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Prepping for Preps: Coatesville (Pa.)

10/31/2015, 12:30pm EDT
By Jeff Griffith

Jeff Griffith (@Jeff_Griffith21)
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(Ed. Note: This article is part of CoBL's "Prepping for Preps," our series of articles previewing area high school teams for the 2015-16 season. For the complete list of schools previewed so far, click here)

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Since Chuck Moore took over the Coatesville basketball head coaching position leading up to the 2013-14 season, there had been something clearly lacking within a program that had perennially dominated the Ches-Mont conference and been a force in District 1--team chemistry.

After being bounced in the Ches-Mont semifinals by Octorara, the Red Raiders squandered their first chance to advance to the state playoffs, taking a tough loss in the second round of District 1 AAAA playoffs to Pennridge,

Given one more opportunity in the district playback bracket, Coatesville failed to close out a triple overtime game against rival Downingtown West with a state bid on the line, despite having led all the way from the opening tip-off to the waning seconds of regulation.

Now, as the leaves begin to change color and the temperatures begin to drop, there seems to be a new mindset budding throughout Coatesville basketball, one that includes two things the Red Raiders haven’t experienced since long before Moore came to town--the mentality of an underdog, with Downingtown West seeming to be the new Ches-Mont favorites, and a group of talented players prepared to play united, team basketball.

“I think they’ve learned from their mistakes, watching those who’ve come before them and some of the things that they didn’t do well, some of the things that hurt their season, they’re trying their best to eliminate that,” Moore said. “That helps me out big time, I don’t really have to repeat myself as much as I did last year, because guys understand their mistakes, they understand what it takes to win ball games, and just playing hard in general.

“I think a lot of times we just fell asleep last year, guys didn’t really come to compete a lot. If you’re not out here competing and working hard, at the end of the day you’re not going to win too many games. Our mindset is to just work hard, have fun doing it, and the winning will take care of itself.”

Along with the new frame of mind, Moore’s team will have one of the most experienced lineups around, with a starting five comprised entirely of seniors. Rome Boyer, one of those seniors, has already begun stepping up as a leader, both by example and with his words, among the team. He’s expected to be the best offensive player on the team, by way of a smooth three-point shot and a solid inside scoring ability.

Boyer, a 6-foot guard, has been setting an example with his work ethic as well; he hasn’t missed one team workout throughout the offseason, according to his coach.

“They say your best player has got to be your most vocal or your hardest worker, and he’s taken on that,” Moore said. “Him being the best player right now, having the most experience, he’s taking on that leadership role by being vocal and a lot of players are listening to him. We had guys in the locker room last year that, because their ego was so big, they would say something and the other players never really responded to them. I think he’s taken on that leadership role.”

Coatesville’s four other senior starters will include Chapelle Parker-Turner, a 5-10 point guard, 6-3 wing Jordan Young, 6-3 guard Trent Hugan, and 6-6 forward Justus Martinez.

Young and Martinez, who each play football for the Red Raiders, represent the biggest inside threats, specifically on defense, both having the strong build of football players. Martinez, in particular, saw the floor a good amount as a junior, while playing behind now graduated big man Amir Ealey--who ended up playing high-major football, not basketball, at Syracuse.

“Us seniors, we’ve played a lot of basketball so we know each other very well, we’ve played since middle school,” Boyer said. “We know each other’s personalities, each player knows their role, so we should be good, we just don’t have a lot of height."

One negative trait these seniors don’t seem to possess that has been a common trend out of past senior classes is a rather pronounced ego.

“There’s no egos, there’s team chemistry, which is huge for our success this year,” Moore said. “With that chemistry, with that camaraderie, I think we can impress a lot of people. I think we’re going to have a very successful year. The main focus is just playing together. Playing team basketball, being unselfish, trusting your teammates, and just emphasizing the team in general.”

Hugan, specifically, is a piece that Moore expects to surprise some teams with, with this being Hugan’s first time in the rotation.

“He’s kind of an unfamiliar face for the people in our conference,” Moore added. “They don’t really know him, so I’m hoping he can be a surprise."

Other than the long list of seniors, Coatesville has a few talented young guns to watch out for in Tyrel Bladen and Kamau Brickus. Bladen, a 6-6 sophomore, was moved up from the JV squad at the end of last season. Brickus, a very skilled defender, will be the backup point guard to Parker-Turner in his junior season.

This experienced Red Raider team will be greatly tested in its first two games of the season, opening the campaign at home against Lower Merion, a perennial district one powerhouse, and Reading, which houses one of the best players in the state in Lonnie Walker, a junior guard receiving high-major offers.

Coatesville got a few looks at Lower Merion during the summer, but opening the season against the Aces will certainly speak volumes to the kind of season Coatesville can expect to have.

“What I’m hoping to get out of every game for us would be something positive,” Moore said. “Just take something positive from every game. If we approach every game with the mindset of just working hard, staying within our capabilities, I think winning will take care of itself, but those are definitely two tough tests early in the season.”

With a new season nearing and the past far in the rear-view mirror, the experienced, yet also new-look Red Raiders clearly have reason to feel like they can re-write the script and surprise a lot of people in 2015-16.

“We’re coming out a lot stronger, a lot more focused, because we don’t want the same result as last year,” said Boyer. “We want to end our season off right, so we’re going to come out way more aggressive. Right now, we’re taken as the underdogs, and we like that.”


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