Whiz Kid of the Week: Student Excels On and Off the Court

Steve Limberiou has been a clutch performer for the Upper St. Clair basketball team at various times throughout the season. It is just one of many reasons why he's Upper St. Clair Patch's Whiz Kid of the week. 

Limberiou, a senior guard/forward, averages just over 20 points per game for the Panthers (16-7), who will face Gateway (19-4) in the WPIAL Class AAAA quarterfinals Saturday afternoon at Baldwin.

Not only is he a standout athlete, he's also an exceptional student with a 3.5 GPA.

"His work ethic over the years in our program has made him special," head coach Danny Holzer said. "For us he's been an example and a role model for all our younger guys."

Limberiou's leadership not only stands out within the Upper St. Clair community, his performance caught the attention of WTAE Channel 4 Action Sports; They honored him with the Clearview Student-Athlete of the Week award.

The High School Playbook team presented Limberiou with the Student-Athlete of the Week trophy on Thursday during a small ceremony attended by his teammates, Holzer, athletic director Matt Mellinger and assistant principal Jace Palmer.

"It's a cool feeling, especially with all the hard work you put in during the summer, through practice and in school," Limberiou said of receiving the award. "It definitely means a lot to me."

Holzer says Limberiou has become a special player, having been involved with the Upper St. Clair basketball program since the first grade. 

"Every step of the way he has improved and embraced everything that we do," Holzer said. "He's a program player, a basketball junkie."

A number of schools are recruiting Limberiou including Catholic University in Washington, D.C., Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Wooster College to name a few.

Whenever he does make his decision on a college, Limberiou is interested in business administration as a major.

In the meantime, he and the Panthers have another challenge to face on the road to the WPIAL championships at the A.J. Palumbo Center. Gateway is considered to be a prohibitive favorite to win the title as the Section 1 champion and last year's runner-up.

But Limberiou says it will take a team effort in order to get the job done Saturday.

"We're going to have to execute for a full 32 minutes," he said. "They're definitely the most athletic team we've played, probably the most talented, too. But if we get stops [on defense] and we hit our shots we're definitely capable of beating anyone."

And if his clutch performances throughout the season are any indicator, as long as Steve Limberiou is on the floor, Upper St. Clair is capable of winning every game they play.

You can watch WTAE's story on Limberiou here.