Wyoming Area takes a new coach and an entirely new starting lineup into the start of the boys basketball season.
“We’ve got talent,” said Anthony Macario, who landed his first head coaching assignment this summer after Pete Moses left to take the Wyoming Seminary job. “I’ve been stressing to the guys since we started, we’re going to have growing pains, it’s part of the process of not really having the experience factor, but at the same time, we’ve got guys who know how to play and we’ve got talent in our program.”
By the end of last season’s run to the District 2 Class 4A semifinals and 15-10 finish, the Warriors were going almost exclusively with an all-senior lineup.
There are players back, however, who received more playing time earlier last season.
Seniors Dan Wiedl and Nick Rubino and junior Cole Coolbaugh all have some experience and have been leading the team through off-season preparation.
“It starts with our senior leaders, two guys who have been involved in the program since their freshman year,” Macario said of Wiedl, a forward, and Rubino, a guard.
Coolbaugh can play guard and forward.
Two promising sophomores are likely to open the season in the starting lineup.
Jake Greenfield, the only freshman on the combined junior varsity/varsity teams a year ago, is the point guard.
Jesse Mikoliczyk is a 6-4 center.
“Our sophomore class is very strong and our freshman class is very strong,” Macario said. “We’ll take our lumps as they come, but at the same time, I feel like if we play as we’re capable of playing; we can be very competitive.”
Dominic DeLuca is the most experienced of the players from last season. The junior forward was dealing with some injury issues coming off of football season where he quarterbacked the team to wins in the first 11 games.
Freshmen Evan Melberger and Nick Elko could be ready for early playing time.
“We have some depth and some guys we can go to, depending on who’s playing well, at any point in the season,” Macario said.
F.J. Braccini is new to the team.
“Our energy in practice, our communication, all that stuff has been very positive, so we have that working for us,” Macario said. “That makes it a little easier for me to work on the Xs and Os, our terminology, our fundamentals and things like that.”
The Warriors open the season Friday night with a non-league home game against Forest City. They open Wyoming Valley Conference play at Crestwood, likely one of the WVC’s top teams, Dec. 20.
