Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 3, 2022
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It was just the second day of the season when the No. 3-ranked team in Class 6A was handed a loss that opened up a lot of eyes around the WPIAL.
Final score: North Hills 87, Fox Chapel 57.
“I think it was just eye opening,” Fox Chapel coach Zach Skrinjar said. “And it wasn’t even the final score. We knew how good they were. I thought they were the best team coming in, a well-rounded team. They kicked our butts in every way. It’s something we always go back to and talk about. We said, ‘That’s the standard we have to look at moving forward.’ They’ve proved to be the best team in the whole WPIAL, and that’s what we’re working for.”
That early uppercut might have knocked Fox Chapel down temporarily, but the Foxes got up from the mat quickly. Nearly two months later, they once again look like one of the best teams in the WPIAL.
Since that loss at now-No. 1 North Hills on Dec. 11, the No. 2-ranked Foxes (17-1) have reeled off 16 wins in a row. That includes a 54-37 win against Central Catholic on Jan. 18 that enabled them to take over first place in Section 3. The Foxes are 7-0 in section play, while Central Catholic is 6-1 and in second place. The teams play at Central Catholic on Feb. 11.
Fox Chapel is again getting outstanding play from senior guard Eli Yofan, a Fabulous 5 pick last season who is averaging 20.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.2 steals a game. Yofan is shooting 51% from the field and 42% from behind the arc.
“He’s been consistent, and that’s what we ask from all of our guys. We should know what your stat line is going to be before the game,” said Skrinjar, who on Tuesday picked up his 200th career win. “Eli is a stat sheet filler. He can check every box. He’s got the ability to go for double doubles every night and sometimes triple doubles.”
Skrinjar said defense has been the catalyst to his team’s success, adding that rebounding has played a big part in it, too. Since surrendering 87 points to North Hills, Fox Chapel has given up more than 57 points just once, and that came in a 69-64 win at Peters Township on Dec. 17. Skrinjar singled out seniors J.P. Dockey and Russell Fenton as players who have developed into excellent defenders this season. Dockey is also second on the team in scoring (10.6 ppg) and Fenton third (9.3 ppg).
Yofan, Dockey and Fenton, along with senior Jake DeMotte, all started last season. DeMotte, who is averaging 9.2 points a game, made a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left to give the Foxes a 54-53 win against Upper St. Clair on Jan. 21. The fifth starting spot has been filled by either senior Colin Kwiatkowski, junior Kam Greil or sophomore Jefferson Moorefield-Brown.
“We’re trying to improve every game,” said Skrinjar. “The last couple of weeks have been pretty good weeks with the competition we’ve played, and I think we’ve done a good job of continuing to improve.”