Raiders look to bounce back after pandemic-ravaged year
Steve McIntire didn鈥檛 pick the best time to become a first-year coach.
McIntire faced a slew of challenges in his first season guiding the Waynesburg Central boys basketball team.
鈥淥f all the years to take over a boys basketball program, I had to do it in the middle of a pandemic,鈥� McIntire said with a chuckle.
鈥淭his COVID thing has been crazy and it definitely hurt us last year. The season got shut down for awhile, then we got shut down for awhile and couldn鈥檛 practice for two weeks. Then the next thing you know we鈥檙e playing like four games in a row without having a practice.
鈥淚t was just a bad year all the way around. It felt like I couldn鈥檛 even coach just because of all that going on with the COVID.鈥�
As a result, McIntire鈥檚 players are still learning his program.
鈥淲e鈥檙e getting to where we want to be but we鈥檙e not fully there yet,鈥� McIntire said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e starting to understand what our expectations are. Our numbers are a little bit low again this year. Sometimes we might have a JV game, sometimes we won鈥檛.鈥�
McIntire does have have three key players returning for his second season.
鈥淥ur top three guys coming back are seniors Jacob Mason, Chase Henkins and Dawson Fowler,鈥� McIntire said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 really have that alpha male where I can say this is the guy everyone follows. But all three of them are leaders in their own way.鈥�
McIntire is still sorting out his roster and playing time.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have a starting five set yet,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to play the guys who want to practice hard and be committed to the program.鈥�
McIntire鈥檚 assistant coaches are his son Darton McIntire, a former 1,000-point scorer for Waynesburg, Chad Henkins, who is Chase鈥檚 father, and Sean Van Eman.
The Raiders will again compete in Section 4-AAA along with Beth-Center, Brownsville, Charleroi, McGuffey, Washington and Brentwood.
McIntire feels his team can be in the hunt for a playoff spot.
鈥淚f we can stay healthy, which is a big key, and stay out of foul trouble, I believe we鈥檒l be able to compete in this section this year,鈥� McIntire said. 鈥淲e just need to have the kids practice hard and buy in to what we鈥檙e doing. Then I think we can make some noise.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going have to play as a team and score as a team. I鈥檓 not going to have one kid put up 35 points every game. We don鈥檛 have that.鈥�
When it comes to game day, McIntire has a simple formula.
鈥淏asically, we have to limit the turnovers, play hard and play as a team,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f we stick to that game plan each night then we can compete.鈥�