Boys Basketball Team Looking to Improve From Last Year’s 11-13 Record
by Joey Thompson for Walkersville High School Lion’s Pride
The boys basketball team is getting ready for another season, one in which they will look to improve from an 11-13 season last year.
After a pretty terrible season in 2014-2015 which saw the team scored 4-17, there were clear signs of improvement last year. They lost plenty of games to the best teams in the league but won games against teams it was better than. This is a sign of a decent team — you beat bad teams and lose to good teams.
The biggest weakness for the team last season was a lack of depth. Their starting five was solid and dependable but there were only one or two people that the coaching staff trusted off the bench, and this wore the team down over the course of the game. This season that could change with a few sophomores ready to make the jump to varsity.
A big change this year is the introduction of a new coach, Mike Mathis. He was the girls coach for 19 seasons, and he will take over as the boys coach this year. Changes will be coming to the team. Junior Jerimiah Sweet said “We’re going to have a stronger emphasis on defense this year and we have a better mentality on defense as well. On offense, we’re looking to simplify things this year and run what works.”
The forward combination of seniors Moroni Okonah and Kyle Daggett remain the anchors of the team. They both provide strong defense and Daggett is good around the rim and has good range shooting the ball. They are two of the best players on the team.
The rest of the starting lineup is not as clear. Junior Josh Polce would normally start as a guard but a broken finger will likely keep him out for a couple of weeks. When he returns he will probably be the best player in the backcourt because of his shooting, ball handling and defense. On offense there really is not something you can look to force him to do because he is well-rounded. He, along with Daggett, will probably get the biggest workloads on offense when healthy.
Joining him in the backcourt is junior Davis Kelley, junior Zack Mathis, and senior CJ Barndollar. Kelley is a point guard who can drive into the lane well and is a good passer. He is also a very good defender who is hard to get by. Barndollar is a good three-point shooter and also contributes solid defense. Mathis is more of a small forward. Like Barndollar he is a good shooter and defender who can run the offense in spurts.
The Walkersville bench may be the biggest reason that the Lions are set to improve. The best players are coming back for the most part but the lack of depth last season really hurt this team. It remains to be seen, but sophomores Elias Baroudi and Nephi Okonah, along with Kelley at point guard, head a solid second unit that ensures that the team is well-rested deep into the year. Okonah provides great defense in the low post, and Baroudi provides a good varied skill set on offense. Those are the most likely rotation players, but they are not the only ones who could contribute. Junior forward Jerimiah Sweet is a big body who can get to the rim and play tough defense down low. Junior guard Nathan Berry is great from three-point range and is a smart player on both ends. Senior guard Josh Boards is very athletic and could provide lockdown defense when called upon. Senior forward Darius Young has a good shot and also knows how to operate in this offense.
Overall, this team looks like it could be the best boys basketball team in a few years. The program has been steadily improving and their combination of defense, shooting, athleticism and depth could lead to a winning season for this well-rounded team. Praising the team’s athleticism, especially that of Polce, Berry said, “We’re pretty athletic and we have some really good shooters, but we also have Dell (Josh Polce) and there is no defensive strategy that can stop him. He is a walking bucket.” Mathis had more praise, adding “We have strong team chemistry, solid three point shooting, good defense and we’re smart players who know what we’re doing.”
There is no doubt that the boys are ready to begin a season that has the potential to be very successful.
