By Ryan Romano and Clark Demaree, Staff Writers
When the buzzer sounded on the River Hill basketball team’s 2013-14 season, they knew they’d do better when they received another chance.
Now, as the Hawks prepare for the 2014-15 season, they can tell that their optimism was justified.
“I think we’re going to go pretty far,” predicted senior forward Charlie Thomas. This past fall, Thomas committed to play college basketball at the University of Wisconsin.
Along with forwards Richard Mentle, Jon Kanda, and Kelly Remson, and guards Gary Sandler and Cole Gabel, Thomas is part of a strong senior class on this year’s squad. That experience will give them some advantages on the court.
“Knowing what it feels like to be on the court, in front of a big crowd, being able to understand big situations — that comes from experience,” explained coach Matt Graves.
Although this year’s roster doesn’t have Michael Titus, a strong defender who graduated in the spring, Graves thinks they won’t miss a beat.
“You find certain kids who can step up their game,” he said. “We can kind of piece together what Titus did for us last year.”
“We have some new faces,” he added. “Some gentlemen from the [junior varsity] team put the time and effort in during the summer and the fall.”
As one of those pieces, Sandler recognizes his evolving responsibilities. “I have taken over more ball handling and a point guard role,” he said, also emphasizing that his job is “to make sure everyone stays organized on defense.”
Thomas used the team’s final game last year, a 71-58 playoff loss at Reservoir, as motivation in the offseason. “It forced me to push myself,” he said. “It made me want to go farther in the playoffs.”
Sandler worked on his shooting accuracy after the loss, and feels confident that he’ll take a step forward this year. “I was in the gym a lot this past offseason and practicing with my [Amateur Athletic Union] team,” he said. “We got lots of shots up at least twice a week at game speed.”
The team’s first game, a home bout against Wilde Lake on December 5th, saw the Hawks limit the Wildecats’ scoring in a 53-46 victory.