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By D.j. Vasil and Dave Yohe

Published: Wednesday, January 23, 2013, 12:56 a.m.
Updated: Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Kaylyn Iacopino

Class: Sophomore

Sport: Basketball

School: Valley

Report card: The 6-foot guard is the captain and leader of the girls' basketball team. She had one of her best games of the season in Monday's win overt Freeport, as she scored a team-high 20 points.

Valley has had to forfeit some games due to a lack of players. What's it been like from your perspective?

I worked hard since the summer, and I knew it was going to be a problem having low numbers. I just worked my hardest to try to keep the team together and gather players.

How difficult is it going through games knowing you won't get a break because you have just enough players to fill a lineup?

We knew from the beginning that we were going to get tired. We try our hardest to push through, and as a captain, I try to get my team to push through with me. We bear it together.

How big was the team's win over Freeport on Monday?

Freeport had a pretty decent-sized team. We lost to them when we played them before. We knew we could beat them because we have a lot of talent on our team. We wanted to win and wanted to play because we knew we could beat them. It helped our confidence a lot. They are one of the better teams in the section, and it was a big accomplishment. We knew we could do it because we believed in ourselves.

—D.J. Vasil

Nick Stotler

Class: Senior

Sport: Basketball

School: Plum

Report card: Stotler leads Plum in scoring at 13.4 points per game, through 13 games. He hit the game-winning 3-pointer in a 37-34 win over Woodland Hills last Friday.

Was that last shot yours to take, at the end of the Woodland Hills game?

(Coach Richards) drew the play up for me to get the ball in the back court. I was originally supposed to take it to the hoop and maybe draw a foul. I don't know what made me shoot it. I had someone on me, but I kind of did a little step-back.

You were on crutches right before the Jan. 11 game against Fox Chapel. Why did you decide to play in that game?

It was a pretty big game for us. It's a rivalry with Fox Chapel. I couldn't see myself sitting that one out.

Your team still controls its own playoff destiny. How do you like your teams' chances?

We're playing a lot better. I think if we all pull it together, we can knock some teams to move up.

You're a standout on the baseball team. Have you given any thought to the upcoming season?

I'm in basketball mode. I think about it sometimes, but my concentration is on basketball.

Every school seems to have a popular restaurant hang-out. What is the place at Plum?

We go to Somma's after games. I usually stick with the same thing: buffalo chicken wrap.

—Dave Yohe

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