After near miss, Riverview vies to return to WPIAL postseason

Nov. 27—Rex Roberts feels a high level of excitement among the players on the Riverview boys basketball team.

There's a chemistry and camaraderie, the junior guard says, forged by the shared goal and expectation of returning to the WPIAL playoffs, a position they came so close to attaining last year.

"We have a great group of guys who are hard workers," said Roberts, a returning letterman who averaged 10 points last year and emerged as a dependable 3-point shooter in the Raiders offense.

"You can really see that during our open gym and practices. We really get after it."

Riverview battled for a WPIAL playoff spot in Section 1-2A down to the final day of the regular season.

The Raiders, behind a team-best 19 points from Roberts, routed California in the senior-night section finale to finish at 6-8. But they didn't get the help they needed, and Brentwood and Springdale tied for the fourth and final playoff spot at 7-7.

"It was tough, for sure, just looking back at some of the close games we played and could've won," Roberts said. "It gave us a lot of motivation going into the offseason."

Riverview began the offseason having to say farewell to a quartet of seniors in forwards Alex Schultheis and Levi Roupas, forward/center Matt Orbin and guard Noah Vespi.

Schultheis, at 6-foot-5, led the team in scoring at 11.2 points per game and added six rebounds a contest. He now is a member of the football team at Clarion.

Second-year coach Dru Corbin said he's hoping to form a nucleus around the returning Roberts, as well as fellow lettermen in senior guard Ben Franciscus and senior forward Prince Govan.

Several fall sports athletes from golf, soccer, cross country and football came together with other team members for open gym workouts in advance of the Nov. 14 start of official preseason practices.

Corbin is pumped to get rolling with the season after promising offseason work.

"I'm always excited to be in the gym, but I'm especially excited with the guys we have coming back," he said.

"Summer and fall workouts were consistent with the work put in. The effort that this group gave in open gyms and workouts is something that will help us to be competitive in our section."

Corbin said he expects 6-foot junior guard Owen Metz to take a big step this season.

He also is looking forward to seeing who among those new to varsity basketball could add to the rotation.

"We lost a lot of size last season, so rebounding and protecting the paint will be an area that we will need guys to step up," Corbin said.

Roberts sees perimeter defense and 3-point shooting to be a team strength. Ball handling, he said, is something the team has been working on a lot.

"I think it is shaping up really well to the point where we have a good shot to make playoffs like we did last year coming into the season," Roberts said.

"It comes down to us controlling our own destiny. It will be in our hands to make it happen."

Riverview again will start the season at the Play For Mae Tournament on Friday at Woodland Hills. The Raiders will face Steel Valley and Seton LaSalle.

Last year, Riverview won both Play For Mae games, beating Steel Valley and Brashear.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at [email protected].