Inexperienced Pioneers strive to keep playoff streak alive
West Greene reached the WPIAL boys basketball playoffs for a school-record fifth consecutive year last season but running that streak to six won无毛视频檛 be easy for coach Jim Romanus.
无毛视频淭hese are crazy times,无毛视频� Romanus said. 无毛视频淭his is the smallest squad that I无毛视频檝e had since I无毛视频檝e been at West Greene. We无毛视频檝e got kids who decided not to come out for basketball for different reasons.无毛视频�
The COVID-19 pandemic had an adverse effect on the Pioneers无毛视频� offseason.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e got this blue print that I无毛视频檝e always used for coaching and it includes having between 30 to 35 open gyms in the offseason starting in the spring and going through July, and we无毛视频檝e always played somewhere between 20 and 25 games in that span,无毛视频� Romanus explained. 无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 something we really worked hard on, whether it was going to team camps and the Brownson House and the shootouts at Geneva College and Robert Morris. We take our kids everywhere. That was the blueprint we had to get our kids better.
无毛视频淭his year COVID shut everything down big time. We were only able to play six games at the Brownson House but our kids聽improved every game.无毛视频�
Romanus无毛视频檚 players made the best of the situation.
无毛视频淚 gave them a booklet, a workout that I put together. I told them I can无毛视频檛 be with you. You无毛视频檙e going to have to do this on your own,无毛视频� Romanus said. 无毛视频淲ell, to their credit, I can tell my kids did that. I can see guys like Chase Blake, Caleb Rice, Ian Van Dyne and Kaden Shields whose skill level is much better than last year.
无毛视频淭he question is can we put that skill level into a chemistry we can use for success.无毛视频�
One key loss for West Greene was a gain for the Pioneers无毛视频� wrestling team as Corey Wise has switched sports this winter.
无毛视频淚 also had five junior high boys coming but only one of them is playing basketball now,无毛视频� Romanus said. 无毛视频淎lthough that one is Colin Brady who had a great football season. He无毛视频檚 a phenomenal athlete.无毛视频�
With the graduation of starters Austin Crouse, Benjamin Jackson and Greg Staggers, West Greene has little experience returning.
无毛视频淐aleb was a starter last year and Chase started half the games,无毛视频� Romanus said. 无毛视频淏oth of them are coming back. I have 11 kids on the team, total. One of them, Casey Miller, is going to be out until the second week of January. He无毛视频檚 6-3, 260 pounds. He was our backup to Greg Staggers last year and had done a really good job but he got hurt in football and had to have shoulder surgery.无毛视频�
Romanus, who will be assisted by Beau Jackson, Ryan Crouse and Austin Crouse, has a tentative group for his main rotation.
无毛视频淪tarters will be Rice and Blake at guard, both seniors, Ian, a 6-2 sophomore who无毛视频檒l be a guard-forward, and Wes Whipkey, a junior who is 6-2 about 190. The fifth spot will be either Joe Cumberledge, a 5-11 senior, or Brady, who is a 6-2 freshman.
无毛视频淎lso at the guard position I have Shields, a 5-8 sophomore. Nathan Reed, another sophomore, might get some action at the guard position, also.聽Those are the primary kids right now.无毛视频�
Van Dyne missed part of last season due to injury.
无毛视频淚an had to have major shoulder surgery and he came back for the second half of the season,无毛视频� Romanus said.
West Greene finished 8-13 overall and 7-5 in Section 2-A last season. The Pioneers, Mapletown, Geibel Catholic, Avella and defending champion Bishop Canevin remain in that same section with the addition of Propel Montour, while Monessen and Jefferson-Morgan have been bumped up to Class 2A.
无毛视频淚 think Bishop will again be the favorite,无毛视频� Romanus said. 无毛视频淎vella has a lot coming back and I thought they might be the second-best team but its seems to be Geibel now. We无毛视频檒l be fighting for the fourth spot.无毛视频�
The make-up of his team has changed drastically from a year ago said Romanus, who is entering his 38th year as a high school basketball head coach.
无毛视频淭he strength of our team this year will be totally opposite of what it was last year when we were strong inside,无毛视频� Romanus pointed out. 无毛视频淭his season it无毛视频檚 going to be guard play.
无毛视频淲e don无毛视频檛 have a lot of numbers. It无毛视频檚 going to be challenging year. Right now, we无毛视频檙e a work in progress.无毛视频�