Derry Area Trojans Boys

Head Coach: Tom Esposito – 6th season of second stint (15th overall at Derry Area)

Conference: Class 3A Section 3

Last Season: 11-10 overall, lost to Mohawk in the WPIAL Class 3A first round

Key Losses: Gabe Carbonara, Ethan Frye, Ashton Beighley

Key Returners: Nate Papuga, Brady Angus, John Wasnick

Promising Newcomers: Roman Fridley, Cason Long, Stanley Rajkovich, Izaak Lenhart, William Stockett-Harter, Brayden Robinson, Caden Marsh

Derry Area boys basketball coach Tom Esposito knows what to expect from his three returning starters this season. After a playoff appearance in 2022-23, the Trojans will lean heavily on Brady Angus, Nate Papuga, and John Wasnick in their pursuit of another postseason run this campaign.

Angus and Papuga, who are seniors, and the junior Wasnick have combined for more than 100 starts throughout their varsity career with the Trojans.

“They’re holding themselves accountable. They’re holding their teammates accountable, on and off the court,” Esposito noted. “Probably the best leaders we’ve had in a number of years.”

The fate of the Trojans may largely be determined by what the other players in the rotation provide, as Derry Area looks to build upon a campaign in which it went 11-10 overall. Furthermore, the Trojans went 6-6 in Class 3A Section 3, and fell to Mohawk 66-56 in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.

The Trojans took a hit from graduation, including the loss of Gabe Carbonara, who averaged approximately 18 points per game in his senior season. Forwards Ethan Frye and Ashton Beighley also have moved on from the program, creating a void in the rotation.

That will put all the more focus on the returners, led by Papuga, who also averaged 18 points per game last season. A 6-foot-3 guard, Papuga has drawn college interest. Angus, the point guard, averaged 10 points last season. Perhaps his biggest contribution, though, will be on the defensive end of the floor.

Aside from the experienced trio, nobody else on the roster has started a game at the varsity level. Thus, senior Roman Fridley, a Seton Hill University baseball commit, and sophomore guard Cason Long are expected to take on increased roles. Moreover, 6-foot-5 freshman forward Stanley Rajkovich will likely see significant minutes, and the Trojans are hoping that sophomores Izaak Lenhart, William Stockett-Harter, Brayden Robinson, and Caden Marsh can provide contributions off the bench.

“If we can develop that (depth), I think we’ll be in position to win some basketball games this year,” Esposito said.

Last season, Section 3 proved to be loaded, as Deer Lakes and Shady Side Academy split the section crown at 10-2. The Lancers went on to win the WPIAL Class 3A Championship and reached the state title game, while the Bulldogs advanced to the PIAA postseason. Burrell, which went 9-3, placed third, while Ligonier Valley finished one game behind the Trojans. Valley and Apollo-Ridge were at the bottom of the standings.

“It’s going to be a grind every single night. We’re going to have to play well, regardless of who we’re playing,” said the veteran coach.

Derry Area split its first two contests of the season in the Yough Tournament, edging Laurel Highlands but falling to the host Cougars.

Section play commences at home against the Lancers on Dec. 19.

Derry Area Trojans Girls

Head Coach: Gene Brisbane – 5th season

Conference: Class 4A Section 1

Last Season: 9-13 overall, missed playoffs

Key Losses: Mara Lewis, Sara Bungard

Key Returners: Samantha Gruska, Rachelle Marinchek, Jane Huss

Promising Newcomers: Ally Loucks, Rain Loucks, Rissa Loucks, Haylee Myers

Even before the 2023-24 season began, the Derry Area girls basketball program had already made significant progress. Since head coach Gene Brisbane became head coach in 2019, the Trojans have frequently faced the same issues – a small roster, no junior varsity program, and a lack of assistants to Brisbane on the bench.

This season, however, those issues should all be resolved, which has given Brisbane and his players a positive outlook on the campaign.

“I think we’re a little bit ahead of where we were last year,” noted the veteran coach. “We definitely made some progress.”

Last year, the Trojans went 9-13 overall, but won just twice in the section. From that squad, the Trojans graduated a pair of starters – forwards Sara Bungard and Mara Lewis.

However, Derry Area returns three experienced starters, all of whom are capable of leading the team in scoring. That trio consists of senior guards Samantha Gruska and Rachelle Marinchek and junior guard Jane Huss. A year ago, Marinchek paced Derry Area with 8.7 points per game, while Huss contributed 8.1 points and Gruska scored 8.0 points per contest.

“Those three have been through the wars of the last two seasons, where they have had to play almost every single minute of the game,” Brisbane detailed. “They have to lead those younger players.”

The roster this season is comprised of three seniors, two juniors, a sophomore, and five freshmen, the largest crop of 9th graders during his time at the helm of the Trojans.

The roster includes the three Loucks sisters – senior forward Ally, junior forward Rain, and sophomore guard Rissa. All three of them will aim to carve out a larger role after playing sparingly last season. The freshman class consists of Kameryn Dunlap, Kylee Metcalf, Trinity Miller, Adalyn O’Hanlon, and Haylee Myers. Myers, in particular, appears poised to play a key role.

While the 11 players on the roster still pales in comparison to many of the other teams across Class 4A, it’s a step forward for the Trojans. Subsequently, Brisbane intends to field a JV squad for the first time in his five seasons.

“That’s going to be a really big boost to the overall program,” he said. “Everybody is going to have an opportunity to play, which is really good because it does give us some depth.”

Residing in Class 4A Section 1, the Trojans must contend with defending WPIAL Champion North Catholic, as well as Knoch, which won a state playoff game last season. Highlands, which also reached the PIAA postseason, and Greensburg Salem were the other playoff participants from the section, while Freeport Area finished ahead of Derry Area, as well.

“We’d like to try to get back to a winning season and qualifying for the playoffs. Those are our immediate goals,” Brisbane stated.

The Trojans have dropped two of their first three games to begin the season. They went 1-1 in the Monessen tournament losing to Charleroi before defeating Brashear. DA then lost at Mount Pleasant 40-23 on Wednesday.