CRANBERRY TWP — Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic 6-foot, 185 junior forward Tristan Newcamp had close to zero varsity experience entering this season.

All summer, Newcamp worked with Timon Gribbin at open gyms and the Pine-Richland Community Center to find a role.

“Coming in, I was focused on being a defensive player,” said Newcamp, who averages just under 10 points per game. “I’ve been surprised I’ve scored points this season. I think it comes to me during a game. If I have an opportunity, I take it.”

That’s the kind of season it’s been for the Trojans.

Low on returning players — Gribbin is the only returning starter from a team that reached the PIAA Class A quarterfinals last season — North Catholic (13-8) has relied on contributions from everyone to be successful.

The Trojans finished second in Section 2-A and earned the fourth seed in the WPIAL playoffs. North Catholic will open against 13th-seed Winchester Thurston tonight at North Allegheny.

Trojans coach Dave Long has been happy with how his team has grown.

“Up to the Eden game (a 52-46 loss Monday night), I thought we had made leaps and bounds,” Long said. “The Eden game grounded us a little bit and let us know we aren’t all that. We need to keep working hard to be victorious.”

Long pointed to Newcamp, who sees Long as a great motivator, as someone who has made a big leap.

Gribbin and 6-foot-5 center Vince LeGrande — who leads the team at 16 points per game — pushed Newcamp to keep working hard.

Newcamp and Gribbin practiced together at open gyms and the Pine-Richland Community Center over the summer.

“Tristan’s a player that always has a lot of heart and hustle,” Gribbin said. “He works on his handles, shot and getting to the hoop. He’s probably the best player at getting to the hoop on our team.”

Isaiah Harvin, a 6-3 transfer from the Linsly School (W.Va.), has given North Catholic size and a lift off the bench.

Chris Goetz, LeGrande and Tom Braun have also stepped into the starting lineup after serving in limited roles last year.

The Trojans had their growing pains, starting the season 1-3, including big losses to Penn Hills (28 points) and Mars (27).

North Catholic went 2-5 against Class AAA and Quad-A opponents.

“It’s been a weird season,” Gribbin said. “This year, it was a later start for us getting our chemistry. It’s starting to grow together.”

The Trojans snapped a five-game losing streak to rival Vincentian Academy last Friday at home. North Catholic followed that with a loss to Eden Christian.

Newcamp thinks the Trojans’ loss to Eden is a good wake-up call.

“I think it motivates us, to be honest,” Newcamp said. “We took Eden for granted and you see what happens. We just need to play our hardest every single minute.”