Greyhounds’ success depends on willingness to sacrifice
The answer to coach Dan Bosnic鈥檚 question could well be the key to the 2022-2023 basketball season for the Monessen High School boys basketball team.
鈥淩eally, the outcome, the end result of our season will come down to what our players and our team collectively are willing to do,鈥� Bosnic said. 鈥淗ow much are we willing to sacrifice? We鈥檒l find out fast what this group of kids is willing to do.鈥�
Monessen is coming off a 19-5 season and its 46th section championship. During it all, the Greyhounds rallied from an 0-3 start to win 17 consecutive games, including going undefeated in section play and defeating Washington and Serra Catholic late in the season before posting a WPIAL playoff win over Jeannette.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a different season,鈥� Bosnic said. 鈥淲e had good senior leaders that offered a lot to us in different ways. Those are big losses. But we have some experience and developing leaders. So far, I鈥檝e been happy with how our guys have stepped up to take leadership roles.鈥�
鈥淥ur seniors last season, Kody Kuhns, Jack Sacco and Kiontae Robinson helped establish a culture that I hope becomes our program鈥檚 culture.鈥�
Bosnic pointed to returning starters junior Lorenzo Gardner (6-4), a guard/forward, and seniors Jai鈥檚en Blackmon (6-2), a forward, and point guard Dante DeFelices (6-1). He also noted that senior guard Davantae Ross (5-11) was a starter sporadically last season and a top reserve.
Two others who played important minutes last season, sophomore guard Devontae Robinson (5-10) and guard-forward Tim Kershaw, a 5-11 sophomore, return to battle for starting spots. Senior Trevian Thompson (6-2) will also play significant minutes.
While the Greyhounds lost junior Leonage Thomas (6-4) who transferred to a school out of state, Monessen welcomes back junior guard Daevon Burke (5-9), freshman guard TyVaughn Kershaw (5-9), and sophomore Daniel Dozier (5-11 鈥� all key members of the Greyhounds鈥� playoff football team 鈥� for additional quality depth.
Other varsity players include junior guards Darryl Ray (6-2) and Matt Sawa (6-1), and freshmen Rodney Johnson (5-11) and Will Farrow (6-3).
鈥淲e like to think we learned from our success in the past,鈥� Blackman said, 鈥淲e want to build off our success last season.
鈥淚 know we want to be better and to do so we must play better collectively. We all need to step up and my role is to lead by example and play smart and play hard.鈥�
Monessen is dropping back into Class A after spending the past two seasons in Class AA. The Greyhounds will compete in Section 2-A with California, Geibel Catholic, Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown and West Greene.
Monessen is among top contenders in Class A along with Union, Imani Christian, Carlynton and Geibel Catholic.
鈥淲e want to win as many games as we can and go as far as we can,鈥� said DeFelices. 鈥淲e have a lot of players who can play multiple positions. The end of the season last year really stunk. I guess it was inevitable. We ran out of energy, but we learned a lot and we hope that carries over.鈥�
Monessen opened the season at Ringgold鈥檚 MVI Classic with a 54-28 loss to South Allegheny and a 65-44 win over the Rams, then defeated rival Charleroi, 55-24, on Dec. 6.聽
Monessen鈥檚 non-section games include home contests against Yough (Dec. 19), Propel Braddock Hills (Dec. 28), and South Park (Dec. 29). The latter two are part of the Greyhounds鈥� Delvin Miller Memorial Tournament.
Monessen will play at Washington to end the regular season Feb. 11.
鈥淭he schedule and the section will be challenging,鈥� Bosnic said. 鈥淲e are adding responsibility for some and going to be leaning on a lot of guys. It will take time for some of them to gain the experience.鈥�
Bosnic, now in his fifth season at Monessen, has won two section titles at the school and owns a section record of 38-6 (.864) in section play. He has more than 120 career victories.