Jeremy Benninghoff (4 points), Tre Cameron (2 points) and Nick Adams (2 points).

With the win, Hopewell improved to 6-6 and 1-3 in the section. Coach Biega is hoping these last 2 wins can be a springboard towards a strong second half of the season.

Next up is an important road section game on Tuesday at Ambridge.

“Now we stand at .500 leading to the back end of the season,” said Biega. “We have no idea how we’re going to end up, but I would like to think we have learned how to compete at a higher level over the past few weeks. And it’s also nice to finally be healthy. I think we’re nearing the end of whatever flu we had for the last month.”

 

 

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Hopewell Boys HS Basketball

Hopewell HS Boys Basketball Knock Off 1st Place Central Valley, 61-57

by Lillian Otto
written by Lillian Otto 3 minutes read

Hopewell traveled to Central Valley on Friday night for an important 4A Section 2 matchup.

Hopewell entered the game, their 11th of the year, with a 4-6 record, in search of their first section win of the year (0-3). Central Valley entered the game with a 10-1 record, 3-0 in the section and in 1st place.

Hopewell set the tone early with an aggressive approach on both ends of the floor. Nick Adams sparked the offense in transition, while James Armstrong established a presence inside with finishes at the rim and trips to the free-throw line. Brody Rock added energy and pace, helping Hopewell generate quality looks and build a narrow advantage. Central Valley stayed close, but Hopewell carried a slim 17–15 lead into the end of the first quarter.

Hopewell continued to share the ball in the second quarter, finding success from multiple spots on the floor. Adams knocked down a corner three and stayed aggressive attacking the basket, while Jeremy Benninghoff converted on a pair of finishes inside. Rock added a jumper and a three as Hopewell answered each Central Valley push and went into halftime with a narrow 31–29 lead.

The third quarter belonged to Hopewell. Armstrong controlled the paint and the glass, scoring on a series of layups and put backs to swing momentum. Rock and Adams continued to contribute, while Benninghoff added a corner three and another second-chance basket. Hopewell used the surge to open up a commanding advantage and took a 48–32 lead into the fourth.

Central Valley didn’t go away though, making an incredible run early in the quarter, cutting into the deficit and grabbing the lead at 55-54 in front of an intense crowd. Hopewell stayed extremely composed down the stretch. Adams scored an important basket, and Armstrong and Biega knocked down some important free throws in the final minutes to seal the outcome. Hopewell closed out a hard-fought 61–57 victory.

The win immediately becomes one of the biggest wins for the Hopewell boys’ program in recent memory and sets the tone for the 2nd half of the season where the expectations are that this team will continue to bond and grow together.

After the game, we had the opportunity to speak with Coach Biega to get his thoughts on the victory and what it means to the season moving forward.

Next up for the boys is a game on Saturday vs Springdale in the Ambridge Legends Classic and then a return to Section Play next week on Tuesday 1/13 at Ambridge.

1st QUARTER-

2-7 Layup for Tre Cameron off feed from James Armstrong

4-9 Fast-break layup by Nick Adams

6-9 Armstrong makes 1 of 2 free throws

8-11 Brody Rock with a fast-break layup

10-13 A nice feed from Rock leads to an Armstrong layup

12-13 Great take to the hoop from Adams

15-13 Corner three from Jeremy Benninghoff

17-13 Zack Sampson with a floater

END OF QUARTER: Hopewell 17 Central Valley 15

2nd QUARTER-

20-15 Adams with a corner three

22-17 Layup off a feed for Benninghoff

24-19 Benninghoff with a spin move layup

26-24 Elbow jumper for Rock

29-27 Rock swishes a three

31-29 Adams with another layup

HALFTIME: Hopewell 31 Central Valley 29

3rd QUARTER-

33-29 Armstrong with a layup

35-29 A put-back for Armstrong

37-32 Rock with a nice layup

39-32 Armstrong with yet another put-back

41-32 Adams makes 2 of 2 free throws

43-32 Armstrong cooking on the boards with a put-back

46-32 Benninghoff with a corner three

48-32 Putback for Benninghoff

END OF QUARTER: Hopewell 48 Central Valley 32

4th QUARTER-

50-36 Armstrong is strong inside with a put-back

52-38 Layup for Justin Shegog off a feed from Armstrong

54-50 Rock makes 2 of 2 free throws

55-55 Armstrong makes 1 of 2 free throws

57-55 Adams with a driving layup

58-55 Armstrong makes 1 of 2 free throws

59-57 Jack Biega makes 1 of 2 free throws

60-57 Biega makes 1 of 2 free throws

61-57 Biega makes 1 of 2 free throws

FINAL SCORE: Hopewell 61 Central Valley 57

 

VARSITY POINTS-

Armstrong: 15 points

Adams: 13 points

Benninghoff: 12 points

Rock: 11 points

Biega: 3 points

Cameron: 2 points

Sampson: 2 points

Shegog: 2 points

 

 

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Hopewell Boys HS Basketball

Hopewell HS Boys Basketball to Compete in Central Valley Roundball Holiday Classic

by Mike Vukovcan
written by Mike Vukovcan 1 minutes read

Holiday basketball tournaments are a long-standing tradition in Western Pennsylvania and the Hopewell HS boys’ basketball program will be competing in one.

Starting tomorrow, HC Doug Biega’s squad will be taking part in the 34th annual Central Valley Roundball Holiday Classic.

This is a two-day boys’ and girls’ event, with 16 games being played at Geneva College.

Hopewell’s two games will be against South Fayette; tipoff tomorrow will take place at 4 PM. Then on Tuesday, the Vikings will go up against Aliquippa with tipoff scheduled for 7 PM.

This will be a challenging two days for the Vikings for a couple of reasons:1) two high quality opponents 2) a large portion of the Hopewell roster has been battling the flu for the last 5 or 6 days. This will no doubt be a challenging week.

Here are some of the matchups that you’ll be able to go checkout over the next couple of days at Geneva College.

MONDAY:
*Keystone Oaks vs. Rochester, 10:30 AM (Girls)

*Beaver Falls vs. Central Valley, 11:30 AM (Girls)

*Blackhawk vs. Beaver Falls, 1 PM (Boys)

*Knoch vs. Woodland Hills, 2:30 PM (Boys)

*Hopewell vs. South Fayette, 4 PM (Boys)

*Chartiers Valley vs. Forest Hills, 5:30 PM (Boys)

*Aliquippa vs. Central Valley, 7 PM (Boys)

*Mentor (Ohio) vs. Lincoln Park, 8:45 PM (Boys)

TUESDAY:

*Girls Consolation TBD 10 AM

*Girls Championship TBD 11:30 PM

*Beaver vs. Chartiers Valley, 1 PM (Boys)

*Woodland Hills vs. Mentor (Ohio), 2:30 PM (Boys)

*Central Valley vs. Blackhawk, 4 PM (Boys)

*Forest Hills vs McKeesport, 5:30 PM (Boys)

*Hopewell vs. Aliquippa, 7 PM (Boys)

*South Fayette vs. Knoch, 8:45 PM (Boys)

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Hopewell Boys HS Basketball

Hopewell HS Boys Basketball Suffer First Loss of Season, 69-62, to Avonworth

by Mike Vukovcan
written by Mike Vukovcan 3 minutes read

The Hopewell HS boys’ basketball team has done plenty of good things which led to their 4-0 start heading into last night’s game against Avonworth.

Has this team gotten better and improved every game? Yes.

Does this team have things they need to work on and really improve in order to be a real contender in the playoffs and eventually a championship caliber team? Yes, there’s no question about that.

Last night in their section opener against Avonworth, we saw examples dealing with both of those questions.

Being a young team is a glass half full/half empty thing. The positive (half full) is that when you have talent like this sophomore heavy Hopewell does, it means you have time to develop and hopefully get better over the next 3 years. The downside (half empty) is that you have to deal with the growing pains of players being young, making mistakes and needing to grow up both mentally and physically.

This is the challenge HC Doug Biega, and his coaching staff will have to deal with this season. The message and mentality will change; it just will take time for a 100% buy-in and understanding of how things need to be done all the time.

Last night, Hopewell went on the road and suffered their first loss of the season, 69-62.

While the coaching staff isn’t into morale victories, there are some positive things that can be taken from last night’s loss.

The biggest is that this group of players didn’t quit despite trailing at one point 44-22. While that might not be a big deal to some, trust me, this means something. These players were down big and could have felt bad for themselves, packed things up and went through the motions. However, that didn’t happen and in fact, with 3 minutes left, this was just a 3-point game.

Another positive is that the Vikings had to make this comeback without their best player, James Armstrong, who sat for the majority of the second half with foul trouble.

Foul trouble was an issue all game as Hopewell tried to battle this bigger, more physically developed Avonworth team. In fact, Armstrong ended up fouling out with 5 minutes left in the game, starting guard Jack Biega fouled out with 4 minutes left and starting forward Brody Rock fouled out with 3 minutes left.

Despite all of this foul trouble for basically the entire game, Hopewell was able to re-group and outscored Avonworth, 40-25, after trailing by 20 points. Of those 25 points for Avonworth, a large majority of them came from the free throw line, which means when they weren’t fouling, Hopewell was playing good defense.

The Antelopes game plan for this game was to clog the paint with their size and not allow Hopewell to get the ball inside and force them to shoot from the perimeter. The Vikings plan to try and win was getting out to run and making it a full court game. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to do that until the second half.

Hopewell’s record now stands at 4-1, 0-1 in section with their next game coming on Tuesday at home against Beaver. This is another big section game.

One other thing to point out, last year, Hopewell lost both games to Avonworth- 85-54 and 85-71. Last night’s loss was by just 7 points so progress is being made. Keep in mind, championship teams aren’t built in 3-4 months or even a year.

HOPEWELL BOXCORE:
Brody Rock: 21 points
James Armstrong: 15 points
Jeremy Benninghoff: 8 points
Avery Bokor: 7 points
Tre Cameron: 5 points
Justin Shegog: 2 points
Riley Biggins: 2 points
Nick Adams: 2 points

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Hopewell Boys HS Basketball

Hopewell HS Boys Basketball Improves to 3-0 with Win Over New Brighton

by Mike Vukovcan
written by Mike Vukovcan 1 minutes read

HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP– Thanks in part to strong defense, the ability to put together in-game runs and the duo of Brody Rock and James Armstrong, the Hopewell HS Boys basketball team defeated New Brighton, 84-69.

The story line of the game was that Hopewell jumped out to a double-digit lead and aside from a short time in the 3rd quarter when New Brighton cut it to single digits, the lead stayed between 12 and 18 the entire game.

In the end, the inside productivity of Rock and Armstong were just too much for New Brighton to handle. Rock proved to be a nightmare matchup because of his ability to shoot from the outside, drive to the hoop as well as post his defender up.

Armstrong was his normal dominant self-down low in the paint. The only thing that slowed him down was him getting in foul trouble, which prevented him from being aggressive both offensively and especially defensively

A positive from last night and something that needs to continue was the productivity that Hopewell got from the guard position. One thing that needs to get better is Hopewell’s rebounding. In the second half, New Brighton got a number of second chance baskets, which kept them in the game.

Hopewell Score Sheet: Brody Rock with 27, James Armstrong with 23, Nick Adams with 9, Jeremy Benninghoff with 8, Jack Biega with 5, Tre Cameron with 5 and Riley Biggins with 3.

With the win, Hopewell improved their overall record to 3-0 and will return to action on Tuesday when they host Keystone Oaks.

After the game, Vikings Sports Now spoke with Hopewell HC Doug Biega.

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Hopewell Boys HS Basketball

Hopewell Starts 2-0 Behind Solid Senior Leadership from Nick Adams and Riley Biggins

by Mike Vukovcan
written by Mike Vukovcan 2 minutes read

ELLWOOD CITY– Things are different with the Hopewell Boys basketball program as we witnessed last night against Ellwood City.

In the 2nd quarter, Hopewell trailed Ellwood City by 14 points. In the past, there’s a very good chance Hopewell wouldn’t have recovered and would’ve lost by 30 points.

Not with the 2025 Hopewell Vikings.

With less than 4 minutes left in the game, this contest was tied. In the past, the record over the last decade showed that things likely would’ve fallen apart down the stretch, resulting in a close loss.

Not with the 2025 Hopewell Vikings.

After trailing in the 4th quarter, Hopewell finished the game on a 18-4 run and turned a deficit into a 71-57 win over Ellwood City. With the win, the Vikings improve their record to 2-0.

VSN’S IN-GAME BREAKDOWN:
*Hopewell trailed after the 1st quarter, 19-12.

James Armstrong led the scoring with 8, followed by 2 each from Brody Rock and Riley Biggins.

*Things started to pick up for Hopewell in the 2nd quarter as Armstrong opened up the scoring with a steal and a layup. That was followed by a nice take to the hoop by Jack Biega and then a steal from Rock, who dished off to Armstrong for a nice assist. The first half concluded as Nick Adams drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Vikings went into the locker room trailing just 30-29.

*Hopewell’s offense picked up in the 3rd quarter as they ended up outscoring the Wolverines, 21-17.

A couple of the highlights were a nice assist from Adams to Shegog and then Biggins connects on a 3-pointer to give Hopewell their first lead, 36-35.

Individual scoring in the 3rd quarter was Shegog with 7 points, Rock with 5 points, Armstrong with 4 points, Biggins with 3 points and Benninghoff with 2 points.

Hopewell led after 3 quarters, 50-47.

*Shegog opened the 4th quarter with a 3-pointer to give Hopewell a 6-point lead, but Ellwood City responded with a 6-0 run to tie the game at 53 all.

After a Hopewell timeout, the Vikings finished the game on an 18-4 run. Adams was tremendous defensively down the stretch while Biggins, Armstrong and Rock controlled the boards.

Rock was big in the 4th quarter with 7 points, Armstrong had 6, Shegog with 5 and Biggins with an important 3-pointer, when Hopewell only had a two-point lead.

FINAL SCORE: HOPEWELL 71 ELLWOOD CITY 57
Armstrong finished with a game-high of 24 points, Rock with 14 and Shegog with 13.

Following the game, Vikings Sports Now caught up with Coach Doug Biega, who credited his seniors for leading the way.

“Our senior backcourt was the key tonight,” said Biega. “Riley Biggins and Nick Adams were absolutely fantastic tonight down the stretch. That allowed James Armstrong, Justin Shegog, Jeremy Benninghoff and Brody Rock to defend with energy. But this game, it was the seniors who pulled us to the finish line for sure. I’m very proud of those guys.”

After a few days off, Hopewell will return to action on Friday night when they host New Brighton at Hopewell High School. Varsity tipoff is set for 7:30 PM, with the JV at 6 PM.

 

 

 

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Basketball Ruled the Week with Vikings Sports Now’s Top 5 Stories

by Mike Vukovcan
written by Mike Vukovcan 1 minutes read

After a couple of “slow” weeks due to the holidays and inactivity surrounding Hopewell athletics, things rebounded this week in Vikings Sports Now.

Speaking of rebounding, the Hopewell HS basketball programs officially started last week which supplied us with plenty of content.

Here’s a look at what stories grabbed your attention as we present Vikings Sports Now’s 5 most read stories from last week.

VSN’S 5 MOST READ STORIES (December 1st thru December 7th):

1 Hopewell Boys Basketball with 56-35 Win Over Beaver Falls in Biega’s Hopewell Debut

Hopewell Boys Basketball with 56-35 Win Over Beaver Falls in Biega’s Hopewell Debut

2) 2025-26 Hopewell HS Boys Basketball Season Preview

2025-26 Hopewell HS Boys Basketball Season Preview

3) Hopewell HS Girls Basketball Lose to WA in Opener, Smetana Shines

Hopewell HS Girls Basketball Lose to WA in Opener, Smetana Shines

4) Blosnick and Boyd Lead Hopewell to Convincing Win Over New Castle in Home Opener

Blosnick and Boyd Lead Hopewell to Convincing Win Over New Castle in Home Opener

5) Ellie McCoy a Big Reason to be Excited About Future of Hopewell Basketball

Ellie McCoy a Big Reason to be Excited About Future of Hopewell Basketball

 

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Hopewell Boys HS Basketball

Hopewell Boys Basketball with 56-35 Win Over Beaver Falls in Biega’s Hopewell Debut

by Mike Vukovcan
written by Mike Vukovcan 3 minutes read

HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP– The new era of Hopewell HS Boys basketball tipped off last night as the Vikings hosted the Beaver Falls Tigers at Hopewell High School.

Friday night marked the return to the sidelines for Hopewell HC Doug Biega, who retired from coaching 8 years ago after a championship run as the Beaver Falls head coach.

While it wasn’t perfect, things got off to a great start for the Vikings as they convincingly defeated Beaver Falls, 56-35.

As expected, the Hopewell defensive pressure forced a number of BF turnovers and while they didn’t shoot great, Hopewell’s ability to rebound allowed them second chance opportunities, which they converted for points.

This game could’ve been more lopsided if Hopewell would’ve been able to convert more opportunities in the paint, which Biega and his staff will no doubt emphasize in practice this week.

Another positive was the contribution that Hopewell got from the players on their bench as Jeremy Benninghoff, Justin Shegog and Riley Biggins all gave positive minutes. After starring in the JV game, Shegog was the first man of the bench and collected 15 points. Benninghoff gave Biega some important minutes down in the paint and I was really impressed with Biggins, who seemed to always do something positive and made a ton of ‘little’ plays that led to positive results.

Taking a look at the Hopewell Box Score- sophomore James Armstrong led the way with 19 points, followed by Shegog with 15, Brody Rock had 14 points, Benninghoff with 4 and Nick Adams and Jack Biega each with 2.

The atmosphere was great as the gym was nearly filled to capacity, which was good to see.

Here’s a look at the scoring during the game:

1ST QUARTER-
*Brody Rock with Hopewell’s first points of the season with a 3-pointer from the top of the key, Hopewell 3-0

*Tre Cameron with a corner miss but Armstrong with the offensive rebound, makes the layup and is fouled, Hopewell 6-0

*Rock with a steal, outlet to Adams, who drives into the lane for a layup, Hopewell 8-2

*In Bounds, Armstrong drives and with a nice assist to Rock in the opposite block, Hopewell 10-4

*Nice Hopewell ball movement at the top of the key, results in a pass from Adams to Shegog who nails a 3-pointer, Hopewell 13-4

*Transition, Cameron with a nice assist to Shegog, who finishes in the paint, Hopewell 15-4

*More transition, Jack Biega with a length of the court pass to Shegog, who converts a layup, Hopewell 17-4

*:15 seconds left in the quarter, Hopewell in transition and Shegog with a nice Euro-step move for 2, Hopewell 19-4

END OF QUARTER: HOPEWELL 19 BEAVER FALLS 4

2ND QUARTER-
*After Biega called a timeout, nice ball reversal ends in a spinning layup for Rock, Hopewell 21-6

*Biggins gets into the lane and finds Armstrong with a cross-block pass and Boo finishes, Hopewell 23-6

*Biggins with another nice pass to Rock, who hits his second 3-pointer, Hopewell 26-9

*Running “Two Game”, ball is dumped down low to Armstrong, who converts and is fouled, Hopewell 28-9

*With 2:08 left, Rock drives the lane and finds Armstrong for 2, Hopewell 30-13

HALFTIME: HOPEWELL 30 BEAVER FALLS 15

3RD QUARTER-
*After multiple (3 for 4) offensive rebounds, Armstrong converts a layup plus is fouled, Hopewell 32-15

*Adams gets into the lane and dishes off nicely to Armstrong for 2 more, Hopewell 35-15

*Biggins with a pass to Cameron who dishes off a great assist to Benninghoff for 2, Hopewell 41-20

END OF 3RD QUARTER: HOPEWELL 47-26

*FINAL SCORE- HOPEWELL 56 BEAVER FALLS 35

**Next up for Hopewell will be a tough contest on Monday on the road at Ellwood City.

Prior to the varsity game, the Hopewell and Beaver Falls took the court in a very competitive and spirited game.

After trailing for 3 quarters, Hopewell took the lead midway through the 4th quarter and held on for a 51-45 win.

Shegog, Zack Sampson and Jayvion Lindsey were Hopewell’s top three performers.

Sampson has a natural scorer’s mentality and finds different ways to get his shots.  A definite player to watch once he gains weight, gets in weight room and plays the defense that Biega demands from all his players.

Lindsey is the player that stood out to meet most due to the effort he displayed on both sides of the court.

Lindsey finished with 10 points and no-doubt double-digit rebound. The other category that Lindsey led the team in and that was in diving for loose balls. Those effort plays will no doubt stand out in the team film review.

Hopewell scorers- Shegog (18), Sampson (16), Lindsey (10), Aiden Gonzalez (5), Jeremy Benninghoff (3).

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Hopewell Boys HS Basketball

2025-26 Hopewell HS Boys Basketball Season Preview

by Mike Vukovcan
written by Mike Vukovcan 7 minutes read

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.

 

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Hopewell Boys HS Basketball

Hopewell HS Boys Basketball/West Allegheny/Imani Christian Scrimmage Results

by Mike Vukovcan
written by Mike Vukovcan 1 minutes read

After a tough scrimmage on Saturday against perennial winning programs in Mt. Lebanon and Montour, the Hopewell HS Boys basketball team improved exponentially tonight as they took on West Allegheny and highly ranked 6A powerhouse Imani Christian.

The Hopewell defense was smothering in the first quarter of action as they held West Allegheny to just 11 points. The Vikings were led in scoring by Brody Rock with key contributions from Jeremy Benninghoff.

In the second quarter, the Vikings held a 9-7 lead late against Imani Christian. Again, Benninghoff led a tough defensive effort. Rock, Jack Biega, Nick Adams, Justin Shegog and Tre Cameron all defended their positions well; Imani made a late shot to end the quarter to win 11-9.

The rest of the scrimmage was filled with situational substitutions and back-and-forth among the three schools.

The Vikings competed hard tonight, which all Coach Biega asked for. Hopewell got Cameron back tonight from an ankle injury suffered two weeks ago and are set to get James Armstrong back in the starting rotation tomorrow. Armstrong has been rehabilitating an injury that he received during the last few games of the Hopewell football season.

The process continues and will count when Hopewell opens the 2025-26 season when they travel to take on highly regarded Shady Side Academy on December 2nd. The Hopewell home opener will take place on Friday, December 5th as they host Beaver Falls.

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