West Greene had struggles, expects to rebound
The West Greene boys basketball program has had its struggles of late, but will look to rebound in 2013-14 and set a strong foundation for the upcoming seasons.
The Pioneers had a young roster a year ago and struggled offensively, going winless in 20 games and having a tough transition in Section 5-AA with a 0-12 mark.
Since the 2003-04 season, West Greene has only collected 13 wins and has had four winless seasons in that time frame.
The Pioneers were held under 25 points eight times last year and third-year coach Jim Romanus points to offensive execution as a critical part to the improvement of the squad this year.
“We have had our offensive woes in the past,” Romanus said. “The keys to our turnaround are to not let the opposition dictate the tempo, to stay organized, to take good shots and have fewer turnovers. We have to value every possession.”
West Greene had 17 kids on the roster in the early part of the season and will rely on four seniors.
Austin Eddy was a steady shooter for the Pioneers and a returning starter, while Brandon Wilson and newcomers Ben Carlisle and Zach Bedilion will look to add solid minutes for West Greene.
Juniors Beau and Bray Jackson are coming off a solid year as starters, as are junior lettermen Kyle Shough and Andrew Frye.
“Last year was tough, but we did have some positives from that season,” Romanus said. “Getting that varsity experience does matter, and our kids took advantage of that. We were more competitive in our off-season games, and I hope we can build off of that.”
Despite having no sophomores on the team, West Greene will have six freshmen, headlined by Kolton Rush (6-3) and Craig Weaver (6-4), on its roster who expect to get some quality minutes.
Romanus states that Section 5-AA will be a challenge this year, but thinks that the section should be more balanced than last year.
“I think Charleroi, Brownsville and California are the top three teams in the section,” Romanus said. “I think that fourth spot is a question mark and the remaining teams in the section are going to fight for that last playoff spot. I am optimistic that we will be a more competitive team this season.”
The Pioneers will kick off the season on Dec. 6-7 at the Geibel Catholic Tip-Off Tournament.
West Greene will open its home schedule against non-conference foe Waynesburg Central on Dec. 10 and will start Section 5-AA play on the road versus Brownsville on Dec. 13.