By Dave Mast
The pieces are all in place for the West Holmes Knights basketball team.
Now it is a matter of putting them in the right order, and using last seasons disappointing District loss to New Philadelphia, a game in which they looked in control, only to have it slip away in the waning moments, as a rallying point.
We had kids that took that loss pretty hard, but they have used that to drive themselves, said Jim Lindeman, West Holmes boys coach. He noted that 10 of the 12 players returning from last years team went through Rick Cuginis monstrous workout program this summer.
Plus, many of his players are coming off a record-setting football season, and he hopes that success carries right through to the next season. The kids went through an incredibly difficult program this summer, and I think it set a tone in terms of toughness, said Lindeman. Our approach this summer was great, and hopefully that mental toughness that the kids experienced will come shining through this winter.
For a team that was within an eyelash of defeating eventual Regional runner-up New Philadelphia in District play, the Knights will return a core that is well seasoned.
The senior class sports no less than nine players on the team, and the bulk of their talent starts in the low post.
Starters Gabe Snyder and Brock Macaulay, who go 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-6, will man the paint. Snyder is a beast on the boards and a capable scorer from in close, while Macaulay has a beautiful touch outside for a big man. They are joined by 6-foot-6 Donnie Dowling, who adds bulk and rebounding presence. At 6-foot-4 inches, Ryan Neer provides incredible athleticism, a big man who is able to get out and run the floor. Coming back this year after an injury is 6-foot-4 Dylan Wengerd, who adds nice depth and athleticism on the block.
In the back court, senior Grant Hay is as good an athlete as they come, and Keaton Leppla is the enforcer on defense. Perhaps the most overlooked player might be senior Michael DeWitt, a player who can shoot daggers from beyond the 3-point arc. Junior Layne Perone adds some bulk and intensity to the mix.
But despite the plethora of seniors, this is point guard Brady Arnolds team to run. Arnold, the smooth-as-silk junior guard with a lightning first step, torched New Philadelphias defense in that final game last year to the point that New Philadelphia simply double teamed him everywhere he went on the floor.
Another year of experience later, and Arnold will present all kinds of problems for opponents, making his teammates that much more dangerous.
Brady is going to make people around him better, said Lindeman. What frustrates me is that he doesnt get a lot of respect from other places because we are way out on the edge of the District and people dont get a lot of chances to see him play. But what he has really grown into is the leadership role. He was a talented player who could do a lot of things, but now he is more mature and makes a lot of plays for other guys on the floor.
Lindeman said that overall, the Knights have a number of guys who can do multiple things with or without the ball in their hands, so he hopes that the matchups will be tough to handle.
And with their size, Lindeman would love nothing more than to work the ball inside out, allowing his bigs to get plenty of touches. Its a matter of taking what is given in any given game, as well as doing the things they know they can do well.
All of that talent now boils down to how quickly the Knights can come together following a very short preseason.
As the memories of that loss to the Quakers lingers, they have plenty of incentive to collect on their unfinished business.
Weve definitely used that as fuel, said Lindeman. Im playing the what if game, but we were a stop away from playing and possibly going pretty doggone far in the tournament last season. That was tough to take. It was right there for us, but the fortunate thing is that we have almost every player back from that team, and we all remember it. Plus, we will be reminding the younger kids of how that feels.
