Yough boys preview: Expectations high for Cougars after success last year
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Expectations are high for the Yough boys basketball program, and understandably so.
The Cougars shared the Section 4-AAA crown with Washington a year ago and made it to the PIAA tournament.
Terek Crosby, a 6-2 senior, averaged 21.3 points per game a year ago, and he will dictate how the team does this season.
The best Yough player since Ben McCauley, Crosby has racked up accolades and is expected to do so again this season.
“Terek was first-team All-State and first-team All-Section,” said Yough coach Jim Nesser. “I expect him to bring leadership to the table.
“I expect him to do whatever it takes to win, and not just to score.”
Two seniors, Austin Matthews and Zander Arid, also return as starters, with Matthews joining Crosby as All-Section players a year ago.
“Those three are our leaders,” Nesser said.
Juniors Charlie Quinn and Jaden Dixon-Brexel, sophomores Ryan Westerman and Jackson Pore, and freshman John Steban are competing for the other two starting positions with the remaining three potentially playing key minutes.
The Cougars shared the Section 4-AAA crown a year ago and look to do the same this year.
“Washington is very good, and it should be competitive,” Nesser said. “I expect it to be us and them again this season.”
The other teams in the section are Brownsville, Charleroi, McGuffey, Mount Pleasant, and Waynesburg Central.
Nesser noted the keys for the Cougars to reach those goals.
“A key will be how quickly the younger kids mature,” he said. “I expect us to compete in every game, and we will see how far we can go.
“The sky is the limit.”