By Ryan Romano and Clark Demaree, Staff Writers<\/p>\n
When the buzzer sounded on the River Hill basketball team\u2019s 2013-14 season, they knew they\u2019d do better when they received another chance.<\/p>\n
Now, as the Hawks prepare for the 2014-15 season, they can tell that their optimism was justified.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
Although this year\u2019s roster doesn’t have Michael Titus, a strong defender who graduated in the spring, Graves thinks they won\u2019t miss a beat.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou find certain kids who can step up their game,\u201d he said. \u00a0\u201cWe can kind of piece together what Titus did for us last year.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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.”<\/p>\n
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 \u201cto make sure everyone stays organized on defense.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sandler worked on his shooting accuracy after the loss, and feels confident that he\u2019ll take a step forward this year. “I was in the gym a lot this past offseason and practicing with my [Amateur Athletic Union] team,\u201d he said. \u201cWe got lots of shots up at least twice a week at game speed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The team’s first game, a home bout against Wilde Lake on December 5th, saw the Hawks limit the Wildecats\u2019 scoring in a 53-46 victory.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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