Knights hope to be top-dog of Class B basketball
Nick Davis ’21
Previously published in “The Mount” a publication produced by the staff of Mount Michael’s Journalism team. Follow the journalism team via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube links on https://mountonline.org
BY NICK DAVIS
With the basketball season around the corner, there are so many things up in the air.
The biggest concern is if there will even be a basketball season because of COVID-19, and if there is basketball, will fans be allowed at the games?
Assuming that there is Class B basketball this year, there are several different teams that can make a run for the title.
Brad Bennett pulls up for a shot last season
First off, the Knights are looking for vengeance after losing in the state semifinals last year to Skutt Catholic.
“Our team only has one goal, and that goal is to win state,” Kaleb Brink ‘21 said. “We have been playing together for four years now, and it’s time we get it together and win it all.”
The Knights return all but two from the district’s lineup from last year. This includes five players that have had considerable playing time on varsity since freshman year: Brad Bennett ‘21, Joe Chouinard ‘21, Kaleb Brink ‘21, Parker Hottovy ‘21 and Kyle Pelan ‘21.
Bennett last season passed the 1,000 points club and became the school’s all-time leading scorer and hopes to continue his success.
Another X-factor for the Knights is point guard Airan Lopez ‘21. Lopez has started since sophomore year after he transferred from Gross Catholic. He is a “jack of all trades” on the court, doing anything asked of him to help the team win.
“He really sees the floor well and does a great job passing,” manager Jason Nyamatore ‘21 said.
Lopez is focused on doing all that is needed to help the team reach their goal.
“One of my personal goals is to do whatever it takes to win, whether it’s to score, pass, guard, or even rebound the ball,” Lopez said.
The Knights however, have a tough road ahead of them if they want to win state this year because of their competition. The two main competitors are the Skutt Catholic Skyhawks and the Elkhorn Antlers.
The Skyhawks ended last season 26-0 and won the Class B State Championship. This makes them one of the top contenders for the trophy, but they have some big shoes to fill.
Skutt graduated many seniors including guards Andrew Merfield and Tyson Gordon who gave all of Class B trouble last year. But this year they will be led by guard Charlie Fletcher ‘21 and forward Luke Skarr ‘21, who were both starters last year.
Meanwhile, the Elkhorn Antlers, coming off an appearance in the Class A state tournament last year, are back in Class B and fighting for the top dog position. They return three starters and have a line of seniors to come in if needed.
The Antlers are a matchup nightmare for any team. Their starters include four players over 6’4, and they all can shoot well from deep. This will help them spread the floor and get easy drives.
“Skutt and Elkhorn have athletes who can make plays in numerous areas of the game, and they have a long history of winning,” forward Kyle Pelan said. “So our goal when we play these teams is to get beyond what has happened in the past and use our assets and be our own team. I think it is just important to have confidence and rely on each other and continue our own culture of winning.”
Focusing on the team rather than the competition is something the whole team works on.
“The team goal is to win the state title and to just build chemistry and buy into what the coaches are talking about to get there,” Lopez said.