Observer-Reporter Athlete of the Week

Name: Matt Popeck
School: Washington
Year: Sophomore
Sport: Basketball
Popeck’s week: The 6-0 guard led the Prexies (11-2, 13-6) to two wins in Section 3-AA. On Tuesday night, he scored 23 points as Washington defeated Brentwood, 65-30. Four days later, he scored 18 in a 71-55 victory over Chartiers-Houston.
“He’s shooting the three ball better, and he’s an excellent free-throw shooter,” Washington head coach Ron Faust said. “Our numbers at the line have gone up, so that’s gotten a little bit contagious too. He has been very aggressive offensively and is improving defensively, too. It’s not a surprise that we’ve gotten better since he’s come into the lineup.”
Missing time: When Washington’s football team was marching toward the WPIAL Class AA semifinals, Popeck became a pivotal part of the Prexies’ passing game. Three days before Wash High faced Aliquippa in the semifinals, Popeck was diagnosed with mononucleosis.
He missed the Prexies’ loss to the Quips and was not cleared to return to physical activity until Dec. 12, one week into the WPIAL basketball season. As the players got accustomed to Faust, Popeck sat and watched through the first two weeks of practice.
Since his return Dec. 19 against Bishop Canevin, Washington has won 10 of its last 14 games with only two losses coming against WPIAL opponents. The Prexies have defeated section rivals Seton-LaSalle and Bishop Canevin during that stretch, with Popeck averaging 15.9 points per game.
“I definitely had a chip on my shoulder,” Popeck said. “I knew I was going to have to earn my spot. I would get really tired at first, but I got in shape pretty quick.”
New dimension: Before Popeck’s return, Washington struggled through its opening stretch of games with losses to Canon-McMillan and Seton-LaSalle. His return has helped Faust’s defense-first mentality and added another guard to the Prexies’ deep rotation.
“He’s very aggressive as a sophomore. He’s a scorer; he’s a perimeter scorer, (but) he can drive to the basket, so he brings the entire package into play,” Faust said. “Of course, that makes everyone else that much better. I think that’s the way you evaluate a player. Not only is he going to be good with his statistics when he comes into the game, but how much better can he make the other people around him? As a young player, Matt has done both of those things.”
The Prexies, who sit in a tie for second place with Bishop Canevin in Section 3-AA, defeated Seton-LaSalle, the state’s fifth-ranked Class AA team according to the Harrisburg Patriot-News, and knocked off the Crusaders. Bishop Canevin had defeated Washington by 10 in Popeck’s first game of the season.
Though he has the ability to score more, Wash High’s system leads a new player to excel offensively every night. Popeck doesn’t mind.
“It’s been a lot of fun. We’re winning games and I’m just going to do whatever it takes to do that every night,” Popeck said.
Compiled by Lance Lysowski