By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

HEAD COACH

Alex Blake

2nd year

4-19 career record

THE TEAM

League: Metro Athletic Conference.

Coaching Staff: Nick Pollack, JV; Matt Farley, assistant; Jacob Gartner, assistant.

2023-24 Record: 4-19 overall; 2-12 Metro Athletic Conference.

Returning Lettermen (7): Grady Eader, sr.; Ben Stayer, sr.; Landon Wilmoth, sr.; Brayden Ronowski, sr.; Trevor Dixon, jr.; Joey Conroy, jr.; Sam Confer, jr.

Lettermen Lost (2): Nick Papiska, Manny Smith.

SEASON OUTLOOK

The Falcons have not had a double-digit win season since the 2017-18 season.

In the six seasons since, the program has 22 combined wins.

This year’s edition returns seven lettermen, including three starters in Eader, Stayer and Dixon.

Second-year head coach Alex Blake said he feels his team can find success this season if “all of our roster players play their role and believe in each other.”

GUARDS

Eader is the leader here.

He led the team in nearly every statistical category last year, including points (13.1), assists (3.0), field goals (99), free throws (63), 3-pointers (44) and steals (35).

Finding points from the off-guard will be an important growth point for the Falcons.

Looking to fill that role will be returning lettermen Ronowski and Wilmoth, while Alec Grimm, a senior, returns to the lineup after not playing last season.

Conroy, who ran the JV offense a year ago and is a plus-defender, adds depth and flexibility to the roster.

FORWARDS

Dixon and Confer will be the team’s leaders in the frontcourt.

Dixon, who enters his third season on varsity and is a two-year letterman, has the ability to get the basket on offense.

Confer is an active defender and good rebounder, and sees the floor well on offense.

Both will need to help rebound, as the team does not return a player who averaged more than 5.5 rebounds per game last year.

CENTERS

Stayer is the returning starter, who plays the game with a high basketball IQ and with good pace.

He is poised for a breakout season.

Jackson Berlin, a sophomore, will add depth to the Falcons’ frontcourt this season.

UNDERCLASSMEN TO WATCH

Jackson Berlin, soph.

CAUSE FOR CONCERN

“An 8- to 10-man rotation can be tough in times where foul trouble could be a factor. We have to break the shooting slump our program has been in for years. Shooting 30 percent from the field does not help you win close games.”

LEAGUE OUTLOOK

Blake points to Norton and Streetsboro as the Metro Athletic Conference’s top teams this season.