CHERRY TWP — A slow start to the boys basketball season has become the norm at Moniteau.

In four of the past five seasons, the Warriors have sputtered out of the gate.

Last season, the team started 2-10. The season before that, it started 3-10. Moniteau began the 2006-07 season 4-9 and lost its first 10 games in 04-05.

Each time, the team finished strong.

After a 64-36 loss to Neshannock at home Friday night, the Warriors (1-3) find themselves stumbling early again.

"I'm getting tired of it," said Moniteau coach Randy Armagost. "We always blamed it on football. But we can't blame it on football this year. We were out early.

"I told these guys that it doesn't matter how you start, it's how you finish," Armagost added. "We just need some confidence."

Any confidence Moniteau had before the opening tip was quickly squashed.

Neshannock (3-1) stormed out to a 19-3 lead in the first six minutes.

The Moniteau deficit grew to 20 points early in the second quarter and to 30 before the end of the third period.

Zach McCormick was the bright spot for the Warriors, recording 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Not much else went right for the home team as it shot 24.5 percent from the floor, committed 34 turnovers and sent Neshannock to the free throw line 31 times.

"Why don't those layups go in?" Armagost asked of the slew of missed shots his team put up in the paint. "They roll around the rim and don't go. I told the kids at halftime that it might be me. I don't know. Maybe it's me giving them bad luck."

Perhaps the unluckiest Moniteau player was Armagost's son and sophomore point guard Kyle, who was 1-of-14 from the field with several of his shots rolling around the rim and out.

"He's a sophomore, but he's played enough basketball in the summer that he's a senior," coach Armagost said. "He just had one of those bad nights."

Neshannock ramped up the defensive pressure and it paid dividends.

Lancers coach John Corey said it was the best all-around game his team has played this season.

"We've had a couple of games where offensively we played well and defensively we've played well," Corey said. "But tonight it seemed we put both together."

Moniteau, which doesn't play again until Jan. 6, gets a lengthy breather to regroup.

Randy Armagost plans to use that time to right a ship that is drifting off course once again early in a season.

"I tell them to have faith," Armagost said. "I try to keep them from losing confidence. I keep telling them to have patience."

NESHANNOCK 64Bobby Mittinger 5-16 3-4 14, Joe Fontanta 2-4 4-8 8, C.J. Van Eman 2-2 0-0 5, John Sansore 2-7 2-2 6, Bo Marinelli 3-11 3-5 9, Eric Bruening 3-4 7-8 13, Anthony Van Eman 0-0 2-4 2, Nick Graziani 3-5 0-0 6, Alex Seltzer 0-1 0-0 0, Ben Swogger 0-1 0-0 0.

Totals: 20-51 21-31 64.

MONITEAU 36Kyle Armagost 1-14 0-0 3, Zach McCormick 5-15 2-6 12, Zach Sloan 1-2 1-1 3, Lewis Martino 1-6 1-2 3, Mitch Hunter 0-4 0-0 0, Heath Lominski 1-2 1-2 3, Jereme Loos 2-3 1-1 5, Mike George 1-2 0-0 2, Andrew Armagost 1-4 2-2 4, Dalton Shuler 0-1 0-0 0, Jake Timmerman 0-0 0-0 0.

Totals: 13-53 8-14 36.

Neshannock 19 17 17 11—64Moniteau 6 9 9 12—363-point goals: Neshannock 3 (Mittinger 2, C.J. Van Eman); Moniteau 2 (K. Armagost, A. Armagost).

JV Score: Neshannock 42-46

Jan. 6: Redbank Valley at Moniteau