City of Basketball Love

Michael Bullock (@thebullp_n)
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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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YORK, Pa. — Chat with Montrel Morgan and Trey Shifflett, even for a few minutes, about York High’s rapidly approaching basketball campaign and there’s a particular word that keeps bouncing in and out of the conversation.

Seems the talented senior tandem and their anxious Bearcats teammates, just weeks away from a season-opening scrap with Williamsport, are hardly satisfied after spending February and early March pocketing a trio of championships.

Troy Sowers’ Bearcats want to celebrate more victories, but they also want to hoist another assortment of championship trophies — and they’re extremely determined to make those things happen. Yep, there’s an insatiable hunger driving these guys.

Just watch them work out.

“It all starts with practice,” said Shifflett, a 5-foot-11 guard. “Just gotta stay humble, hungry, confident with each other. We’ve got a lot of new guys coming up, especially from JV. So we need to make sure they fit in with the offense, make sure they just adjust.”

 “We have three seniors, four counting [Impact Academy transfer Elliott Wilson],” added Morgan. “And that’s a good thing because everyone wants to go out successfully in their senior years.”

While Sowers’ Bearcats swept to York-Adams Division I, York-Adams postseason and District 3-AAAA championships a season ago, collective success has been a staple in the York program since Sowers and assistant Clovis Gallon took over a decade ago.

And these guys have been especially adept at raising an already high level of play even higher — York players attribute that to the daily preparation they receive from Sowers and Gallon — once the postseason finally arrives.

Here’s some evidence:

• York (26-5) last season captured its second straight District 3-AAAA championship and third in five years with its 56-53 conquest of Cedar Crest. Sowers’ Bearcats also reached 3-AAAA title games in 2009 and 2013.

• Sowers’ Bearcats collared their third YAIAA tournament title in four seasons in February — and fourth in seven years — defeating neighboring Central York in the final.

• York also secured its sixth YAIAA Division I championship in seven years.

“It’s just fun. It’s fun coming to coach these guys. It’s fun seeing them off the court. We demand a lot,” Sowers said. “I think we’re different from most teams, but we have to be. If we’re the same as everybody else, then we’ll be the same.

“We have the most wins in the state of any Quad-A team the last seven years,” Sowers continued. “We’ve played in five district title games. So we’ve gotta keep being different and maybe that [success] will keep going.”

And while the departures of all-state forward Jahaire Wilson (18.0 ppg, 11.6 rpg), forward Brandon Smallwood (12.9 ppg, 8.3 rpg), swingman D’Montie Shaw (6.0 ppg) and energetic facilitator C.J. Boxley (2.8 ppg, 4.1 apg) would send many programs into total rebuild mode, these Bearcats aren’t overly concerned.

All of them know they’ll have to pound the glass to compensate for some frontcourt losses, but they also are fully aware they have three dependable components in place with all sorts of experience and a fourth poised to accept expanded duties.

• Morgan stepped in last season after transferring from Impact Academy, averaging 10.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 4.1 apg in his first season with the Bearcats.

• Shifflett, who has knocked down a series of late clutch shots throughout his career, checked in last season at 9.5 ppg.  

• And 6-6 Kris Johnson, the Kevin Durant lookalike whose elbow jumper felled Cedar Crest in the 2014 District 3-AAAA final, banked 8.8 ppg and snared 4.7 rpg.

All played lead roles for a York squad that advanced to the second round of the PIAA Class AAAA playoffs before tumbling to eventual state runner-up Martin Luther King.

“I couldn’t want a better three-headed captain than I have with those three, because they’re my three senior captains and they get it,” Sowers said. “Part of it is, we communicate all year long. I’m texting these guys all the time. I see them in school all the time. When they have a free minute, they’re up in my room talking. We’re talking about basketball. We’re talking about life. It’s just when you love your teammates and you love your coaches, you always find ways to win close games, I think.”

Factor in 5-9 junior Jacquez Casiano, a dependable perimeter threat with plenty of range, and the Bearcats have four veterans capable of inflicting all sorts of damage.

Wilson, a 6-3 senior forward with plenty of experience who played two seasons alongside Morgan at York’s closed New Hope Academy, also is being counted on.

“Big time. If I look on this team right now, minus Elliott Wilson, I’d be a little worried,” Sowers said. “He’s going to fill that void. He likes to bang. He’s really physical. He’s a really quick jumper off of two feet, which is key when you rebound. He’s another one who I think is unselfish and wants to win championships. Gets along well with everyone.”

Rounding out York’s 10-man squad are 5-5 senior guard Nasir Smallwood, 5-7 senior guard Jace Snyder, 6-3 senior forward Justin Colston, 6-2 junior swingman Messiah Anderson and 6-6 junior Jayden Iturmendi, who grew five inches since last year.

The Bearcats have a grueling non-league slate that will pit Sowers’ club against Chester, Lower Merion, Coatesville, Great Valley, Northeastern and towering Capitol Christian (Md.). York also could square off against the likes of Reading and McCaskey in regular-season tournaments.

Yet if Sowers’ club doesn’t meet Reading or McCaskey during the regular season, they could collide with those two, Harrisburg and any number of other dangerous foes in the District 3-AAAA playoffs. There’s also a YAIAA Division I slate featuring matchups with Central York, Dallastown and rapidly improving Spring Grove.

Everything’s in place for Sowers’ Bearcats to be prepared for whatever they may encounter so they’re ready to win, capture championships and maybe even make a state tournament run. They just want to be playing in March.

“That’s always the plan,” Sowers said.

Pressure? Not at York.

“I think we all welcome it,” Shifflett said. “I know teams are out to get us. We just go into every game knowing it’s 32 minutes, that we just want to fight every possession and make everything count.”

And a third straight District 3-AAAA title — something that hasn’t been accomplished at the big-school level since Reading went back-to-back-to-back in 1955, 1956 and 1957 — would be a neat way to finish out gold-hued careers.

“I’d say it definitely would be special to have a third,” said Morgan, who celebrated a 3-A championship as a sophomore at New Hope. “It would definitely be cool. I’ve done it twice already. But I’m kind of expecting a little more than just districts.   

“It’s just proving to them that we are an elite program at all levels, honestly. That’s what I’ve personally been working on the whole summer, making sure I’m prepared for the highest stage — which is the state playoffs in my opinion.”

Hungry? Oh, yeah.