Keystone Panthers - Boys Basketball
Coach Greg Heath’s 2020-2021 Keystone Boys Basketball squad looks to get on the court as quickly as possible. The Panthers unlike most years, return no starters from a season ago but are optimistic for success.
Heath who begins his 37th year at the helm is anxious to get things going. “Covid has put many teams behind including us. We were limited what we could do in the off-season but we are grateful for the opportunity to play and will strive to do it as safely as possible. Heath starts the season with 627 coaching wins and knows the importance of court time.
So where do you start with no returning starters? Heath will look for player leadership and attitude to be his guide. Top returning players include Sr., guard Brandon Peirce who averaged over 7ppg last year. Peirce is an excellent shooter with solid ball handling ability. Sr. Forward Collin Say who saw key playing time last year, looks to be a threat for the Panthers inside and on the perimeter. Say can shoot and defend. Say has the pedigree as his father Jason was a standout player for coach Heath in the 90’s.
Looking also to provide some scoring power is Jr. Zander McHenry who had several double-digit scoring games from a season ago. Helping with the ball handling is Sr. Gavin Hogue who can distribute the gall and play good defense. Bret Wingard also looks to see plenty of playing time. Wingard has the ability to put the ball in the cylinder and defend.
Logan Sell another senior who logged playing time last year looks provide some strong minutes for Coach Heath. Sell is both versatile and explosive at times. Cameron Easton will also provide the Panthers with depth. Easton is quick and can defend. The Panthers also welcome Keenan Heeter who did not play last year but is fresh off the grid-iron and will be ready to provide some minutes.
The Panthers have started the season off 3-0 as of press time and include an opening win over North Clarion (64-20), a convincing win over Union (60-39) and an overtime thriller against Clarion Limestone. (60-54).
Heath likes his team's performance thus far but knows a lot of work needs to be done to be competitive every night. “We are an athletic team and we work hard on defense. This team is very coachable and we have a lot of potential. If they continue to improve, they could challenge for a championship, but we are not at that level yet”, lamented coach Heath.
“Getting comfortable within our offensive sets will be important for us.” If the start of their season is any indication of success, the Panthers look balanced on the offensive side of the ball having multiple offensive weapons. But as always with a Greg Heath coached team, their offense will be derived from their defense. Given more playing time together this just could be a fun and exciting group of kids to watch this year.
Come on out and show your support!