Porter, Gators ‘basically starting from scratch’
Geibel Catholic's Jaydis Kennedy dribbles the ball up court against Vincentian Academy聽during a WPIAL Class 1A quarterfinal playoff game at Peters Township High School last season.
Geibel Catholic coach Don Porter gives instructions to his players during a timeout in their WPIAL Class 1A quarterfinal playoff game against Vincentian Academy at Peters Township High School last season.
Geibel Catholic boys basketball coach Don Porter and his staff must basically put together a new team to try to make another run at the playoffs.
鈥淲e lost all five starters from last year鈥檚 team,鈥� Porter said. 鈥淔our graduated and one transferred out, so we are basically starting from scratch.鈥�
The Gators made the playoffs out of Section 2-A last season and won their first game over Leechburg. They lost to the eventual WPIAL champion Vincentian Academy, which pulled the Gators into the PIAA playoffs where they lost in the first round to Berlin Brothers Valley.
Porter said the cupboard is not completely bare for the Gators with three lettermen returning from last year鈥檚 squad. Senior Zach Allmon, along with sophomores Jaydis Kennedy and Tre White, played quality minutes last year. They will be counted on to help pull the team together.
Porter said he has about seven or eight kids capable of stepping in and possibly getting a starting spot. Geibel was able to pull in kids looking to play from Brownsville, Uniontown, Laurel Highlands and Connellsville.
鈥淭he Diocese had their donors give a large amount of money to help kids with their tuition to allow them to attend a school like Geibel Catholic,鈥� Porter said.
Porter said the big thing is getting the kids on the floor together to try to build some chemistry, noting the Gators have only been on the floor about four or five times because of COVID-19 restrictions. Like everybody else, the virus wiped out the summer leagues where Porter could look at the kids in a game setting.
鈥淲e have no returning starters and a bunch of new faces trying to blend in trying to figure out how we play basketball at Geibel,鈥� said Porter. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a big learning curve for the kids and the COVID-19 virus has not made it easy on us because we鈥檝e lost a lot of valuable practice time because I鈥檝e had to quarantine and some of the kids had to quarantine.鈥�
Porter pointed out the kids did have a chance to play in an 8-game season at Greensburg Central Catholic in the fall, adding the kids didn鈥檛 have a chance to practice before the games, so they just had to roll the ball out there and give it their best shot.
Porter said it鈥檚 important to take advantage of every day they have a chance to practice.
鈥淲e have a little better size this year,鈥� said Porter. 鈥淲e have a couple of new kids around 6-5, plus Kennedy and White are about 6-2. I think we have some kids to handle the ball. We鈥檝e just got to work to get everybody on the same page.鈥�
Looking ahead Porter said the virus has been a great equalizer and has made it tough on all the teams.
鈥淲e would like to get some non-section games to work some things out,鈥� said Porter. 鈥淗owever, because of the virus everybody might have to go right into section games.
Hopefully, we get a chance to get enough practice time to work on some fundamental things and get the kids in the right positions so they can have some success.鈥�