Red Raiders sport deep, talented roster
Uniontown's starting lineup and top players off the bench are (kneeling, from left) Bakari Wallace, Notorious Grooms, Taevian Richardson, Calvin Winfrey III, (standing, from left) Levi Garner, Jamire Braxton, Tanner Uphold, Jeremiah Hager and K'Adrian McLee.
Uniontown sophomores Calvin Winfrey III (left) and Notorious Grooms were both starters as freshmen.
Uniontown junior Jamire Braxton dribbles the ball through his legs during Red Raiders picture day.
Rob Kezmarsky is in his 21st year as coach of the Red Raiders. He entered the season with a career record of 298-163 at Uniontown that includes 16 playoff berths, 10 section titles and one WPIAL semifinal appearance.
Uniontown head coach Rob Kezmarsky (far left) will assisted by (from left) Calvin Winfrey, Ray Robinson and Warare Gladman this season.
Uniontown seniors are (from left) Levi Garner, Devin Sykes, Taevian Richardson, Bakari Wallace and Tanner Uphold.
Uniontown sophomore Notorious Grooms scored 426 points as a freshman.
Uniontown sophomore Calvin Winfrey III averaged 10 points per game as a freshman.
Uniontown's 2022-23 boys basketball team.
Rob Kezmarsky can鈥檛 recall the last time he鈥檚 had so many good players on one roster.
鈥淲e have some really good returning players and a very deep bench,鈥� said Kezmarsky, who鈥檚 entering his 21st year as Uniontown鈥檚 boys basketball coach. 鈥淲e have six or seven kids that could start. I don鈥檛 remember having this many quality players this deep.鈥�
It鈥檚 a luxury and a curse at the same time, though, according to Kezmarsky, getting playing time for so many talented athletes.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 some really good players here who all want to be on the floor. But their attitudes have been good about that so far.鈥�
Last year the Red Raiders were 14-9 overall and 10-2 in Section 3-AAAA, finishing second to Belle Vernon with a young team that got outstanding freshmen seasons from Notorious Grooms and Calvin Winfrey III.
Those two return as starters for their sophomore years.
鈥淭ori as a freshmen had 426 points and averaged 18.5,鈥� Kezmarsky pointed out. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a great all-around player. Calvin averaged 10 points per game. They鈥檙e basketball people. They can both play the point.
鈥淭hen you add in junior Jamire Braxton, he averaged 18 points a game and was all-section last year at AG.鈥�
Uniontown has two senior starters in Bakari Wallace and Tanner Uphold.
鈥淏akari is a two-year starter who averaged 13 points and eight rebounds for us last year,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淭anner also is a two-year starter and averaged eight points a game and was our defensive stopper.鈥�
Kezmarsky has plenty of capable players off the bench.
鈥淲e have Taevian Richardson, a senior, who is so quick 鈥� you saw that in football 鈥� and defensive oriented,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淜鈥橝drian McLee is a junior who keeps getting better and has grown some more. He鈥檚 like 6-5, 6-6 now. Levi Garner is a 6-4 senior who will give us inside help. Our section is big so we鈥檙e going to need those guys.聽Jeremiah Hager is about 6-3 and can play every position on the floor.鈥�
It鈥檚 a group that gives Kezmarsky a lot of options.
鈥淭he key thing about a team like this is maybe it鈥檚 not your night but someone else steps up,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淢ost of the time we鈥檙e going to have five players out there who can score.鈥�
Kezmarsky expects his team to hit the boards hard at both ends of the floor.
鈥淲hat we鈥檝e done in the past when we were really successful is offensive rebounding,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e back doing that with this group with our guards included.鈥�
Kezmarsky has flexibility on defense, also.
鈥淲e do have some scorers but we have to be good defensively also,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also about player match-ups. You need to stop somebody, put your best defensive player in for that situation. If we get some foul trouble we have kids who can step up. Every night it could be someone different contributing for us.
鈥淲e鈥檒l still do our 2-2-1 and play our full-court man a little bit but we鈥檝e been working good as a halfcourt man-to-man team also.鈥�
Kezmarsky commended his players for the effort they put in during the offseason.
鈥淭he kids have worked harder than you could possibly imagined,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淲e had a really productive summer from Pitt team camp to summer leagues to playing in the Brownson House. Our kids played in fall leagues in Greensburg on the weekends we played in Woodland Hills.
鈥淭hese kids have really improved. We鈥檙e excited about the season. We have high expectations, like always. The key is how our chemistry comes together.鈥�
Uniontown will again play in an altered Section 3-AAAA this year along with nearby rivals Albert Gallatin and defending WPIAL champion Laurel Highlands as well as a talented Belle Vernon squad that finished first last season. The section also includes Elizabeth Forward and Southmoreland, both solid teams.
鈥淚n my opinion, we鈥檙e in one of the better sections in the WPIAL,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淭here are no easy nights and that鈥檚 not just a saying. You look at Southmoreland, they have basically their whole team back. There鈥檚 going to be a lot of close games. It鈥檚 going to be a playoff-like atmosphere every night and that should help us at the end of the season.鈥�
Kezmarsky entered the year with 319 coaching wins, including 298 at Uniontown which puts him third in program history. He notched No. 300 with the Red Raiders early this season when Uniontown defeated visiting Connellsville, 90-31.
鈥淚鈥檓 just as excited as ever because these kids are so excited,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what keeps you going and having energy. These are great basketball kids and great kids overall. Our starting five are all honor students.
鈥淚鈥檓 proud that we鈥檝e been consistent all those years. We鈥檝e won 70 percent of our games.鈥�
Under Kezmarsky the Red Raiders have made the WPIAL playoffs 16 times 鈥� Uniontown holds the all-time WPIAL record with 71 postseason appearances 鈥� and won 10 section championships.聽Uniontown has a section record of 184-69 (73%) under Kezmarsky, who will be assisted by Warare Gladman, Calvin Winfrey Jr. and Ray Robinson Sr. this season.
鈥淗aving coach Gladman is like having another head coach,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been doing this so long together. If he wanted to be a head coach again somewhere else he could鈥檝e been but I鈥檓 glad he鈥檚 still with me here.
鈥淐alvin and Ray have done such a great job and we all work well together. It鈥檚 a good staff.鈥�
Uniontown opens section play at home on Jan. 3 against the Colonials.