Boys Basketball Holds Team Banquet (03/11/14)

The Clarion Area Boys Basketball Team’s season officially ended on Sunday, March 9th, with the Team Banquet held in the Fellowship Hall of Zion Baptist Church.

After Ken Nellis gave the blessing, everyone enjoyed a delicious buffet of wings, pizza, pasta dishes, salads and desserts.

Bobcat Coaches and Senior players: (Front) Head Coach Todd Smith (Middle) Coach B. J. Wrhen (Back L-R) Coach Tom Lewis, Matt Verne, Damien Cherico, Ellis Painter, Cody Hearst, Antonio Troese, Steven Smathers, Coach Adam Donaldson (Missing from photo: Levi Barger)

Following the meal, Coach Todd Smith thanked various individuals for their involvement with the Basketball Program and the banquet. He thanked Meagan Wrhen and Cindy Nellis for setting up the banquet and Booster Club leaders, Scott and Laura Miller for organizing the banquet and for handling the fifty-fifty drawings. He also thanked Ken and Cindy Nellis for putting together the game programs and his wife Melissa for her help and support.

Coach Smith, on behalf of the team and boosters, also recognized other individuals: Greg Painter, the team scorekeeper for the past 4 years (Greg, in turn, gave special recognition to the coaches.); Don Skunda, JV scorekeeper; Jessica Falvo, trainer; and yours truly, for filming and the website.

Next he thanked his assistant coaches: Adam Donaldson, who also is in charge of compiling stats and posting them on MaxPreps; Tom Lewis, who was Coach Smith’s basketball coaching mentor a number of years ago; and B. J. Wrhen, JV coach.

Then it was time for Coach Wrhen to introduce his Junior Varsity. He mentioned that they were 13-6, this season and that they played hard. He challenged them to work hard in the off season to try to get good playing time and maybe even starting spots on next season’s Varsity team. As he introduced each player, Coach Wrhen listed some of their qualities and things they should work on improving.

The JVs consisted of : (Freshmen) Nadir Lynch, Ty Burford, Reed Anthony and Ryan Anthony; (Sophomores) Mark Liu, Craig Kerr, Michael Bartley, John Allen and Luke Nellis; (Juniors) Thomas Plummer, Zach Hill and Derek Lauer.

Volunteers: (Front) Ken Nellis, Greg Painter (Back) Dave McClaine, Scott Miller, Laura Miller, Cindy Nellis, Melissa Smith, Don Skunda (Missing from photo: Meagan Wrhen, Jessica Falvo)

The Varsity was introduced next. Coach Smith mentioned that the team had a late start, due to the Bobcat Football Team’s deep playoff run. He mentioned that they didn’t have the whole team together until the first week in January and that they finished the season playing 9 games in 14 days.

He had praise for the team, who due in part to the above mentioned early season setbacks, started 1-4. He challenged them to work hard to get back to .500. He mentioned being proud of how well they responded, citing the team defeating Clarion-Limestone at home, after losing to them, at C-L by 50 points, earlier in the season and  making the playoffs. He stated that the team they lost to, Ridgway, was the eventual District Champion.

Coach Smith gave various individual highlights, as he introduced the Varsity players which included: (Sophomores) Brendan Miller and Taylor Smith and (Seniors) Matt Verne, Damien Cherico, Levi Barger, Steven Smathers, Cody Hearst, Ellis Painter and Antonio Troese.

Coach Smith also mentioned that Troese won this year’s “Tony Fabri Spirit Award” and Scholarship and that Troese and Painter have been selected to take part in the Sportsmanship 1 Tournament, at Clarion High School, on Saturday, March 29th.

The Seniors were presented with gifts, including a team photo, at the end of the program.

(Thanks to the Boosters and Coaches for great event. Congratulations to the team on a fine season!!!!)