Route 19 Clash: Upper St. Clair vs. Mt. Lebanon

Danny Holzer has a career record of 272-131 as head coach of the Upper St. Clair boys' basketball team -- a career winning percentage of .675. You do not compile that kind of resume without knowing what to expect from your opponents, much less your own team.

That said, Holzer is well aware of the challenge he and his team face in Section 4 of the WPIAL Class AAAA, home to two of last year's defending league champions in Mt. Lebanon and Chartiers Valley (who moved up in classification after winning last year's AAA title) and other challenging teams such as Peters Township, Bethel Park and newcomer Moon Area.

He knew the uphill battle his team would face to finish within the top four in the standings and qualify for a playoff spot long before section play began.

"It's going to be a battle," Holzer said in December. "We're all rivals and we all know each other. It's going to be a grind."

So far that assessment has been spot-on, as the Panthers (7-5) won their first two section games against Baldwin and Peters Township, but have since dropped the last three to Bethel Park, Canon-McMillan and Moon. When looking back to what their coach said earlier on in the season would be the keys to their success, it is easy to point out where they have struggled.

"We've just got to make sure everybody plays together," Holzer said. "We've got a bunch of people who can score and are confident, so we have to do that and just play together defensively."

The most recent loss to Moon last Friday embodied the Panthers' struggles in doing the exact opposite. Seniors Steve Limberiou and Garrett DelRe accounted for 75 percent of the team's scoring, which Holzer said in December cannot happen in order for the Panthers to be successful. 

"A lot of the teams are looking at DelRe and Limberiou and focusing on them, but we need players 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 [on the depth chart] to make plays," he said.

Holzer also expressed disappointment with the overall defensive effort.

"We don't guard anybody," he told Upper St. Clair Patch's Michael Bennett after the loss to Moon. "That should answer all your questions."

Now the next challenge is Tuesday night's meeting at Mt. Lebanon, one that the coaching staff has considered to be one of the most important on the schedule.

Although the Blue Devils (12-1, 6-0 section) lost guard Evan Pierce and center Deion Turman to graduation guards Luke Hagy, Tyler Roth and Evan Eaton and forwards Paul Lang, Tim Cwalina and Dylan White create just as formidable a lineup both inside the paint and on the perimeter.

Upper St. Clair hasn't lacked for offense, averaging 63.5 points per game, but a 59.3 average allowed creates for an average margin of victory as slim as the two games they sit above .500, another measure of the stiff competition they face in their quest for the postseason.

However, Holzer had expectations of closely-contested games long beforehand, and Tuesday night shouldn't be any different, nor should their next game at Chartiers Valley three days later.  

"It's going to be like that every night because all of these teams can compete," he said after the win against Peters Township. "It doesn't matter what the records are. You've got to be ready at all times."