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Demons determined to put up points in bunches in 2015/16

Junior guard Jon Jump takes the ball to the hoop in action last season against Covington Latin. Jump teams with sophomore Brennan Stanley to give the Demons one of the best guard combos in the 8th Region.

By Patrick Gatewood

WSR Staff

On a Thursday night, in front of a crowd of no more than 40 parents, students, and a couple of basketball crazy media guys, the Williamstown Demons gave a preview of the brand of exciting basketball the young men will be providing for the 2015/16 season.

Each player, from starting point guard, Brennan Stanley, on down to the smallest guy on the Demons' roster since the days of Jacob Cheesman, Corey Fryman, displayed their talents in a manner that left those in attendance eager for the regular season to tip off.

From the outset, it was clear that this team has visions of getting buckets in a seemingly endless variety of ways, ranging from banging in the post with big men, Chris Parsons and Carter Sarcione, to spraying the three-ball at a rate that would make the Golden State Warriors dizzy.

It is another squad of Warriors, those of Eminince High School, who must contend with the Demons in their season opener at the Demon Dome on December 1st, and if they intend to best Williamstown, conditioning and

Senior Carter Sarcione will be one of keys

to success for WHS

While having the leading scorer from the last season leave something to be desired would be troubling for most coaches, Brennan Stanley, the floor general and leader of the team, will be more than capable of picking up any slack while Jon finds his rhythm. Sure, his shooting stroke is well above average, and his ball-handling indicates countless hours of off-season work, but it is his speed that will give teams fits, as he turns outnumbered fast breaks into one on one opportunities.

Joining Jump and Stanley in the backcourt is sophomore Harold Fernandez, who has clearly taken advantage of guarding Stanley every practice and picked up some of his game along the way, as well as a new face in Wliiamstown, Derick Cipollone, whose last name will be a tall task for most announcers throughout the season.

While Fernandez will play the back-up role to Stanley, Cipollone, who transferred from Erlanger Lloyd over the summer, adds some height and a knack for scoring the ball, along with a desire to win, to an already talented guard rotation. Look for these four to impress several, and depress those tasked with attempting to contain them.

In the off chance the guards struggle to get it going, Brady Montgomery displayed the ability to get to the basket, that is if the three isn't available, and finish with competence.

Chase Good also had an impressive preseason, taking his game to the next level . His next step is to adjust to the

defense should be their top priority.

In the scrimmage, Williamstown looked to shoot the open shots, make the correct pass, and when neither was an option, create for themselves. The latter, not to discount his jumper, is an area Jon Jump excelled in last season. Described as the blood and guts of the team by 4th year coach, Roger Harden, Jump has been able to muscle his diminutive frame to the basket, or simply cast shots regardless of the quality of defense he faces in the past. Jump figures to be the key in how smoothly the team operates, though he looks to still be shaking off the rust through two preseason scrimmages.

Sophomore point guard Brennan Stanley drives the lane in tournament action last season at Paris High School. Stanley spent much of last season ranked among the state leaders in 3 pointers.

physicality that the 8th region will provide on a nightly basis. He has shown a nose for the ball, and with his lanky frame, could cause match-up problems, as was evidenced in flashes during the J.V. campaign a year ago.

Along those same lines, guards Walker Angel, Landon Hare, and Chase’s twin brother, Trace, add depth and defensive support, and Chance Jordan showed flashes of a promising offensive game.

Down low, the lone senior, Carter Sarcione and Junior, Chris Parsons will make up a tandem, who, when playing assertively, can change the flow of the game on both ends of the court, and clean up the glass like squeegees.

Battling on the boards with them will be Bryce Montgomery and Dustin Smith, who were both extremely active, and should provide a dependable contingency plan for the Demons, were Sarcione or Parsons to encounter foul trouble, along with Ben McClelland, who has an old-school big man game and the frame to match.

All of this said, Harden emphasized the necessity for playing exceptional defense and most importantly, playing as one. In Lehman's terms, getting the win, regardless who gets the headline, stating, we have to be hungry every game, even in success, to get the win in whatever manner is required. Getting a couple of wins where maybe we're the underdogs can't lead to satisfaction.

The Demons will be tested early against foes such as Beechwood and Henry Clay, but Harden and his team are focused solely on December 1st and Eminence for now. When asked what his expectations for those opponents included, he took a moment, grinned, and replied, one game at a time.

One exciting game at a time, indeed.

Senior Carter Sarcione goes up with a shot against Villa Madonna last season. Sarcione, the lone senior on this year's squad, hopes to pick up where he left off a year ago when he was one of the Demons' best down the stretch with a pair of double-doubles in the final two weeks of the season.