An online basketball glossary defines a sixth man as: “A player who does not start, but is generally the first person off the bench and often has statistics comparable to those of starters.”

A reliable sixth man is an invaluable asset to basketball teams at every level.

“John Havlicek is in the Basketball Hall of Fame and he's the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Boston Celtics,” said Seneca Valley boys coach Victor Giannotta. “And he spent most of his career as a sixth man. A lot of people don't know that.”

Butler County area high school teams also know the importance of having a dependable sixth man.

Emergence

Moniteau girls coach Mark Yeager knew he had a talented young player returning this season in sophomore Fontaine Glenn, but even he is surprised with her performance.

At 5-foot-8, Glenn's most valuable asset is her versatility.

“She can play anywhere we need her, including point guard,” said Yeager. “We're a small school. Normally, when we send in a player off the bench, we need her to play great defense and not turn the ball over. But Fontaine has exceeded all expectations.”

Glenn saw significant playing time as a freshman for the Warriors, but she took another huge step last spring playing for the Western PA Ballers, coached by Butler girls mentor Dorothea Epps.

“I played both point guard and in the post,” said Glenn. “We played against a lot of teams from Pittsburgh and the competition was very good. I was able to adjust to the speed of the game and it was a great experience.”

Glenn's improvement has led Yeager, in his 11th season of leading the Warriors, to pay the sophomore a very heavy compliment.

“I've never had a sixth player as good as her,” he said.

Another reserve with versatility is Slippery Rock girls' sophomore Nicole Papley.

Before the season, first-year Rockets' coach Christin Miller saw the 6-foot Papley as a player with a lot of potential, but also one who needed to develop.

Papley has spent the past three months doing just that.

“She has the stride of a guard, but also has been working on her post moves,” said Miller. “She had some really strong practices early and by our third game, I knew she was our best player off the bench.”

“Getting in varsity games last year really helped my confidence entering this season,” said Papley. “I knew if I could play as a freshman, I would get a chance over the next few years.”

While Glenn and Papley had a season of varsity play under their belt entering this season, Mars guard Sarah Getsy was a freshman just trying to find her niche.

One of seven freshmen on the Planets' varsity roster, Getsy spent the first month of the season getting her feet wet.

“It was a process,” said Mars coach Tony Howard of searching for a reliable sixth player off the bench. “We were filling in different girls every night for a while.

“After the first Hampton game (Jan. 12), Sarah really began to play well.”

Since then, Getsy is averaging between 24-26 minutes per game and helped the Planets close the regular season on a five-game winning streak.

“Getting more experience on the floor has made me more comfortable,” said Getsy.

“The biggest reason for her success is that she is shooting the ball very well,” said Howard, “but she also handles the ball well. She does a lot of good things for us and it's becoming tough to take her out of games.”

A Revolving Door

For some teams, the sixth man is filled by several players during the course of the season.

Take the Knoch boys team, for example.

Austin Miller, Mike Schenck and Marc Vaughan have all played well this season as the top player off the bench.

“Injuries here and there have affected who it is for us on a given night,” said Knights' coach Josh Shoop. “Sometimes, it comes down to which player is playing particularly well in practice leading up to the game.”

Vaughan is Knoch's top post player off the bench. He has a pair of 18-point games this season (against Highlands and Mars).

“Every time I get in a game, I see it as a chance to show what I can do,” Vaughan said.

The statistic most fans look at is points, but Shoop's primary focus is different when it comes to deciding who to send into a game.

“I look at defense and rebounding more than I do points,” he said. “Anybody playing for me knows it all starts with those two things.”

Union boys coach Karen Davis has a similar opinion.

She has used both Kaden McGregor and Mikey Harris off the bench this season. While they have scored big baskets in that role, Davis needs any sixth player to be solid in other areas.

“If a sixth man gives us five or six points, that's a bonus,” she said. “I don't want to put pressure on them, making them think they have to score a lot to give us a chance to win.

“Against A-C Valley (a 67-38 win Monday), Mikey scored just two points for us, but he was great rebounding and on defense. He was so focused.”

Embracing the Role

Being a team player comes naturally for Seneca Valley's Ryan McCauley.

Though he doesn't hear his name called when the starting lineup is announced, he hears it often enough after scoring baskets.

McCauley scored a career-high 16 points Jan. 31 against Shaler, which entered the game ranked fifth in the state.

The junior forward is a big reason why the Raiders qualified for the WPIAL playoffs for the first time in three seasons.

“Coach (Giannotta) trusts me to do just as well as the player I'm going in for,” said McCauley. “I'll get my chance to start next season, but I know my role on this year's team and it is to be the sixth man.”

Coaches appreciate that type of attitude.

“Ryan is a tremendous competitor who puts the team in front of any individual accomplishments or accolades,” said Giannotta.

Unfortunately, not all high school players are willing to take a team-first approach.

“Some people want to have that label of being a starter,” said Howard. “They feel if they come off the bench, it's a demotion.”

“I never understood that,” related Shoop, who was a sixth man during his freshman and sophomore seasons at Indiana (Pa.) University. “As far as I'm concerned, playing time is playing time.”

A sixth man's responsibility should begin before he actually enters the game.

“You hope you have a guy who is sitting on the bench, waiting to go in and saying to himself, ‘I can exploit this in the defense' or ‘their defense is sagging here,'” said Mars boys coach Rob Carmody.

Getsy pays close attention to the other side of the court.

“I focus on what teams are doing offensively,” she said. “That way, I'll know what I need to do on defense. Defense is key.”

McCauley keeps an eye on where his own team needs to pick it up.

“I look at things we need to improve on,” he said. “Then, when I get in the game, I tell my teammates.”

Being a team player does not mean you don't want to start. It means you are willing to do your best in your current role, whatever it may be.

Vaughan best summed up this attitude.

“I was hoping to start this season,” he said. “But the sixth man is important and right now, I'm the guy to fill that role.”

A reliable sixth man can be as valuable to a basketball team as any of its five starters. Following is a look at some of the top players off the bench for Butler County area high school teams.<B>Girls</B>• Nicole Papley (Slippery Rock) 6-0 sophomore forward/guard — 8.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.• Fontaine Glenn (Moniteau) 5-8 sophomore forward/guard — five points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals per game.• Sarah Getsy (Mars) 5-5 freshman guard — seven points per game, 13 three-pointers.<B>Boys</B>• Ryan McCauley (Seneca Valley) 6-3 junior forward — 5.3 points per game, strong defender and rebounder• Marc Vaughan (Knoch) 6-2 junior forward — 8.4 points per game, scored 18 points in a contest twice this season• Mikey Harris (Union) 6-1 senior forward — 4.3 points per game, solid rebounder and defender