Yough girls preview: Znavor takes over Yough girls coaching duties
The Yough girls made the basketball playoffs last season to end one of the longest droughts in the WPIAL.
Three starters from last year’s team graduated, and Mike Gerdich stepped down as coach.
Hired in August to replace him was a familiar face to Yough, as well as in basketball circles, Brian Znavor, a middle school teacher in the district and former Yough boys coach..
“I am excited to get things going and our expectations are to build upon last year’s success,” said Znavor. “We want to take the next step into making this a legit program.”
Znavor coached the Yough boys from 2001 through 2006, where he coached Ben McCauley, the best player in Yough history, and then moved on to Elizabeth Forward from 2008-10.
With Znavor getting hired late, it affected what he and his staff could get implemented.
“I got hired in early August for the position, and we were not able to do much offseason work since so many of the girls were involved in fall sports,” said Znavor. “We got started the week they ended.”
The two returning starters are senior guard Autumn Matthews and junior forward Hailey Bock.
The other starters will be junior forward Kadee Roebuck, junior guard Brooke Weiland, and sophomore guard Carly Fitzgibbons.
Other players who are expected to contribute are sophomore forward Leah Boris, sophomore guard Kylee Odelli, and freshman guard Brooke Kowalski.
Yough is in Section 4-AAA along with Brownsville, Charleroi, McGuffey, South Park, and Waynesburg Central.
“I am not too familiar with the teams yet,” Znavor said, pointing out he is still focusing on his team, although he pointed out what would lead to a successful season.
“We will have a good season if we stay injury free and limit our foul trouble,” he said.