Uniontown boys preview: Red Raiders still hungry after rousing 2022-23 season
Uniontown had perhaps its greatest season under coach Rob Kezmarsky in 2022-23 when it won its 50th section title, reached the WPIAL quarterfinals and then came within one win of playing in the PIAA final.
A split in a pair of scintillating double-overtime battles with highly touted Laurel Highlands and Rodney Gallagher helped the Red Raiders earn an unexpected tie for first place in Section 3-AAAA with the Mustangs.
Topping that was Uniontown鈥檚 turnaround effort in the state quarterfinals when it avenged a 73-58 WPIAL quarterfinal loss to North Catholic with a much improved effort and a 55-54 win in the rematch thanks to Bakari Wallace鈥檚 buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
The Red Raiders鈥� season ended at 23-6 after an 85-64 loss to eventual state champion Lincoln Park in the PIAA semifinals.
鈥淟ast season was the experience of a lifetime,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淚t was something the coaches and the players will never forget.
鈥淲e played eight playoff games. To play in that many of those kind of games, these kids learned a lot from that. That playoff run gave them invaluable experience. We learned from the Lincoln Park game too, and not only that it鈥檚 hard to beat a team when they鈥檙e hitting 25 footers,鈥� Kezmarsky added with a laugh. 鈥淲e learned from the emotional standpoint as well, what we have to do to be mentally prepared.鈥�
But now it鈥檚 time to turn the page.
鈥淲e have to realize that we鈥檙e 0-0 and it鈥檚 all starting over,鈥� said Kezmarsky, who was the 缅北禁地 Coach of the Year. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 look ahead. Class 4A is tough again but we can鈥檛 worry about February and March if we don鈥檛 do what we鈥檙e supposed to do now. That group last year was special to us and now we want to do it again, but it鈥檚 one step at a time.鈥�
The Red Raiders certainly didn鈥檛 rest on their laurels over the summer.
鈥淲e had a great offseason, a very busy offseason to prepare for this,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淥ur returning players have really improved, not just from a basketball standpoint but a physical standpoint also. They dedicated themselves, worked so hard on the court and in the weightroom. Every day they play as hard as they can. After practice, they work out and keep going.鈥�
Uniontown did lose five players to graduation, including Wallace, but returns four starters in juniors Notorious Grooms and Calvin Winfrey III and seniors Jamire Braxton and K鈥橝drian McLee.
Winfrey and Grooms are three-year starters.
鈥淐alvin and Tori have gotten so much better since their freshmen year, not just scoring but defensively, too,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e both future 1,000-point scorers, they鈥檙e both future college players, they鈥檙e great kids and they鈥檙e leaders. They鈥檙e gym rats, they鈥檙e coaches 鈥� they coach youth teams at North Union 鈥� and they were my ball boys at one time.
鈥淛amire played his best in the playoffs. He played great inside, he rebounded the ball well and is a great scorer. He鈥檚 really got himself in shape, too. He鈥檚 hit the weightroom.
鈥淜鈥橝drian is a Cornell football recruit and we鈥檙e proud of that. He brings a 6-foot-6 defensive presence inside and we鈥檙e looking for him to be more involved offensively this year.鈥�
Rounding out the starting five is senior Jeremiah Hager.
鈥淛eremiah had a great summer for us,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淗e brings outside shooting and defense. Last year he was like our sixth or seventh man. He鈥檚 going to be a future college basketball player, too.
鈥淥ur sixth man is Kelan Milsom but we consider him another starter. He鈥檚 that good. He never missed a game in the summer.
鈥淭wo other players who鈥檒l see a lot of time are sophomore Isaac Ellsworth and senior Eric Townsend. Isaac has been impressive shooting, playing good defense and helping out handling the basketball. He鈥檚 a really good 3-point threat which we鈥檒l need because most teams are going to play us zone. Eric has really improved and was a bright spot in our first week of practice. He gives us some more help inside.鈥�
Seniors Nick Torbich and Marcus Hice are also members of the varsity squad.
Kezmarsky got some help from a familiar face in trying to enhance Uniontown鈥檚 offense.
鈥淢y nephew Christian Kezmarsky goes all over the country, from NBA to high Division-I, and he spent some time with us in the offseason, helping us put in a true motion offense,鈥� Rob Kezmarsky said. 鈥淲hen you see us play you鈥檒l see his impact on the team this year.鈥�
Kezmarsky praised his coaching staff.
鈥淢y assistant coaches are Calvin Winfrey (Jr.) and Ray Robinson, both former Uniontown greats who are involved with all aspects of the program,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淎nd Coach (Warare) Gladman, I would say he鈥檚 associate head coach but that鈥檚 not enough credit to him. It鈥檚 almost like we鈥檙e co-head coaches. He does so much for our program.鈥�
Kezmarsky enters his 22nd season at Uniontown with a 321-169 record, including a 193-70 mark in section play. He has accounted for 11 of the Red Raiders鈥� WPIAL-record 50 section championships.
He isn鈥檛 taking No. 51 for granted in Section 3-AAAA.
鈥淏elle Vernon鈥檚 going to be really good, Southmoreland is going to be good, EF coaches are doing a great job, Laurel Highlands has some new players that are going to be hungry and they鈥檒l still be good,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淎lbert Gallatin has some good players and they worked hard in the summer, too.鈥�
Kezmarsky can sense the buzz around his team this season.
鈥淭here鈥檚 such excitement around the program, in the community, ticket requests are high, and it鈥檚 all because of these kids,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淭hey deserve the credit. It鈥檚 a special group. And they鈥檙e good kids and good students. Our team grade point average is 3.4.鈥�
Kezmarsky admitted playing for the Red Raiders can be stressful at times.
鈥淭he expectations are always high at Uniontown. When you play here you have to deal with that pressure,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 just the way it is with the history here. We鈥檙e one of the top five teams in the state in all-time winning percentage and that鈥檚 something we鈥檙e proud to be part of.
鈥淲e accept that but we as coaches also realize they鈥檙e still high school kids and so we also have to make it as fun as possible, too.
鈥淭he kids have been handling everything well. They鈥檙e excited for the season.鈥�