by Autumn Jones, marketing director

The junior high boys basketball kicked off the season, beginning with the Conneaut Valley game on Dec. 11 where the seventh grade team won 36-22 and the eighth grade team won 36-23. The eighth grade team’s current record is 3-3 after losses to Titusville, Rocky Grove, and Cambridge Springs, while the seventh grade team’s record is 6-0.

Coach Chris Greco is in his first season coaching junior high boys’ basketball at Saegertown. With experience coaching junior high girls’ basketball at Maplewood and Saegertown elementary basketball, he’s excited for the new opportunities.

“I think we will be competitive. I don’t know much about the other teams we are playing as a first year coach, but I tell the team to always focus on the things they control, like playing good defense, running in offense, and playing hard,” Coach Greco said.  “I think the team needs to gain confidence and play better team defense and if those things happen it’ll be a good team. Having coached these players since they were in third or fourth grade I know their strengths and what they need to improve on and I am starting to see that they are gaining a better understanding of the game of basketball.”

Key players this year include Isaac Johnson, Jaden Wilkins, Dylan Flinchbaugh, Zach Balog, Brady Greco, and Henry Shaffer. “This season is going well. I look forward to all of the bus rides to our games. Especially to the far away ones. My advice for the team before each game is to try as hard as possible,” Zach Balog said.

Brady Greco said, “I think this season is going pretty well. I look forward to getting better as a player. I think the team should always go out and try their best each game.”