CRIDERSVILLE – For the first time in Perry’s history last year, the Commodores went to the regionals. This season they want to take the next step and reach new heights.
“We did set some high expectations, returning five guys from last year’s regional team that won 22 games,” said Perry head coach Matt Tabler said. “We know it isn’t going to be given to us so we worked really hard in the spring, summer and fall so we can set our expectations high.”
Tabler, who became the all-time winningest boys basketball coach in Perry history this past Saturday, is optimistic due to having four returning starters and veteran leadership on the roster. Leading the charge are seniors Jackoby Lane-Harvey, Plummie Gardner, Kobe Glover Orion Monford and Lamonte Nichols. Lane-Harvey, the Northwest Central Conference player of the year, averaged 16 points and seven assists per game and first-team All -NWCC selection Gardner averaged 12 points a contest.
“I think it was an attitude of being hungry,” said Tabler about his team’s confidence coming into this season. “That they wanted more. They weren’t content with just getting to a regional. We know it is going to be tough again, the tournament trail, to win seven games is going to be very, very difficult but again our kids are working hard in practice.”
With the highly successful campaign last year that included a second consecutive NWCC title, Tabler said the Commodores have a big “X” on their back this season unlike the previous where he said they surprised some people.
One of the lessons Tabler said his players learned last year is each game has to be played from the tip-off to the final buzzer. The Perry head coach points to the regional loss to Yellow Springs where the Commodores played tough for a quarter and a half, but floundered for a quarter and a half, and that led to the loss.
“We know that we cannot take any possessions off and every possession is important,” Tabler said.
This year the Commodores have gotten of to a fast start, opening with a 3-0 mark with wins over solid teams. However, Tabler said there is plenty of room for improvement.
Tabler said the first game against Toledo Woodward was an indicator of where his team was in dealing with the speed of the game as well as how it matched up with a Division II school. Against Cory-Rawson, he said the Commodores got off to a quick start but then hit a lull where they scored 13 points in 10 minutes.
In their third win over Delphos Jefferson, Tabler said the Commodores did not play their best game of the year but were able to grind out a 67-45 win.
“We are definitely far off of where we need to be,” Tabler said. “We know that as a coaching staff and as players. We keep reminding them we don’t want to be playing our best basketball in December and you want to continually get better for the March run. But that happens in practice. That doesn’t happen in games.”
Keeping his players focused on the “one game at a time” mentality is something Tabler said has not been a problem because he believes they have created an environment of winning and he said the players expect to win when they take the court due to their success of the last three years that has seen them win 58 games.
“I don’t think they have become big-headed,” Tabler said. “It is kind of just contagious that they expect to win. There is a fine line between being arrogant about it and expecting to win and these six seniors expect to win.”
The Commodores will have another big test Friday night when they battle the always tough Rams from Upper Scioto Valley (2-1). Last year, Perry defeated the Rams by 10 but with USV having five starters back, the Commodores will have their hand’s full. Back for the Rams are senior returning letterwinners Chase Rose, a 6-4 senior, Trevor Dotson, a 6-4 senior, Wyatt Daniels, a 6-2 sophomore, Wayne Lowery, a 6-4 sophomore and Brody Hipsher a 5-11 senior.
“Upper Scioto Valley is a very good basketball team and either them or us has won the league the last three years,” Tabler said. “They are very well coached and have five players with varsity experience that start. They have a solid inside game with Trevor Dotson and he is complemented by Chase Rose and Wayne Lowery.”
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