Raiders look to climb back to respectability

By DEREK PYDA Eagle Staff Writer

November 29, 2005 Last Updated: November 29, 2005 12:35 PM High School

There's nowhere for this team to go but up.

It might be a cliché, but it's also a belief in which the Seneca Valley boys basketball team can hang its hat on as the 2005-06 season gets underway.

The Raiders are coming off a 3-21 season. In the last two campaigns, SV has compiled just a 5-42 record.

But the Raiders' players will not have a positive attitude if they don't get one from their coach. And Victor Giannotta knows it.

"At a school this size, there's no reason why we can't consistently make the playoffs," said the second-year coach.

How much the Raiders improve this year will have a lot to do with the play of senior center Dave Monteleone.

A forward last year, Monteleone led the team in scoring with 11.9 points per game.

His junior campaign offered a lot of promise.

Monteleone scored in double digits in 15 of his team's 24 games, including a mid-season stretch in which he scored 20-plus points in three consecutive contests.

"A lot of weight is going to be on his shoulders this season," said Giannotta. "But if he goes full-speed on every possession, he could be one of the top five players in the section."

Monteleone, along with senior guard Dan Stanley, are the team's captains.

Two players from last year's team — including junior Don Barclay (7.4 points per game as a sophomore) and Andrew Rieder, opted not to come out for this year's team.

But Giannotta still feels optimistic about his starting five.

That group includes point guard Pat Heery, shooting guard Stanley and forwards Kevin Mayberry and Shawn Eagle.

Mayberry, a junior, is the biggest offensive threat of that quartet. He averaged 7.5 points per game as a sophomore, with a season-high of 21 points coming in a

72-63

win over Fox Chapel.

"Conditioning is going to be a big factor," Giannotta said of his starting five. "But they all complement each other well."

Seneca Valley's bench remains a question mark heading into the season.

Juniors Drew Deitch, Gabe Grinder and Kevin Rohm, among others, will be looked upon to add support to the Raiders' starting lineup.

"We've got a lot of depth on our bench," said Giannotta. "But that depth is also inexperienced."

Giannotta will be looking for marked improvement on defense.

"Defensively, we're already better at this point than we were last year," he said. "We might end up playing more zone than I'm used to, but our players still need to get after it and play aggressively."

For a program that has recently struggled so much, a few early wins would be just what the doctor ordered for the Raiders.

"That's the case more so with this team than any I've ever coached," said Giannotta. "Getting a few wins early would do wonders for this team's psyche."

The Raiders will look to get off to a good start this Friday, as they host Slippery Rock, Mars and Ringgold in the Seneca Valley Tip-off Tournament.

SENECA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL 2005-06 Boys Basketball Schedule

Dec. 2-3-

SENECA VALLEY TIP-OFF TOURNAMENT;

Dec. 6-

at Keystone Oaks;

Dec. 9-

NESHANNOCK;

Dec. 10-

ELLWOOD CITY;

Dec. 16-

SHALER;