Head Coach:  Nathan Ellis

2018-19 Record:  1-15

Key Returning Players:  Connor Votra   Shawn Pawlows   Roman Kane

After struggling a season ago the Mountaineers will hit the reset button, start fresh and look to change things, beginning with team chemistry.

” Building team chemistry has been the best part of out preseason.” remarked head coach Nathan Ellis.  ” We have merged with another district this year, (New Lebanon), and it’s great to see a different perspective from these new athletes.  ” They have forced us not only to create new team chemistry with them, but also given us an opportunity to rebuild our own chemistry.”

In addition to team chemistry, the scoring woes from last season need to be remedied.  “We have to work on consistent scoring this season.  Last year we struggled to find a way to put up points and it caused frustration within, and we have to work on that this year,” offered Ellis.

As for team strengths Ellis pointed to the other end of the floor.  ” We’ve identified ourselves as having a strong defense and to use that to lead us forward this year.”

Ellis says his Mountaineers will embrace the underdog role this upcoming season.  ” Plain and simply we had the worst record last year.  We are identifying ourselves as underdogs to help motivate ourselves moving forward.  We are okay with being the underdogs.”

That being said the Mountaineer mentor feels his squad could contend for the league title.  ” We feel as we were our own worst enemy last year.  Our chemistry was awful and we allowed a lot of outside noise onto the court.  We are working to play as one cohesive unit, and if we can do that, we fell we can accomplish a lot this year.”

The Mountaineers hope that their new basketball culture will translate to a competitive environment and more “W’s” this winter in Berlin.