Midland Trail head boys basketball coach Curtis Miller isn’t ready to go to extremes just yet.
However, a much needed break or two would not hurt his feelings.
After a strong start to the 2021-22 season, the wheels on the Midland Trail bus came flying off in early January. It was not the first time Miller had seen that scenario.
“I think we were 4-1 and then we hit January 3. It seems like it’s always the first of the year when something bad happens at Trail,” Miller said. “We had the Covid pause again and we were out for two weeks. Then we had some players get injured.”
Unfortunately for the Patriots, the injuries became a lingering problem wreaking havoc on team chemistry.
“John Paul Morrison was our leading scorer and from January to March he only played maybe three games. It seemed like every time we would get one player back, we would miss another player,” Miller explained. “From January 3 until when we played (Herbert) Hoover in the sectionals, we never had the same five starters on the floor until that night. We played them pretty well and was leading with two minutes to go in the third quarter.”
While last season was filled with frustrations, Miller does feel there are some positives that have come out of the struggles.
“We never had a full squad and it made some of these young guys have to play. I don’t think they were quite ready yet, but it should help them this year,” Miller said. “After getting that experience last year, you can see the light has clicked on this summer for them. They have also grown some and got stronger.”
Even though it is just summer workouts, the early returns on Trail’s young players has been promising according to Miller.
“We have had a good turnout and we have gone 8-2 in the summer league so far. Right now we don’t have any upperclassmen playing. It is all just juniors and below and we have been doing pretty well with that,” Miller said. “Justin Cooper and Landon Syner, two incoming juniors, have stepped up as well, so hopefully they take the next step this year.”
While losing Morrison and a couple of others to graduation will leave some holes to fill, Miller has confidence in the group that is returning.
“We will have Matt Light back. He was our leading scorer at about 18 points per game,” Miller said. “Our point guard, Eli Campbell is back too. He has had a great summer and has worked really hard in the off-season.”
“Last year he was solid everywhere on the floor except scoring because he wouldn’t shoot,” Miller went on to say. “We have been stressing with him about shooting the ball this summer and he has been putting up over 20 points per game. I look for him to have a breakout year this year.”
The Patriots will also have a former rival wearing a Midland Trail jersey this season.
“We got a transfer in from Meadow Bridge,” Miller said. “Jaden Gladwell has been playing with us. He has been a big help for us this summer and has played great. They have all meshed well together.”
Trail will need all of the firepower it can muster this season since they will again be playing at the Class AAA level in boys basketball.
The one change this season will be in the alignment of the Region 3 sections which now puts the Patriots with Shady Spring, Independence and PikeView in Section 1.
On the opposite side of the region in Section 2 will be Herbert Hoover, Lewis County, Nicholas County and Sissonville.
While Miller admits Shady Spring provides a monumental task in the section, two teams from each region still qualify for the state tournament and thinks Trail can be one of them.
“Everyone in the state knows what Shady has, it’s not a secret. Anyone in any of the four classes would have a tough matchup with Shady,” Miller said. “But, I feel like every other team in the section and region we can play with and beat if we go out and play.”
