Red Raiders, Colonials clash in opener
The Albert Gallatin’s boys basketball team is hoping to snap a drought, while Uniontown would be fine to just keep everything status quo.
The Red Raiders and Colonials meet today in the high school season opener for both teams in the Fayette County Coaches Association Tip-Off Classic at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus. The clash, which is also the Herald-Standard Game of the Week, is set to start at 5:45 p.m., and will be followed by Laurel Highlands vs. Connellsville at 7:30 p.m.
Uniontown has gotten the best of its early-season match-up with AG the last several years. Coach Rob Kezmarsky’s Red Raiders have won the past five meetings by an average score of 76-49.
Three of those losses came against current Colonials coach Shea Fleenor. The first two of the streak came against, ironically, current Uniontown assistant coach Warare Gladman, who also guided AG to its last victory over the Red Raiders, 68-65, in 2009.
Fleenor is hoping to finally turn the tables on Uniontown and his team has a slight edge in experience this time around. Uniontown lost its top six players to graduation, while Albert Gallatin returns its top two scorers in David Knox and Tavian Mozie.
“The guys that have been playing varsity the past few years have taken it on the chin pretty well from Uniontown,” Fleenor said. “So they want to be in position to try to give it back a little.”
Fleenor feels his team is ready for the challenge.
“I haven’t had to do much to motivate them in practice,” he said. “They just come out, they work extremely hard every day to try to get better every day, and no matter what we ask them to do, they just do it. They don’t question it, they just go out and do their business.”
Joining Knox and Mozie in the Colonials starting lineup will be Tanner Kutek, Hunter Moody and Paul Dunham.
Fleenor would like to see that group get some early success.
“For us, I think it’s huge to try to start our season on the right foot for once and get that win in the first game,” Fleenor said. “I think it’s important. Hopefully, we can get it done.
“It’s been tough for us, really, the past few years, starting out against Uniontown. It’s been quite an undertaking to have to go against them the very first game of the season. I’m expecting them to be well prepared and ready to play, and for their kids to play hard and play with pride.
“But, it’s not going to be the same team on the floor Friday night.”
In other words, there will be no Joe Campbell, DeAundre Winfrey, Lyric Ellis, Rodney Harris, Nate Guerriere or Jeremy Perkins on the court for the Red Raiders.
Kezmarsky has the task of developing a completely new starting lineup for the first time in his 14 years guiding the Red Raiders.
Taking the floor for Uniontown will be Phil Mosley, Armani Williams, Ben Wilson, Malaky Howard and Lorenzo Oden. Mike Jones is the Red Raiders’ top player off the bench.
“We’re focusing on ourselves,” Kezmarsky said. “Right now we’re still trying to see what’s the best style for us to play. In my opinion, the most important thing for the first couple games is just getting the kids experience, even if they played before, just get that first-game jitters out of the way and get out and play.”
That’s not that Kezmarsky and his players don’t want keep their winning streak going against their nearby rivals.
“We’ve been very successful against them,” Kezmarsky said. “But we’re realistic. Everybody says this is the year to come after us. I’m sure AG wants to beat us, but our kids are looking forward to this game, too.”
The players are very familiar with each other, which makes for a natural rivalry.
“We played each other in summer league this year in Connellsville,” Fleenor said.
“The kids know each other pretty well and have played against each other,” Kezmarsky said. “It’s not a section game, but it’s still a big game.”
It’s pretty close to a section game, though, according to Fleenor.
“Honestly in the past, we’ve approached it like it is a section game, as far as our preparation.” Fleenor said. “I think our guys have been doing a great job at practice. They seem loose and they seem like they’re really ready to play. We’ve been working them really hard and they’ve been working really hard themselves.
“They’re definitely up for it. They’re ready to go.”