Berkshire opens the 2023-24 season with a lot of optimism based on the fact the Badgers return four starters and three others with varsity experience.
Last winter, the Badgers finished 9-14 overall and 4-6 in the Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division in head coach Joe Montanaro’s first year with the program. Montanaro believes improvement is on the horizon if his players continue to stay the course.
“I believe that if everyone continues to trust the process, adhering to the principle that practice should be more challenging than the actual game, our team will perform well,” Montanaro said. “Throughout the summer, we focused on developing our young players to complement the returning varsity athletes, and as a result, I believe we’ve cultivated depth within our team, enabling us to play at a faster pace.”
The Badgers will have several young, inexperienced players on the roster but Montanaro is confident his senior leaders will help those players settle in.
“We are focused on integrating the younger players with the older ones, relying on senior leadership to guide and accelerate the younger players’ understanding of what is required at the varsity level,” he said.
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Berkshire returns three all-conference performers from last season in Jack Hastings, Mason Mendolera, and Miles Miller.
Hastings, a 6-foot-1 senior forward, earned first-team All-CVC and honorable mention all-district honors last season after scoring 15 points per game.
“Jack is a force on the basketball court whose leadership prowess and scoring finesse make him an invaluable asset to our team,” Montanaro said. “Jack is a versatile scorer both on the perimeter and in the paint.”
Mendolera, a 6-foot senior guard, averaged 9.8 points per game on the way to earning second-team All-CVC and honorable mention all-district honors.
“Mason embodies the essence of a player-coach, seamlessly blending on-court performance with off-court leadership. Mason has the ability to play all five offensive positions. Mason is an invaluable asset for our team.
Miller, a 5-foot-8 senior guard, was an honorable mention All-CVC selection after scoring 6.8 points per game as a junior.
“As Miles takes the reins of the basketball team, the coaching staff anticipates a seamless transition from gridiron to hardwood,” Montanaro said. “His success as a quarterback, coupled with his multi-sport proficiency, positions Miles as a leader of the basketball team.”
Rounding out the projected starting lineup are Gavin Hipp, a 6-foot-1 junior guard, and Cameron Beam, a 6-foot-1 sophomore forward.
“Gavin has the ability to score. The expectations I have for Gavin are very high because of his relentless hard work during the offseason,” Montanaro said. “Cameron is a key player expected to play a substantial role in the team’s success. The coaching staff anticipates that Cameron will be a game-changer, contributing significantly to the team’s overall performance.”
Providing depth for the Badgers are sophomores Luke Stute, Jake Patterson, Chase Wardle, Caden McGranahan, and Billy Verbic.
Stute is a 6-foot guard, Patterson is a 5-foot-7 point guard, Wardle is a 6-foot forward, McGranahan is a 6-foot-1 forward, and Verbic is a 5-foot-10 guard.
While Montanaro is confident his second season in Burton will go better than the first, he recognizes the need for his squad to maintain a focus on playing sound defense, sharing the ball, and doing all of the little things that help a team win ball games.
“(We have to) emphasize a strong defensive mindset, foster a sense of unity and camaraderie among both returning and younger players, and reinforce the importance of finishing defensive plays with a strong focus on rebounding,” he said.
