2014/15 WHS Demons Pre-season Preview

By Wade Holland

Publisher

With double-digit wins, which included back-to-back-to-back victories and a pair of district romps, the Williamstown High School boys' basketball Demons reached highs a year ago that the program had not experienced in many years.

And with a player ranking among the state's elite in three different offensive categories who earned a scholarship to one of the nation's top NAIA basketball programs, Williamstown clearly took a step, or two, forward.

But with three seniors gone from that team, including superstar David Jump, big man Chaz Jordan, and guard J.J. Fernandez, it would be easy to expect the Demons to revert back to the days when three and four wins were the norm.

But not so fast. With the progress made a year ago, combined with the talent returning and increased interest and participation within the program, to expect anything but continued growth would not be giving the Demons their due.

While he refuses to talk about any certain number of wins as a goal, Coach Roger Harden, who is entering his third season with the program, sees a lot of potential in the Demons and says he would not be surprised if the team exceeded expectations.

"We want to be the best team that we can possibly be, and we're playing to win," said Harden. "But with our team's youth, it would be too much for a coach to expect any certain number of wins, especially early on. And I don't want to put that kind of pressure on our guys. We've got 18 players in our program, and 14 of them are freshmen and sophomores.

Young Demons hope to build

on last season's success

Members of the 2014/15 Williamstown High School Boys' Basketball Demons include (front row, left to right) Dustin Smith, David Burton, Brady Montgomery, Harold Fernandez, Brennan Stanley, Jon Jump, Chance Jordan, Jose Espicio, Walker Angell. (Back row, left to right) Coach Troy Gutman, Chase Good, Trace Good, Cameron Varner, Derek Cummins, Ben McClelland, Head Coach Roger Harden, Chris Parsons, Carter Sarcione, Landen Hare, Bryce Montgomery, Coach Tim Gutman.

Freshman Brennan Stanley puts up a 3-point shot during Orange/Black Night. The 3-point shot is expected to be a strength for the Demons this season.

"I want them to go out and battle on each and every possession and execute our game plan and let the chips fall where they may. But as far as us trying to win or match last year's wins, or last year's success, I'm not going to put that kind of pressure on them. But they certainly have the capability to do it. These guys have a chance to do some things that people will appreciate and respect."

Returning from a year ago are talented starters Jon Jump, Brennan Stanley and Cameron Varner, along with key players Carter Sarcione and Dustin Smith. But with only two seniors and two juniors on the roster, youth is a concern, but something that time will eventually cure.

"Overcoming our inexperience, you just have to be patient as a coach and understand that we've got a lot of lessons to learn before we become a good team and get to where we want to be," said Harden.

Another issue is height, but that is nothing new for Williamstown, one of the smallest schools in the region and state.

"You overcome the height disadvantage by blocking out and playing good fundamental basketball," said Harden.

"We've got to show up every night ready to play or we could get beat bad. When you are young and you have some deficiencies, you can get beat bad if you don't show up with the right attitude and ready to play and execute the game plan."

Instead of focusing on the flaws, Harden instead puts the emphasis on taking advantage of the strengths, which for the current group of Demons is speed, shooting, and conditioning, among others.

"We've got good team chemistry," he said. "And I think every player on the team has made a commitment to get better as a basketball player. Collectively, we're probably better than average at shooting the ball, and probably a little above average quickness. So we'll try to mold a system where we can take advantage of our strengths."

With David Jump ranking among the state's best 3-point shooters a year ago, the Demons were not afraid to put the ball up from behind the arch. And despite the fact that David Jump is gone, now honing his skills at St. Catharine College, the Demons will not be shy about putting the ball up from long range.

Senior Cameron Varner goes up high in the air for a shot during Orange/Black activities. Varner, a starter a year ago, is a much-improved player, according to Demons' Head Coach Roger Harden.

"We'll probably shoot more 3's this season than we have in the past," said Harden. "One of our strengths as a team is that, collectively, we do shoot the ball pretty well. And we need to be able to hit the outside shot to take advantage of our inside game because we do have some players who have made good progress being able to score in the paint."

One luxury Harden will enjoy this season that he has not necessarily had in his time at the helm is depth. Williamstown has 18 players today, all high schoolers, and all with the ability to contribute at the varsity level. While getting minutes for all of them is difficult, Harden views it as a good problem to have.

"We can go 12 and 13 players deep every night," he said. "We've got some guys who have separated themselves a little, but everyone on the team is pretty good and getting better, and it really comes down to who produces, and who matures and reacts to game situations. Those are the guys who will play and I will be finding out just like everyone else who those players are going to be.

"We will probably play a lot of players early," continued Harden. "Sometimes players can play well in practice and during the summer, but come game time they react differently. So we will play a lot of players early to see how everyone reacts. Then from there we'll start to define some roles."

With the heavy losses to graduation, Williamstown is very likely to change some things both offensively and defensively from a year ago. But you shouldn't expect anything major, said Harden.

"Obviously, we don't have #5 to go to, so some things will change," he said. "Some guys will have to play different roles. Some players who didn't have to score in the past will have to put points on the board for us this year. And we've got more guys who can shoot the 3 exceptionally well, so we'll do some things different.

"We're a little quicker this year than in the past, so you might see us do a few things different defensively, too, depending on our opponent,"

Sophomore guard Jon Jump is expected to be more of a scorer for the Demons this season.

added Harden. "We almost never pressed last year. We will probably do it more this year. And we will probably play a little more man-to-man than we have in the past. But it really depends on the opponent."

But no matter the style of play or who is on the court, the goal remains the same. Win or lose, do it with class and respect. In short, follow the motto that is plastered on the way near the boys' locker room - Play for the name on the front of the jersey, not the one on the back.

"We want to represent our school and town with honor and play with a lot of heart," said Harden. "We want to represent our school and town, both on and off the floor, in a way that people can be proud of. We want people to look forward to coming to our games. "

As for what the future may hold for the Demons, as long as they represent the school and community in the above manner, wins and losses do not define success. But make no mistake about it, the Demons are playing to win, and the future looks extremely bright.

"These guys have the ability to do good things as they mature," commented Harden. "If these guys stay together, they will have the opportunity to do some things down the road that people will be talking about for awhile."

Williamstown tips off its season on Tuesday, December 2, at Eminence. Junior varsity action begins at 6 p.m. followed by the varsity game at 7:30.