Another Central Catholic Varsity basketball season ended on Wednesday, March 15, against the Little Lions of State College High School. The game was neck-and-neck for about 30 of the 32 minutes, but State College was able to pull away at the last second for a trip to the state quarterfinals with a 57-47 victory over Central Catholic.

The heartbreaking loss served as the last game for nine seniors on the Vikings’ roster, who were able to go on an unforgettable run over the past four years. As one of the nine seniors, I was a firsthand witness to the four-year journey that ultimately reached its conclusion Wednesday night.

By virtue of being in the class of 2023, we shared the same first year at Central with a newly-hired head coach, Brian Urso. Taking over the Vikings’ bench in the spring of 2019, Coach Urso had big shoes to fill.

Legendary coach Chuck Crummie had a 39-year reign as the head of the program, a time during which he compiled over 650 wins and solidified himself as one of the winningest coaches in WPIAL history.

Coming in with a brand new coaching staff (including Mr. Kyle Goldcamp as assistant coach) and style, Urso had a clear vision in mind for the future of the program: to become championship worthy.

Attaining this goal meant that sacrifices had to be made. Perhaps the clearest of these sacrifices was made during freshman year open gyms. In the 90 degree heat (+10 degrees in the un-air-conditioned gym), some of the most egregious and grueling workouts took place. These drills have brought nightmares to young men ranging from freshmen to seniors, but they ultimately proved to bear fruit in the long run.

Fast forward two quick years, and junior year was underway. With key addition Debaba Tshiebwe, the Vikings were ready to make noise in the postseason. Facing a talented Butler team featuring a Duquesne-bound guard, Central Catholic took care of business on our home court with a 31 point victory.

Next was the WPIAL semifinals against future state semifinalists, Fox Chapel. A low scoring game with a five point deficit ended Central’s hopes of finally reaching that coveted WPIAL title game. The season ultimately ended with a quit exit from the state tournament in the first round against Allderdice.

Six months later marked the beginning of a highly anticipated senior campaign. After a buzzer beater lost Central its opening game against Gateway, the players and coaches knew the road to success would not come easy. Shaking off the rust, Central quickly bounced back against the future 5A champions in a talented Penn Hills team.

Shortly thereafter, the team hit the road and traveled to Kentucky and Maryland, battling against some of the best teams in the country. The regular season admittedly had some ups and downs. Serving Lincoln Park their only loss of the season and losing a section game against North Allegheny in back-to-back games sums up the hills and valleys any grueling basketball season can bring.

The first round of the playoffs brought Central face-to-face with a scary Baldwin team, the projected 1st seed for the other section. After a nail-biting, heart-rate-rising turn of events, the team avoided the early exit and moved on to an all-too-familiar semifinal stage. With last year’s devastating loss still in the back of the players’ and coaches’ minds, Central Catholic took care of business and sent Upper St. Clair fans on their 5-minute trips back home.

The championship game. Uncharted territories for everyone on the roster and the first appearance for the program in 15 years. Central faced a flashy New Castle team, who had robbed the Vikings of a section title earlier in the season. This added an extra level of personal vendetta to an already tense game.

At the end of the day, all it came down to was trusting the work that had been put in during conditioning workouts on the hills and open gyms in 100-degree heat. More important than that, however, was believing in the familial bonds the team had forged with one another. 32 minutes later, capped off with a dunk by junior powerhouse Cole Sullivan, the Vikings stormed the court to celebrate the culmination of a four-year goal.

After another historic win in a state playoff victory, our four-year journey is finally over. Coach Urso’s goal of becoming championship worthy has been reached, and “2023 – Basketball” on the gym wall under the WPIAL Team Champions banner will cement this team’s historic run in Central’s history.