Basketball
Holy Ghost Prep 2023-24 basketball preview
Head coach: Tom Heston ’12, first season
Last season: 14-13 record, lost to eventual state champion Imhotep Charter in the first round of the PIAA Class 5A state playoffs
Key players lost to graduation: Seamus McDermott (walk-on at Duquesne University), Ian Hendrix (playing at Alvernia University), Mel Lindsey (playing at Albright College), Brendan Boutilier
2023-24 season outlook: Tom Heston ’12 moves over one chair on the bench to replace his mentor Tony Chapman ’71, who retired after 45 years of coaching Holy Ghost Prep basketball with a mind-boggling 928-351 record. Heston’s goal is to continue the tradition of excellence at HGP hoops, while also putting his own stamp on the program. The Firebirds must replace 13 seniors from last year’s state playoff-qualifying team, but Heston has the luxury being able to build his first Firebirds squad around two returning starting guards, 6-2 junior Adrien “Ace” Varella and 6-foot senior Gavin McLaughlin. Varella averaged 11 points per game last season and should be one of the area’s top high school players the next two seasons, while seniors McLaughlin (2.9 ppg in 2022-23) and Dean Bergkoetter are the program’s only other two varsity returnees and will be asked to provide scoring and on-the-court leadership. Other players to watch for what should be a deep 2023-24 Firebirds team will be juniors Charles Steinmetz, Zak Sharlin, and Robbie Segarich, along with a pair of sophomores in Liam Duffy and Adam McDonald. Heston’s squad will take on a challenging independent schedule that includes pre-Christmas road trips to Bishop Shanahan (Dec. 5) and La Salle College High School (Dec. 10). In addition, the Firebirds will play in three early-season tournaments before the ball drops in Times Square: Jack Schott Tip-Off Tourney (Dec. 1-2), HGP’s Coaches vs. Cancer Marathon (Dec. 23), and the Benedictine Capital City Classic in Richmond, Virginia (Dec. 27-29).
HGP 2023-24 VARSITY BASKETBALL ROSTER
NO. NAME CLASS
00 Zak Sharlin Jr.
1 Aden Brody Jr.
2 Adam McDonald So.
3 Robbie Segarich Jr.
5 Benjamin McNab So.
10 Mark Stendardo Jr.
11 Gavin McLaughlin Sr.
12 Dean Bergkoetter Sr.
13 Jeremiah Muturi Jr.
14 Brandon Bass Jr.
22 Adrien Varella Jr.
30 Tommy Nahill Jr.
35 Charles Steinmetz Jr.
43 Liam Duffy So.