KELLER CHAMOVITZ

Quaker Valley

The past week: Chamovitz scored four goals against North Catholic to lead Quaker Valley to a 5-0 victory in the WPIAL Class 2A boys soccer final.

Check this out: Chamovitz, a senior striker, is the leading scorer for the Quakers this season with 45 goals and 18 assists. He also comes from a soccer family as his father, Sam, scored two goals for Quaker Valley in the 1996 WPIAL championship match.

What was it like scoring four in the final? It was very exciting. We, as a team, played very well, I thought. To be the one who finished off those chances felt really good.

Did it make it sweeter considering you were held without a goal in the semis? Yeah. I felt like I needed to come out and prove that I was up there and score goals in the playoffs as well as the regular season.

You mentioned proving something. Has the team been on a mission to prove something after COVID ended the season last year? Our last game last year was against North Catholic and it ended in an overtime loss. I feel like, as a team, we knew we had to come out and make a statement about last year and this year; that we deserved it last year and we definitely deserve it this year.

You doubled up what your dad did in the WPIAL finals. Did you let him hear about it? Yeah. He went to the game and when J.J. (Veshio) told me about him scoring two and me scoring four, I definitely rubbed it in his face a little bit.

How did he take it? He laughed it off. We always talk about soccer and it’s always happy and he’s happy I’m doing well.

How has he helped you develop as a player? If he couldn’t make my game, he would always go over film with me and send me clips and tell me what I need to improve on. He always makes sure that I’m on my diet and doing the right things to make myself be the best I can be.

Were you born with a soccer ball in your crib? Yeah, I probably started at a young age, like around 4.

Have any colleges come around to recruit you? I’ve talked to a couple of schools, but I don’t have any serious offers or commitments or anything.

What would it mean to win the state title this year? It would be amazing. My whole senior class, we wanted to do a three-peat because we won it our sophomore year (2019) and we wanted to win last year and this year as well. Getting knocked out of the whole playoffs last year due to COVID, this year is really important to every single one of us.

What food do you have to have before a game? I generally go for a chicken Caesar salad.

What are your Thanksgiving plans? Probably have a big dinner, have everyone get together and, hopefully, we’ll be celebrating bringing hope a state championship.

What is one food you have to have at Thanksgiving? I really like mashed potatoes and gravy. It’s my favorite.

— By Keith Barnes

ERICA LAMPUS

Freeport

The past week: Lampus, a 5-7 senior outside hitter and four-year starter, recorded 25 kills in Freeport’s 3-2 win against Armstrong in the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals on Nov. 2, then registered 22 kills and two aces in a 3-1 win against Hampton in the championship match on Nov. 6. It marked the second WPIAL title in three years for Freeport, and first since moving up to Class 3A.

Check this out: Lampus broke into Freeport’s starting lineup as a freshman libero. Since then, she has played all three front row hitting positions and setter, which prompted coach Tom Phillips to refer to her as the Yellowjackets’ “Swiss army knife”. On Monday, Lampus was recognized on the first team of the all-WPIAL Class 3A team for the second consecutive year. She was also a member of the PVCA Class 3A all-state team in 2020.

When did you start playing volleyball? I began playing for a club team, Pittsburgh Elite, in sixth grade. My whole family played volleyball. My dad (Jared) is an assistant coach for our team. My mom (Jamie) has also coached. My sister Lauren (a 2020 graduate) played at Freeport and is now playing at Westminster.

Do you mind playing so many positions over your career? I prefer to play libero, but I will do anything to help my team win.

Does this year’s WPIAL title mean more to you than the one Freeport won in 2019? I was a sophomore on the 2019 team and I got to share that one with my sister. This year’s title means a little more to me since it came in Class 3A. It was also special since it’s my senior year. It’s a good way to end my high school career.

Give us your thoughts on the PIAA tournament, which began Tuesday. It’s exciting to play in the state tournament again. We lost in the semifinals to North Catholic when I was a sophomore. It will be a tough road to get back to the semifinals, and hopefully the finals.

Do you want to play in college? I think I will play in college, but haven’t made a final decision yet. I want to major in business mathematics or science analytics.

Have you been able to see your sister play at Westminster? I’ve seen some of her matches. Westminster won the PAC tournament on Saturday. It was the same day of the WPIAL title match, so I couldn’t attend. My mom went to Lauren’s match, while my dad was on the bench with us. It’s great that we were both able to celebrate a title on Saturday.

What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you? I am a big “One Direction” fan. They broke up six years ago, but I got to see Harry Styles when he came to Pittsburgh a few weeks ago. He’s a great performer.

— By Ken Wunderley

First Published: November 10, 2021, 10:30 a.m.