Commodores feature senior-laden squad
Frazier无毛视频檚 Luke Santo scoops in a layup for two of his team-high 17 points during a game at Beth-Center, Dec. 13, 2019.
Frazier's Owen Newcomer (3)gets off a shot while being defended by Beth-Center's Ruben Miller (1) during Friday night's game at Beth-Center. Newcomer scored 13 points but the Bulldogs won, 70-54.
Frazier's Colton Arison (14) launches a 3-point shot over the out-stretched arm of Beth-Center's Kamden Studnicki during a game at Beth-Center, Dec. 13, 2019.
Frazier coach Zach Keefer talks with Luke Santo during a break in the action of a game at Beth-Center last year.
Zach Keefer enters his fourth season as Frazier boys basketball coach in a different section with an experienced team.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e senior heavy this year,无毛视频� said Keefer. 无毛视频淲e have eight seniors, some who are multi-year starters. They无毛视频檙e a confident bunch. I can tell they无毛视频檙e excited. They无毛视频檙e focused each practice, day in and day out. They无毛视频檙e hopeful and they无毛视频檙e working to have a special year.无毛视频�
Frazier was 4-18 overall and 2-10 in a tough Section 4-AAA last year but has dropped down into Section 4-AA for the 2020-21 season where the Commodores will contend with California, Carmichaels, Monessen, Jefferson-Morgan and Bentworth.
无毛视频淭his is very similar to the section we were in three years ago,无毛视频� Keefer said. 无毛视频淲hen we were in there, every night was a battle and every game had meaning in the section, from top to bottom, which is what you want.无毛视频�
Leading the charge foe the Commodores will be Luke Santo who无毛视频檚 been in the starting lineup since his freshman year.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a luxury to have a four-year starting point guard,无毛视频� Keefer said. 无毛视频淭he way Luke sees the floor, I believe he无毛视频檚 a true point guard with a pass-first mentality. The kid can score anywhere on the floor but he does a great job of getting his teammates involved. He likes setting them up to score just as much as he likes scoring himself.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 a tremendous leader and a great team player. The kids look up to him.无毛视频�
Seniors Owen Newcomer and Colton Arison will be three-year starters. Back after taking a year off from basketball is senior Kenny Fine. Senior Chase Hazelbaker, coming off a highly successful golf season, will be the Commodores无毛视频� main post player.
无毛视频淐hase did real well in all the offseason and in practices,无毛视频� Keefer said. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 been a nice addition.无毛视频�
Senior Noah Oldham joins the group of Frazier无毛视频檚 top six players. Seniors Christian Mingrino and Matthew Kordich, who also is a member of the Commodores无毛视频� wrestling team, will see playing time as well.
无毛视频淟uke is our point guard, Newcomer and Fine and Oldham play the wings, and Colton and Chase, if we are running something where we need two bigs, are down low,无毛视频� Keefer explained. 无毛视频淐hase is our main post player.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e a little more spread out offensively. Generally, Chase is our big guy, Colton无毛视频檚 is a mix in-between guy and the other three will be guards.无毛视频�
Keefer is pleased with his senior group.
无毛视频淎ll these seniors, even if they无毛视频檙e new to the program this year, I kind of rely on them to set the tone for practice and what it is we want to do,无毛视频� Keefer said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 proud of them. They无毛视频檝e had kind of a crazy summer and crazy fall, they never know what无毛视频檚 going to happen with school. Yet they come to practice like they无毛视频檙e on a mission.无毛视频�
Keefer believes success breeds success.
无毛视频淥ur school had a really successful fall season, whether it was football or golf, and I can see a major difference that I think is going to carry over in this winter season,无毛视频� Keefer said.
The Commodores also have a couple underclassmen who could have an impact.
无毛视频淰ying for time will be junior Dom Dorcon, who wound up eventually starting for us last year when we had some injuries,无毛视频� Keefer pointed out. 无毛视频淗e worked his way into that role. He无毛视频檚 going to play.
无毛视频淚saac Thomas is a junior who also will see some action.无毛视频�
Keefer will be helped out by assistant coach Jimmy Kline and volunteer assistants Justin Novak, a 1,000-point scorer for the Commodores, and Keefer无毛视频檚 wife, Lisa Keefer.
Keefer foresees a tight battle for supremacy in Section 2-AA.
无毛视频淭his year seems to be no different than when we were in here before,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淐alifornia, year in and year out, they have athletes. Monessen, historically and traditionally, they do what they do. Carmichaels and Jefferson-Morgan have athletes.
无毛视频淲e don无毛视频檛 want to think about 2A, 3A. We无毛视频檙e happy wherever they put us. I know it无毛视频檚 exciting to have some of those local rivalries again.
无毛视频淭he kids are looking forward to it.无毛视频�