When local teens go on summer vacations, it’s often to one of the many beaches along the East Coast.
Erond Jakupi spends most of his with family in Albania.
“I visit almost every summer,” he said. “We go for at least a month.”
Jakupi is a junior point guard at Keystone Oaks who is one of the more unique players in the WPIAL. Jakupi was born in the United States, but his parents are from Kosovo, a country in Southeast Europe. His parents, who are considered Kosovo Albanians (Kosovo and Albania border one another), fled the country and came to the United States as refugees during the Kosovo War a little more than two decades ago. Jakupi typically visits his dad’s family in Albania. During his most recent trip last summer, Jakupi even played some with Kosovo’s U18 National Team.
Basketball isn’t immensely popular in Kosovo or Albania, Jakupi said, but the sport is a big part of Jakupi’s life. The kid his coaches and teammates call “E” has produced some “A” performances this season for a Keystone Oaks team off to its best start in more than two decades.
Keystone Oaks hasn’t had a winning season since 2019 and hasn’t won a playoff game since 2008, but a golden start has these Golden Eagles flying high and thinking they can cross off both accomplishments from the bucket later this winter. Keystone Oaks, guided by fourth-year coach Gary Goga, is 6-0, which is one more win than the Golden Eagles had all of last season when they dropped nine of their final 10 games to finish 5-15.
“We’ve had a total change of culture,” Goga said. “We had a really rough year last year. We ended on a really sour note. At one point we were in first place in the section, and then the wheels came off. Injuries, suspensions … the guys who are all in basically said that was never happening again. They weren’t going to go through that again. And they said, ‘If you’re not all in, then you’re going to be all out.’ They took ownership of what we’re trying to do.”
It has certainly shown in the team’s play. If you take in a Keystone Oaks game, you better not blink because Goga has the Golden Eagles playing at a much faster pace this season. Along with the increased tempo has come better efficiency. The Golden Eagles ranked near the bottom of WPIAL Class 3A in scoring last season when they averaged 48.2 points per game. But this season they are averaging 68.6 a game, which ranks third in the classification.
“We racked our brains and said, ‘We’re going to press you when you get off the bus and we’re never going to stop. We have a couple of different looks with our press. The bottom line is, it’s constant pressure. But in order to do that, we have to be in great shape. There’s a lot more scoring, and it’s scoring from our defense, which really helps.”
In Jakupi, Keystone Oaks has one of the top scorers in the WPIAL. Jakupi, who is 6 feet 2, has poured in a team-high 23.5 points per game, this after tallying a team-best 17.3 his sophomore season. Jakupi scored 28 in the season opener against South Side, collected 26 against Southmoreland and registered 25 against Brashear.
This teen who takes those long trips each summer is a terrific long-range shooter. Jakupi has knocked down 26 3-pointers in the early going. Those triples account for 55% of his scoring.
“He’s been great,” Goga said. “He’s really improved his 3 and he’s really improved his handle. And he got into the weight room. He’s 6-2½, 185. He’s strong as an ox. He has been everything I could possibly ask for as a player.”
Jakupi scored a game-high 23 points in last Friday’s big 67-58 win against Seton LaSalle. In what is dubbed the “Battle of McNeilly Road,” Keystone Oaks ended a nine-game losing streak in a series between rival schools located across the street from one another.
“It felt amazing,” said Jakupi, who lives in Castle Shannon.
Keystone Oaks has some excellent length. Cameron Pellarin, a 6-6 junior center, and Ethan Spivak, a 6-5 senior guard-forward, are both starters, while 6-7 sophomore center Isaac Russell is one of the first players off the bench. The other starters are 5-9 senior guard Bruno Onate and 6-2 junior guard Joey Colton. Senior guard Tulio Watts is back after missing last season with a torn ACL.
Keystone Oaks has never won a WPIAL basketball championship, but this group believes it has what it takes to contend for the crown.
“I believe we can make it all of the way,” Jakupi said. “We put in the hard work, so anything is possible.”
Ellwood’s Lake floods scoresheet
Ellwood City lost its all-time leading scorer and a double-double machine when Joseph Roth graduated this past spring. Roth is now swimming at Ohio State, but the well of talent at Ellwood City is not dry. In fact, a Lake has been busy doing his best Roth impression.
Aaron Lake, a junior forward, is off to a strong start for Ellwood City (4-3 overall and 1-0 in Class 3A Section 1). Lake, who at 6-2 is the tallest player on the team, is averaging 17.5 points and 12 rebounds per game, both team bests. Lake has already posted five double-doubles and is shooting 55% from the field (47 of 86). He pumped in a career-best 31 points on 14-of-18 shooting against Rochester and against Freedom in the section opener, Lake scored 27 points while grabbing a career-high 17 rebounds.
Roth’s departure left a huge void in Ellwood City’s lineup. The 6-5 Roth averaged 25.2 points and 14.6 rebounds per game last season and finished his career with 2,109 points and 1,198 rebounds.
Sapotichne wins 400th
For veteran Greensburg Salem coach Paul Sapotichne, the wait between his 399th and 400th wins at the school was a long one.
Try 12 years.
Sapotichne was stuck on 399 wins at Greensburg Salem when he stepped down in 2012 following 29 seasons at the school. But Sapotichne decided to come back and coach the Golden Lions for a second time this season. After beginning the season 0-3, Greensburg Salem won at Yough, 67-36, in the Class 4A Section 3 opener last Friday. It was win No. 1 on the season and win No. 400 for Sapotichne at Greensburg Salem.
Sapotichne upped his overall career win total to 465. He coached at Wilmington for three seasons prior to his first stint at Greensburg Salem and later coached Riverview for six seasons. Sapotichne guided Greensburg Salem to its only PIAA title game appearance in 2009.
Thomas, Evans back in town
Overtime Elite had hoped to play a few games in the Pittsburgh area during the holiday season as a homecoming for stars Meleek Thomas and Amari Evans. That fell through, but the two SEC-bound players will both be in town next week as they team up to host a basketball camp for the second year in a row.
Thomas and Evans, along with Woodland Hills senior Amere Brown, will host the Holiday Hoops Basketball Camp at Pro Sports Monroeville on Dec. 24 from noon to 2 p.m. The camp, which is free to attend, is open to players in third through eighth grade.
Thomas and Evans both led teams to WPIAL and PIAA titles — Evans at Bishop Canevin in 2022 and Thomas at Lincoln Park in 2023 and 2024 — before moving on to play at Overtime Elite in Atlanta. Thomas is an Arkansas commit while Evans is headed to Tennessee.
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.