The season starts next week so let's take our annual look at who will be expected to do what this year. So far most of the schools have not yet posted their rosters, so it will be tough at this point to guess who has the most returning talent on the court, but to my knowledge, we only have one new coach on the scene. That is Kevin Madden, who will take over at Staunton. Even though it will be his first year at the post, he certainly brings the credentials, having played under the legendary Paul Hatcher, not to mention Dean Smith during his impressive career at North Carolina. So I have no doubt that he will keep the quality of the Storm program right where it has been for longer than most of us can remember.
So here is my top to bottom look at the district...........
STAUNTON: The Storm has such a winning tradition and such a deep pipeline that they have to be the pick again to win the district. They almost always have a 15-man roster that can hit you with fresh bodies and wear you down with each man off the bench seeming to be as good as the one before him. They also will have the usual Staunton speed and will no doubt have some serious shooters. If Bob from down the street was coaching them, they could still win it, so with Kevin's expertise, they are almost a sure bet to be the team to beat.
FORT DEFIANCE: Speaking of teams that wear you down, Coach Gale and his band of assassins will be back at it again. So watch out for more three pointers from distances you never thought you would see, and for consistent 100 point games. They did lose Sam Garber to graduation, but Gio Armendariz Cruz is back to lead the attack from the point. Seems like he has been around forever, but he is just a junior this year. His steady leadership and that frantic pace will guarantee the Fort a successful season and if anybody can keep Staunton from winning, it will be this bunch.
STUARTS DRAFT: These next two spots are kind of a toss-up for me, mainly because I have not seen rosters and don't remember who may have graduated the most seniors last year. I am pretty sure that the Draft was one of the biggest teams around last year and it seems to me that there was a sophomore or two that made life difficult last season. So just on a hunch, I will put them in the three spot, just ahead of.........
WILSON: See I told you it was a toss-up. Anything I might say about The Cougars can also apply to Wilson. I think they also had some young talent last year that will still be around. Not sure about Eli Irving for example. Regardless, assuming that Coach Hartman is returning, you can almost guarantee that the Hornets will be in the mix.
RIVERHEADS: Last year the Gladiators were just plain snakebit. The talent was there but they could not finish games and lost about 7 times in the final few seconds. The best news in Greenville is that they are a senior-dominated team this year with three guys that can hit for 20 or more on any given night and a couple of others who had double-figure games. The rumor had been around since last season that sharpshooter Will Gardner would return for his senior year after trying the private school scene last season, and since he knocked down half a dozen threes in last night's scrimmage, it is now official that he is back. The Big Red will lack size again, so their success will depend on defense and outside shooting, but the pieces are there for them to jump a couple of spots this season. Who knows, maybe even into the top four? Speaking of last night's scrimmage, it was against Luray, last year's Region B champ. The Dogs shot the lights out but Riverheads made them work for it. I suspect Coach Weller was pleased.
BUFFALO GAP: Again no roster information yet and I can only assume that Coach Ward is returning. The biggest problem the Bison will face, at least in the early going, will be a case of "Riverheadsitis. " Meaning how in the heck can we play basketball when our football team is still alive in the playoffs? That adjustment was always a challenge for the Big Red during its title runs, but this year the Bison are the ones fortunate enough to still be playing after Thanksgiving. So best of luck in Friday's trip to Altavista, but once they can start playing basketball, I don't see them as a challenge in this year's district race, even though I am sure they will scrap hard as they always have.
WAYNESBORO: It is hard to be critical of the Little Giants athletic program, but something has been missing over there the last few years in just about every sport. Maybe it is apathy and they may very well have the best athletes in the district roaming the halls with no interest in sports. Whatever the case, nobody can rise to the top overnight so hopefully WHS can gradually return to some of their past successes. They do have the talents of veteran, well-respected coach John Spears leading the way, so if anybody can help them in their climb back to prominence, he is the guy to do it.
