NTL BOYS' BASKETBALL: TROY ENJOYS LEAGUE TITLE, BUT HAS BIGGER GOALS (2025-02-06)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
For the second year in a row the Troy boys’ basketball team is on the verge of going undefeated in league play. Not only undefeated but pretty much untouchable.

In their last 13 games they’ve scored under 60 points just once, turning defense into offense with fast break lay-ups, while also spacing the flour with five shooters.

“Coming out of football I think we weren’t really playing basketball yet,” Senior Evan Woodward said. “Now we’re kind of starting to get in our rhythm, and we’re able to come out games kind of hot.”

That showed in their NTL clinching win over Towanda as they were on pace to score 160 points four minutes into the game.

Still, though, they know there is work to be done.

“We’ve got to focus on our defense, letting up 50 points is too much,” Senior JB Burbage said. “We’re going to work on our defense, help defense, everything on defense.”

As fellow senior Lincoln Chimics said: ‘Defense wins championships.’

Continuity wins championships, too, and Troy brought back four key players from last year’s team. That also meant stepping into leadership roles for this group as last year’s seniors departed.

“We definitely had to take a different role,” Chimics said. “We’ve got to be a leader to the younger kids that are coming in, like Spencer and Trey, and just be a good role model for them.”

It also meant stepping into a bigger role for fellow senior Joseph Frye, who came off the bench last year, to starting this season.

“I think I embraced it,” he said. “It was big shoes to fill with Jackson Taylor. He’s a great player, and I think as long as I do my part with assists, and just getting the ball to our scorers, I think I can do that.”

This group has made quite the name for themselves in the NTL, with three titles in four years. Woodward was a role player on that team his freshman year.

“It’s pretty special,” he said. “I’m honored to even be able to play this sport, and especially with my teammates and coaches.”

They also have the opportunity to make their fourth straight district title game this year.

“Most people don’t do this,” said Burbage. “Some people don’t get this opportunity to have all these good guys around us.”

That’s the one area they would like to firmly put their stamp on. They’ve gone 1-2 over the last three years in the D4, Class AAA title game, coming up just short against Loyalsock last year.

“It feels pretty good, but we’ve got to keep working forward,” Woodward said. “We’ve got some more goals to accomplish.”

— — 

PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING

Print Friendly Version