St. Marys’ guard Grant Barnhart, seen here sizing up a defender, will be a key part to the Blue Devils’ attack during the 2021 season. (File Photo)

ST. MARYS — Basketball is a team game and no one understands that more than St. Marys High School junior standout Grant Barnhart.

Although he didn’t start as a freshman, Barnhart was a key player for the Blue Devils off the bench as seniors like Dakota Sampson and Isaak Mooney led the way.

“He had a chance to play at the varsity level and that’s rare and doesn’t happen every day. He played, got good minutes and was generally in the games in a lot of fourth quarters when the games were close and on the line,” said father and head Blue Devil head coach Mark Barnhart.

“Dakota, who is now at Ohio Valley University, and Isaak were great leaders and made him welcome. (Last year) William (Steele), Peyton (Auxier) and Richard Dornon did the same. They were really good for him to help him find his way through everything.”

St. Marys’ run toward the Class A state tournament came up a victory shy last season when the Blue Devils lost a regional co-final to Wheeling Central. Barnhart’s last game was a 32-point, 11-rebound double-double versus the Maroon Knights.

“The focus a lot of times was on some of those guys,” coach Barnhart said of his departed seniors and how Grant definitely will be a marked man for opposing defenses. “This year the focus will be more on him. That’s the way it works.

“Hopefully by doing the extra work in the offseason he’ll be ready for that challenge and some of his teammates have worked hard at their own game.”

Fellow classmates Luke Webb, Brandon Lawhon, Wyatt Norman and Waylon Moore along with a senior class featuring Blake Stanton, Jon Morrison, Logan Rice, Ben Long, Carson Miller as well as 10th-graders Tyler Wilson, Luke Powell and Chance Cox are expected to comprise what should be a more than solid Blue Devil outfit.

“The feeling is kind of different,” admitted Grant, who along with Lawhon earned all-state honors as the Blue Devils repeated as Class A state golf champions back in October.

“With golf it was only a two-week period where we had to wait. During those two weeks I could still go to the golf course, unlike now I can’t get into our gym until January.”

A few of the Blue Devils were able to compete during fall basketball and managed to play 13 games with contests at OVU, the Elite Sports Center and in Morgantown.

Now, they are just trying to do whatever they can to stay in shape and get shots up with basketball being pushed back nearly two months.

“We’ve had a bunch of guys going to the Elite Center working out with Zac Grossenbacher. It’s been good. It’s the best we can do right now,” Grant admitted. “It’s the only full length gym we can get in. Down here at the (Pleasants County) park it’s like a cracker box.”

When he found out in November winter sports were getting moved back Grant recalled “obviously, kind of like dad, disappointed. Just kind of in shock because we had been playing all those fall games and obviously nothing was wrong. I felt kind of robbed, just really disappointed.

“After the whole summer and not getting to play any summer ball or AAU hearing about it I didn’t really believe it and then I saw it. The first week I was in the gym shooting a couple nights a week and after that we were told we weren’t supposed to be doing that then I had to go to the outdoor hoop all the time.”

During the summer and fall, Grant said he generally plays somewhere between 70 and 80 games.

A big help, albeit he’d rather just be playing basketball at this point, has been the aid of Jamie Mooney for weight training.

“The stuff he does with us is hard. It’s not designed to be easy, I guess,” Grant said. “I kind of get tired with it and I’m kind of anxious to get started so I don’t have to do as much of it. It helps. I’ve seen it.”

The junior admitted he’s not only quicker and stronger, but he’s also got a better first move.

“Last year, I wouldn’t say I was skinny, but I was rather frail,” Grant added. “I’m not going to say I’m huge this year, but in basketball terms I’d be a little thicker. Getting older obviously helps. We got a lot of guys who are excited. There’s going to be guys who are stepping into bigger roles and I think they are excited for it.

“Some guys have improved a good bit because they knew we had to and we were graduating some seniors last year. I’m not trying to brag on myself. I feel like I pushed them to do that. Anytime I asked them to go shoot they go shoot. We’re excited. Everybody is excited.”

As a sophomore, Grant finished with averages of 20.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per contest. He also drained 68 triples, shot 52% overall from the field and made 89% from the charity stripe.

“Probably win about 15 to 20 games,” Grant said of the goal this year. “Hopefully, win the section title, for sure, and obviously if we can win that a regional title.”

Coach Barnhart added “the truth of it is when you put time in to get yourself in a position to have some success what’s always behind it is work ethic. It didn’t happen by chance.

“This will be my 37th year in basketball. This season, probably more than any other season, a successful season this year will really and truly be if the boys, especially the seniors, get to have a season and play some games.”

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com