NTL BOYS' BASKETBALL: NEW LOOK WYALUSING EXCITED FOR THE SEASON (2022-12-01)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
It will be a very different looking Wyalusing boys’ basketball team this season, save for one, big thing - Blake Morningstar will still be in the middle.

The Rams are coming off back to back district titles, but have lost four of their five starters, and six of their seven rotation players to graduation. Morningstar, though, gives them a 20-10 player who made the all-state team a year ago.

“We graduated a lot,” Morningstar admitted. “So throw that in there, but I think it’s going to be a really good year. The league is down, and I think we’re going to take advantage of it. I think we’re going to be super competitive.”

It’s going to be a different group around him, for sure, but coach Brent Keyes doesn’t believe they’ll be starting from scratch.

“We have 10 kids back in the gym who were in the JV or varsity program last year,” he said. “It’s definitely different. It’s taken us a little longer to get through some of our practice drills, and into some of our concepts, but not in a bad way - just new.”

That also means there’s an opportunity for these players with so many holes to fill.

“I told them the first day, everyone’s a part of the program,” Keyes remarked. “Everyone has something to contribute. Just understanding what we’re trying to accomplish each and every time we’re in the gym.”

One of those players is senior Tommy Oliver, who will get his chance to get into the rotation this season.

“I want to prove everybody wrong,” said Oliver. “I feel like everybody’s doubting us, so I want to show them up. We have to gel, just like every new season.”

Oliver sees himself slotting into the third or second option on the team behind Morningstar.

“I want to score, assist, rebound,” he said. “Just be an all-around team player.”

He and Morningstar are working heard to get the new faces to on the same page as the upperclassmen.

“It’s been a little challenging, but it’s always like that in the beginning of the season,” Oliver said. 

“I think these kids are ready to step up,” added Morningstar. “They’ve put in a lot of basketball together, we’ve put in a lot of basketball together, and I think we’re going to have a good year.”

At the center will be Morningstar, in ways than one. Keyes credits his break out year last year with helping them repeat as district champions, and fending off Canton to take the NTL Division-II title.

The big man is hoping to get both 1,000 points and 500 rebounds this season.

“I thought he was one of the reasons we won the district title two years ago,” Keyes said. “We really focused on getting him the ball in good positions, and, obviously, we’re going to have to try to do that again. We have some guys around him, but he’s just excited to be here, which I’m encouraged by. He loves the program, he’s always given us 100-percent, so I’m really excited by that.”

The veteran coach has been heartened by the play of his guards so far this season, mainly Oliver, Parker Petlock, and Trehnon Hugo.

“We have some younger guards, but guards that have ability,” Keyes said. “And then we have some other guards. We’re trying to see what we can get out of them at the JV level, see if maybe they can sneak into the rotation at the varsity level, but I’m really, really excited about those three guards.”

One area they’re going to need to replace is shooting. Wyalusing had, arguably, the best shooting team in the league the last two years, but all those guys are gone, and they’ll going to have to replace those points, one way or another.

“If we could find some consistent scoring, some consistent shooting, to space the floor around (Blake) with some of the concepts we’re going to focus on offensively this year, we’re going to be really, really tough to guard,” remarked Keyes. “We’re still kind of figuring out what that’s going to look like.”

There are more changes for Wyalusing this season besides just personnel. They’ve moved up to the NTL Large School Division, and bumped up from Class AA to Class AAA. 

“We’re going to step up to the challenge,” said Morningstar. “I think we’re going to be super competitive. I think people are counting us out, I don’t think they should.”

ROSTER (Grade)

Blake Morningstar (12)

Brody Fuhrey (12)

Thomas Oliver (12)

Jacob Palfreyman (12)

Trehnon Hugo (11)

Nick Vanderpool Jr. (11)

Parker Petlock (11)

Landon Ayers (11)

Josh Stoddard (11)

Braxton Alemy (11)

Kenny Mapes (10)

Ashton Vandemark (10)

Gavin Vandemark (10)

Hunter House (10)

Will McBride (10)

Zabiah Walton (10)

Logan Norton (10)

Dylan Johns (9)

Mason Culver (9)

Brock Slater (9)

SCHEDULE

Dec. 2 - vs Blue Ridge at Susquehanna, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 3 - at Susquehanna, 7 p.m.

Dec. 14 - at CV, 7 p.m.

Dec. 16 - at Troy, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 19 - at Elk Lake, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 21 - vs Athens, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 29 - at Hughesville Tournament

Dec. 30 - at Hughesville Tournament

Jan. 6 - at Towanda, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 9 - vs NPL, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 11 - at NPM, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 13 - vs Wellsboro, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 17 - at Williamson, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 19 - at NEB, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 24 - vs Sayre, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 26 - vs Troy, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 31 - at Athens, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 2 - vs Towanda, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 7 - vs NPM, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 9 - at Wellsboro, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 14 - vs Sullivan County, 7:30 p.m.