Dec 10, 2018 4 min read

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Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter

Washington’s Zahmere Robinson drives past Belle Vernon’s Mitchell Pohlot (32) for a basket Monday night. Washington went on to an easy victory.

Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter

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Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter

Washington’s Dan Ethridge (23) looks to make a pass around Belle Vernon’s Mitchell Pohlot

Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter

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Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter

Belle Vernon’s Cam Nusser tries to take a shot around Washington’s Dan Ethridge (23) and Joe Mercer during Monday’s game at Wash High.

Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter

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Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter

Belle Vernon’s Hunter Ruokonen looks to make a pass around Washington’s Dan Ethridge (23)

Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter

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Observer-Reporter

Washington’s Caleb Jackson is one of multiple players who return for the Prexies this season.

Observer-Reporter

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Washington High School boys basketball coach Ron Faust would glance at his bench at the end last season and find only a few players and a bunch of empty seats.

When he glanced to his right in the Washington High School gymnasium Monday night, the Prexies’ boys basketball coach found a full compliment of players, nearly all of them able to expose the weaknesses of Belle Vernon.

Forcing Belle Vernon into one mistake and bad decision after another, Washington had 23 takeaways, four players score in double figures, including two off the bench, and easily won its season opener over the Leopards, 82-62.

“It’s just not knowing what to do with the basketball,” Belle Vernon coach Joe Salvino frustratingly said. “We are still hesitant. The game is faster than these kids are used to playing. That’s a problem.”

Washington quickly turned the Leopards’ problems into points, getting to the basket, foul line and ahead on the scoreboard.

“We felt that we could get to the basket anytime we wanted,” Faust said.

It showed.

Without any resistance, other than multiple fouls that put Washington at the free-throw line, the Prexies opened each quarter clicking on all cylinders. They went on runs of 9-3 to begin the first quarter, 11-4 to start the second and 7-2 in the final quarter.

And when Caleb Jackson gave Washington a double-digit lead, 25-14, on a layup with 4:44 remaining in the second quarter – a deficit the Leopards could never recover from – the Prexies continued to put the pedal down.

“It hurts because we aren’t a team that is going to come from behind,” Salvino said. “Our guys lose all concept of what has to go on and they revert back to bad ways. They aren’t running on offense. They aren’t breaking the press like they’re supposed to. Hopefully sooner than later, they are going to learn. When they do it, it does work. But for us it comes way too late. I have to call timeouts or go over something at halftime we’ve been over a million times already. It’s not just embedded in their heads.”

The only thing Washington was thinking about was attacking with a roster that overwhelmed Belle Vernon. It was much different for the Prexies than a season ago.

Zahmere Robinson finished with a game-high 22 points, half coming from the free-throw line. Jackson, another member of the starting lineup, pitched in with 12 points. The best part for Faust was that it all didn’t come from his starting five. Bench players Dan Ethridge and freshman Tayshawn Levy dominated. Ethridge had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Levy had 11 points in limited minutes.

“Tayshawn is a very good athlete. We just need someone to be his big brother and get him in the right places,” Faust said. “We expect Dan to do what he did and even more as the season goes on.”

Though Washington surrendered 62 points, Belle Vernon failed to score on back-to-back possessions without an answer from the Prexies only three times the entire game, once in the first quarter and twice in the third.

“We sat back on the lead,” Faust said. “That is something that can bite you. I don’t want to experience that. I would rather correct it than it be a lecture after a loss. We need to keep teams in the 40s or 50s. That 62 is just too much. It’s been the same concept for 34 years.”

The closest Belle Vernon (0-3) could get was back to 10 points when Cam Nusser, who finished tied with teammate Larry Callaway with 12 points, made a three-pointer with 57 seconds left in the third quarter.

Mitch Pohlot had a double-double for Belle Vernon, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

“Quickness and athleticism,” Faust said of the advantages for the Prexies. “It’s a building block but not where we want to finish.”