BY JOHN LUND
Times-Shamrock Writer

It was slated to be a dream season for the Elk Lake boys’ basketball team last year.

The Warriors fielded five seniors on its starting squad, and repeated as Division 4 champs in the Lackawanna League, losing just two regular season games.

But an injury to its starting point late into the season put Elk Lake into a bind heading into the playoffs, and an early upset loss to Riverside in the quarterfinals ended the Warriors season.

Now, head coach John Warnero enters this season with a clean slate, and ample opportunities for his players to step up to fill the shoes and continue the legacy of the graduated seniors.

“We’re excited because it’s a clean slate and a great opportunity for people to step up and rise to the challenge,” Warnero said. “The big thing for us to have early on is leadership. Some people will need to take up that role. From day one to day 15 and from day 15 to day 30, we’re just looking to get a little bit better each day. Our goal is to establish ourselves and find our identity to see who we really are as early as we can.”

The identity of the Elk Lake basketball program has established itself as one of the top tier division teams for the last couple of years, and Warnero has no plans of that changing.

“Not a whole lot has changed for us really,” he said. “Our goals are always to tap out our maximum potential. Everything we do needs to have effort and intensity so we can play every single possession hard. Our model is to play hard, play smart and play together and we plan to look at everything one day at a time.”

With his starting squad now graduated, Warnero said the team will be able to showcase its depth and that more players will have the opportunity to impact the team dynamics.

“One of the things we have this year is a little more depth,” Warnero said. “Last year five seniors dominated the playing field, but things will be pretty level now. We have some juniors who have had varsity time.”

Warnero, now in his ninth season as head coach, noted his strong returning junior class, including Hunter Watkins, Cole Tyler, Bailey Newhart and Seth Tewskbury, JJ Heft, Gavin Kelly and Jonny Baltzley, as well as sophomore Ben Woolcock.

Cross country runner Dalton Sherman also returns to the program for his senior season, and will join senior Wyatt Warner as a leader to the squad.

“We’ve got a good group of kids,” Warnero said. “We’re going to be able to look at the big picture and understand that basketball is more than just a game – it’s also a way to become a better person, teammate and friend. One of the big things with this group will be focusing on obstacles and establishing their identity. It’s important for us to get our chemistry headed into the right direction since we’re starting with a clean slate.”

Warnero said he plans to work on conditioning in the early practices to increase team stamina and energy.
“We’re not really big or fast so we need to improve our overall toughness,” he said.

While Warnero’s end goals involved another division title and a shot at a district championship, he noted the high competition within Division 4 and the difficulties the Warriors may face against hard opponents each game.

“I think the division is up for grabs,” he said. “Trail and Montrose both return solid squads and every night I think will be a battle. Any team can have a great night so we need to make sure we’re coming ready to play.”

Warnero will have a new assistant this year in Elk Lake alumni and former basketball player A.J Lunger, who replaces Marc Weisgold, who was unable to continue coaching after being named elementary principal for Elk Lake in March.

Joining Sherman and Warner is senior Sheldon Vibbard. Joining the aforementioned juniors and sophomore Woolcock are sophomores Kyle Day, Evan Debonis, Chris Meaders, Alex Hewitt and Lionel Cardova; and freshmen Rierdan Reyan, Drew Arnold, Carson Mack, Alex Hunsinger, Cam Walsh, Kobe Jayne, Adam Parrett and Travis Tewksbury.

Schedule:
Dec. 5, Mike ‘Red’ Wallace Game at Carbondale, A, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 9, Lake-Lehman, H, 7:15 p.m.
Dec. 16, Wallenpaupack, A, 7:15 p.m.
Dec. 19, Tunkhannock, H, 7:15 p.m.
Dec. 22, Wyalusing, A, 7:15 p.m.
Dec. 26, Susquehanna County Christmas Tournament, A, 6 p.m.
Dec. 27, Susquehanna County Christmas Tournament, A, TBA.
Jan. 6, Forest City, A, 7:15 p.m.
Jan. 9, Mountain View, A, 7:15 p.m.
Jan. 13, Susquehanna, H, 7:15 p.m.
Jan. 16, Lackawanna Trail, H, 7:15 p.m.
Jan. 20, Montrose, A, 7:15 p.m.
Jan. 22, Blue Ridge, H, 7:15 p.m.
Jan. 29, Forest City, H, 7:15 p.m.
Feb. 2, at Susquehanna, A, 7:15 p.m.
Feb. 10, Montrose, H, 7:15 p.m.
Feb. 12, at Blue Ridge, Senior Night, H, 7:15 p.m.