By JEREMY SELLEW
When Joe Salvino was named as the new head coach of the Belle Vernon Area boys basketball team prior to the 2018-19 season, he met with his team in the high school auditorium to discuss procedures and expectations for his new team.
When the meeting was over, one of the first players to offer a handshake to his new coach was Mitch Pohlot.
“Mitch always tries to do the right thing,” Salvino said of the senior forward. “He was always trying to help me make sure the team was doing what it was supposed to do on the court. Whatever it took, he tried to be that leader. Everyone else saw that, too.”
Pohlot, chosen as a captain by Salvino, helped lead the Leopards to a 20-8 overall record and an 8-2 mark in Section 3-4A. It was BVA’s first 20-win season since 2001.
He helped the Leopards reach the WPIAL championship game for the first time since 1978 and win their first PIAA playoff game since 1981.
“This group of seniors was a lot different than any team I’ve ever coached. And I’ve been doing this for a long time,” Salvino said. “The thing is they were so different as individuals, but they all had that team concept. That’s not easy for a leader to handle sometimes, but Mitch was a take-charge kind of person.”
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