Like most coaches to start the season, Richwood head boy’s basketball coach, J.B. Miller is both excited and concerned in the early going.
“Four of the boys that I had last year are back, so I am really excited about this team. I have another boy that is a senior that came out this year and he is just an athlete. He should really be able to help us all-around,” Miller said.
The area of concern has to do with depth for the Lumberjacks.
“The search for depth will be a key to our success. Hopefully as they play more and get more savvy, we will build some depth,” Miller said. “I am gung-ho to start, but I like to see what is going to happen and see if we can progressively get better. I am not really a how you start type of person. For me, it is more about how we finish.”
The Lumberjacks roster features a foursome of seniors which includes experienced players and a cross-country standout.
“Josh Landreth is a senior that played tons last year. He plays the center/forward position for us,” Miller said. “He is a super kid and does anything I ask him to do. Josh is all about the team and helping us win.”
Braden Spencer is a senior guard that also played last year, while fellow senior, Aiden Hughes is playing for the first time in high school.
“He is really good on the offensive end. The ball seems to end up in his hands at the most inopportune times, but he is able to do something good with it,” Miller said. “Aiden is just an athlete. He hasn’t played since eighth grade, but when we worked on some man-to-man defense, you would have thought he had been to every practice.”
The fourth senior this year is Trey Stanley who is coming off an exceptional season in cross-country. Stanley placed sixth overall this year at the Class A state meet.
Miller has two experienced juniors back in Cooper Donahue and his son, Aiden Miller.
“Cooper Donahue is a versatile player and just wants to play,” Miller said.
The younger Miller could be classified as a typical coaches son with unselfish play and an eye on defense.
“Aiden is all about defense and stopping people. If he gets to score that is just an added bonus. He can score when we need him to, but he would rather pass the ball,” Miller said.
Grant Russell is the son of assistant coach Todd Russell and is another player that will make big contributions for the Lumberjacks according to Miller.
“Grant has grown about four inches since last year and he is about 6-foot-1,” Miller said. “He has improved his ball handling and we are trying to get him to be a little more defensive minded also.
The postseason will be no cake walk for Richwood. The section includes Greenbrier West, Meadow Bridge, Richwood and Webster County. Should the Lumberjacks survive sectional play, a regional clash would be against teams like James Monroe, Greater Beckley Christian and Mount View.
“They are all super kids and they all want to win,” Miller said. “They all understand it is not going to be instant in the real world.”
