Change is the heavy theme for the Richwood boys basketball team this year with a new coaching staff and many new faces down the roster.
Levi Mowery is the new head coach and he will be assisted by Lundy Bailey and Dave Moore.
“Levi has always wanted to coach Richwood and he calls all the shots. This is his first head coaching stint.,” Moore said. “We are starting from beyond scratch because the kids basically have very little basketball education. That has been a new concept for Levi to grasp.”
Mowery and Bailey both had successful high school careers for the Lumberjacks and are looking to restore that winning tradition.
“Levi told the players that in four years he was at Richwood, they won as many games as Richwood has won in the last 10 years. Lately, the teams have been averaging five wins per season. Lundy had a season where his team went 19-2,” Moore said. “The players are responding to the pedigree of Levi and Lundy and they have a ton of respect for them. They trust that good things are going to happen if they listen and do what they are told.”
After struggling with numbers the last few years, the Lumberjacks have a healthy roster of 19 players, but they do lack varsity experience.
“We have some great kids. We did the work of going to the high school and talking to the kids to get them to play basketball. There is some talent out there and a lot of hope for the younger group,” Moore said. “We have been very blunt with them. We are trying to be objective as far as the skill level we have, especially in the upper class.”
While the year will be a work in progress, sophomore quarterback Christian Neal will give Richwood a post presence that most teams can’t match.
“Christian is a 6-foot-6 and we don’t have any post players that are near as big as him,” Moore said. “He is an athlete and he is good with the ball, but he is raw. He knows nothing about playing as a big.”
Juniors Ian Crowder and Brock Ward are also likely to be penciled into the starting line-up.
“They are kind of the heart of the team. They have been the players in the offseason that gets everyone together. They are motivated on their own,” Moore said. “Ian is a good guard and has a good chemistry with Christian, so they play off of each other really well. Brock is the same way. They are all good basketball players. Their skills haven’t been refined, but they get basketball and how to play.”
One of the names that jumps off the roster for Richwood is Jaden Jantuah, another athletic, multi-sport player.
“We have a few raw athletes and Jaden is one of them. He has phenomenal athleticism, but he is not used to having a basketball in his hands,” Moore said. “He will see minutes, just because of his athleticism. Jaden gives 110 percent even at practice and he has the work ethic.”
One of the young players that has caught the eye of the coaching staff is freshman Grady Hall.
“Grady is small, but he is our best ball handler and its not close. He is probably the most polished player that we have, but he is just a freshman,” Moore explained. “We are of the opinion, how do we not start this kid? Grady is our best guard. He sees the court well, is calm and doesn’t play like a freshman.”
While the early preseason signs have been very positive and encouraging, the coaching staff is keeping things in perspective.
“They work hard and show up to practice. We will see how it goes when we get into games. How we handle adversity will show what we are made up of,” Moore said. “Just going .500 is a positive. Our goal is to give the community a (normal) season. We have the components in the equation, we will just see what comes out on the other side.”
Richwood opens the season on the road at Bath County, Va., Dec. 10.
