City of Basketball Love

Michael Bullock (@thebullp_n)
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(Ed. Note: This story is part of CoBL’s “Prepping for Preps” series, which will take a look at many of the top high school programs in the region as part of our 2016-17 season preview coverage. The complete list of schools previewed so far can be found here.)

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YORK — As they bounced confidently into York College’s spacious Grumbacher Center for preseason scraps against several similarly optimistic sides, Blaine Claiborne and his York Catholic basketball squad were hoping this was just one critical step.

A needed critical step, yet a meaningful one. An early indication, if you will.

Although it was early October — and there’d be many, many more significant steps to come — no one would have blamed Claiborne’s Fighting Irish for letting their minds skip ahead for a brief moment or two to a particular Saturday night in mid-February.

What Claiborne and his Irish may have had in mind was the YAIAA’s postseason tournament championship, which last season drew a packed house to the Grumbacher’s sparkling Charles Wolf Gymnasium for the Spring Grove-Central York duel.

Since one of Catholic’s three York Shootout games was to be held on Wolf’s smartly adorned floor, Claiborne’s Irish had a terrific opportunity to give those 94 feet a good test run, practice laps that in a few months might come in handy.

There’s that possible indication.

“I know districts is a bigger deal, but it would be great to come back here to York College,” admitted Claiborne, the second-year head coach who as a freshman in 1990 was part of the Irish’s last PIAA Class AAA championship. “I have to calm myself down because I want to talk to them about it and say, ‘That’s what I want.’

“You’ve gotta take it step by step,” Claiborne continued. “I believe in setting the sights on what you’re trying to accomplish and I don’t see nothing wrong in challenging the guys, like ‘Yo, this is what we’re trying to do. We want to come back here and play in the county championship.’ I don’t think anything’s wrong with that.

“I know coach talk is saying to take it one game at a time, but …”

Considering that Claiborne’s first Irish side (17-6) motored to the YAIAA’s Division III championship without dropping any of their 14 league games, no wonder there’s plenty of optimism bubbling along Springettsbury Avenue — just a long fly ball from where Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson began his professional baseball career.

One critical factor in place is these guys can ball.

Another is Claiborne returns a handful of experienced players that started at some point last season — and, in several cases, every game — on a fast-paced outfit that tumbled in the YAIAA quarterfinals to Eastern York and was eliminated from the District 3 Class AA playoffs by a Lancaster Mennonite side the Irish bested some three weeks earlier.

So, with those postseason setbacks serving as fuel, there’s a burning fire and unquenchable drive in play every time Claiborne and his competitive group step inside cozy James Forjan Gymnasium and see those championship banners hanging there.

Now we’re referring to the critical on-court steps every team needs to take.

“The guys, they’re workaholics,” said Claiborne, who starred at nearby Millersville following his sparkling York Catholic career. “Everyone’s looking forward to getting out there and playing and doing better playoff-wise than we did last year.”

“We’ve just got to work even harder,” added 6-5 senior Melik Martin, an athletic forward drawing recruiting interest from colleges at every level.

While Martin anchors a frontcourt group also including 6-3 senior Kyle Derowski and 6-1 senior Steven Nigro, 6-4 junior Mark Shelley and 6-3 junior Riley Brennan also figure to get plenty of playing time on an up-tempo York Catholic squad.

Feisty 5-11 senior catalyst Andrew Forjan — he’s the grandson of James Forjan and the son of erstwhile York Catholic star Dr. Jim Forjan — will keep the Irish attack steaming at a full boil in transition and direct traffic in needed half-court sets.

“He’s a tough kid. He’s fun, too,” Claiborne said of the youngest Forjan, whose father teaches finance and business to York College undergrads and graduate students. “The guys notice how hard he plays and how he wants it, so they respond to it.”

D’Andre Davis, a 5-10 junior blur capable of pocketing points in bunches, is Claiborne’s other returning starter and one of Forjan’s favorite targets on the break.

Two more junior guards, 5-10 Robbie McNamara and 5-11 transfer Torrey Thomas, round out an early eight-man rotation. Thomas, who checked in from crosstown York Suburban, could supplant one of the starters and be on the floor for the opening tip.

“The key is we are talented,” the candid Claiborne remarked. “Everybody wants to score. Everybody wants to be the guy who’s in the paper who the fans are cheering for.

“There’s nothing wrong with that. We really have to buy into that there’s going to be days when I don’t get the shots I got last game when I had 15 points and I have to be OK with that,” Claiborne continued. “They play hard, they respond, they communicate well.

“If we can buy into the team mentality, we’ve got a chance to be good.”

Since Claiborne is a bit more comfortable running his alma mater’s historically strong program — and with an experienced rotation on hand — he hasn’t hesitated to push his players while absorbing more and more about his seat at the end of the Irish bench.

“They know what my expectations are,” Claiborne said. “We ratcheted it up this year. It’s hard. Our preseason workout has been five times harder than it was last year, but again I had to learn. … I’m trying to get better every single day.

“We’ve got a totally new staff and I’m really excited about that.”

In addition to bringing on board former York Suburban head coach Dustin Boeckel — Claiborne toiled as Boeckel’s junior varsity coach for one season — he’s also added 2012 Irish alum Mike Sperring, former Boiling Springs lead guard Ryan Warner and erstwhile York High and Edinboro University standout Dontae Davis to his staff.

By the way, Dontae Davis is the older brother of D’Andre Davis.

All of those assistants will be offering plenty of input and plenty of encouragement when York Catholic visits longtime rival Trinity Saturday — Trinity captured the last three District 3-AA titles, but has moved to Class 3A — one of a handful of nonleague heavyweights adding spice to the Irish’s regular-season card.

While scraps with Berks Catholic, Lancaster Catholic, Camp Hill and Lancaster Mennonite will come later, York Catholic also will play in a four-team holiday event in York featuring York Suburban, Bethlehem Catholic and Danville.

Then, there’s a YAIAA Division III playpen that includes, among others, fierce rivals Hanover, Delone Catholic and Bermudian Springs.

“We’re just trying to challenge ourselves,” Claiborne said.

And those regular-season challenges hopefully will prepare the Fighting Irish for the really, really neat stuff — such as a second straight Division III championship and runs at the YAIAA’s postseason title, District 3’s Class 3A crown and an invite to states.

In sum, they’re chasing more banners for the Forjan Gymnasium’s crowded walls.

“We’re working hard and I’m enjoying being with the guys,” Claiborne continued.

“We’re just trying to make it happen.”