At this point, Beachwood’s varsity basketball players can anticipate each other’s moves.

Most have been on teams together since fifth grade.

“We’ve been playing together forever, so I think our chemistry will be where it should be,” said junior guard Dassan Rhodes.

“I think it will be a good season for us if we play up to our potential,” he said.

Junior Chris Bell agrees.

“We will be good because we’ve played together for a while, and we’ve been preparing for the season for a long time,” he said. “I think we are ready,” he said.

Team members are confident in spite of having lost several strong seniors after last year’s season, including Beachwood’s all-time leading scorer John Davis, as well as other key players like Trey Sanders and Alfred Hodge.

Bison players focus on commitment and communication as sources of strength..

“We’re going to be great because we have a solid starting lineup and a hard-working bench that will give 100%,  and we have good team chemistry,” junior guard Shawn May said.

“(The season will be) good because we’ve been working hard and we are going to play together and obviously try to win every game especially against good competition,” sophomore guard Ben Sternberg said.

“We will have a successful season if our young guys figure out how to win and play hard all the time,” Head Coach Matt Miller said.

Tough Season Ahead

The Bison face tougher teams than ever before.

“It is important to get mentally prepared for the big D-1 schools we play and to stay positive throughout the season,” May said.

“It will be a mental challenge to stay consistent and give 100% every game,” Bell said. “We also have to take care of our bodies and prepare the right way. We have to start off strong and avoid a downfall.”

“I think the hardest part of the season will be the new teams that we put on our schedule,” Rhodes said. “It’ll be good preparation for the playoffs and our senior year though.”

Other players, like sophomore David Somogyi see the situation differently.

“The playoffs (will be the hardest) because the competition,” he said. “(The competition) will change drastically because the teams we play will have tons of talent.”

Coach Matt Miller also had a different perspective on the tests the Bison will have to overcome.

“We have young guys that have not had to win games without the seniors [who graduated last year],” he said. “And our schedule is way tougher than last year.”

“The first half of the season is the hardest,” he added. “So I see us hopefully learning how to play together, win, and play tough. If not we are going to be in trouble.”

Eyes on the Post-Season

The team has other ambitious goals for the season.

“Some of our team goals are to win the league, to compete against the harder schedule, and compete against the best teams,” Miller said.

“We want to be as successful as we can and make a huge playoff run, and hopefully make it to states,” May said.

Bell agrees.

“We want to be state champions, and I think we have a good chance of contending this year,” he said. “Hopefully that’s where we will be in two months. To have the opportunity to play in that game would be amazing.”

“I see our team really focused the whole season,” junior forward Maishe Dailey said.

Sophomore Somogyi agrees.

“(We will be) On the road to states,” he said.

“We need to be mentally tough throughout the season,” May said, “because we are contending with some big D1 schools.”

“We definitely want to make it as far as we can in the playoffs and hopefully make the run to states,” Somogyi said.

The coaches hope to see the team exceed the high expectations established by the last two Bison teams.

“I think the team play will be better because we will be more balanced, and we will be bigger,” Coach John Mannarino said. “There is better chemistry among these players as well as balance and contribution from every player. We don’t have to rely on one guy taking over like last year.”