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Mid-Ohio Valley Winter Sports: Yellowjackets moving on from talented senior class

WILLIAMSTOWN -- How does one respond when the outgoing senior class has 85 wins in their back pocket after their four years?

When it concerns boys basketball coach Scott Sauro, it's easy. Stick with the Williamstown way and transition the new roster into the backbone of Yellowjacket success.

"A lot of varsity experience walked out the door on graduation - that was a special group," said Sauro, who enters his 22nd season as head coach of the Yellowjackets. "They won a ton of games and ended their careers in the state finals. Obviously, we didn't win that one, but we have a lot to be proud of. But this is high school basketball.

"If you have watched us over the years, we've been a high-pressure team. We will continue to be a high-pressure team. The style will be like it was three years ago - playing at a high tempo and throwing a lot of guys out there because we feel at all the grade levels we have guys that can come in and play."

Seniors Wyatt Powell and Tyler Keiser received several starts last season, so with the return of classmates Nate Nicely and Dom Strcula, the Yellowjackets have a base to work from.

Figured to see an ample share in the starting rotation are junior Nate Frye and sophomore Cedric Davis.

Coach Sauro is already chomping at the bit to see what his current freshman class of six individuals can contribute.

"They won't be all-stars, but the freshmen are going to play," Sauro said. "We feel like we have a bunch of kids who have earned it. We are going to use the early part of the season to see how it shakes out so we can make decisions for the back end of our schedule."

Fresh off turning 50 years old, coach Suaro isn't slowing down his approach. If anything, he is just getting started.

He has a group of assistants who are just as eager to see how the season plays out.

"Our message at the beginning of practices, we told them we would be evaluating everything they did - we will evaluate how you guard, how you communicate," Sauro said. "It's not just about making shots around here. We want to see them compete, whether it's free throw drills, rebounding drills and diving on the floor for loose balls."

Anywhere from six to eight guys can knock down shots - perhaps maybe not with the success of graduated seniors Jayden Bryant or Parker Schramm, but the outside shot is always in play.

"I also think we have some guys that can get paint touches and attack the lane, and that's equally important," Sauro said.

The No. 1 priority as the Yellowjackets prepare for the upcoming season is meshing together the new faces with the veterans. A bit of an age gap exists between the two, and it's the coaching staff's job to develop chemistry - making sure everyone is on the same page.

"So far, so good," Sauro said. "These are great kids - they come from great families and have great attitudes. It's been fun to watch them integrate to try and make a team."

Despite graduating nearly an entire starting lineup, Williamstown hasn't backed off on its strength of schedule. This season's opponents include Class AA state champion Wheeling Central, Chapmanville, Westside and Tucker County in addition to an LKC schedule which tests teams on a nightly basis.

"We're going to find out whether we're competitive on a statewide level, whether we like it or not," Sauros said. "But you embrace that type of schedule. It's what we want."

GIRLS BASKETBALL

As much of a riddle facing Williamstown and trying to find its identity, Yellowjacket opponents may be in a similar pickle compiling a scouting report.

Four members, including tri-captains Arissa Burt, Anna Cosner and Quinn Bunch, from last year's starting rotation return from a squad which finished 18-6.

"I definitely don't want to say too much, but we will definitely be changing things up," Burt said. "I think we will be quick and super fast."

As he enters his second season as the official head coach of Yellowjacket girls basketball, Danny Bunch doesn't figure any fall-off despite graduating a Williamstown mainstay in Faith Pickens along with Annabelle Haught.

"Obviously when you lose two kids like that, especially with Faith who was the centerpiece of our offense for the three years I've been here, we ran everything through her," coach Bunch said. "And the two years we had Annabelle, she was an athlete. So it's a big deal. We have some adjusting to do.

"We are just sort of waiting on what younger girls step up and what group of girls we're actually going to work with through the season. We haven't quite figured that out yet. I've got four girls coming back with a lot of varsity experience, so I am counting on some of these younger girls to step up. Who that will be, I'm not sure yet.

Williamstown is only one season removed from an appearance in the state championship game.

All three captains remember that visit. Bunch was just a freshman playing the point guard position, while Cosner was the swiss army knife filling in at any position needed.

Burt joined Pickens in the post.

"Last season, the girls were hoping to get back to Charleston - obviously, it was a little bit of a disappointment not getting there," coach Bunch said. "I told the kids after the loss to St. Marys, we still had a successful season. We played a really tough schedule and beat some really good teams. We beat a Class 4A team in George Washington."

Gracie Montgomery is the fourth piece of the puzzle who provides varsity experience. While Haught was transitioning from volleyball and an injury or two, Montgomery stepped in and became a mainstay as part of the substitution process.

Sophomores Peyton and Addison Woodburn, along with classmates Chloe Mulligan and Alia Phelps, are on the coach's radar. Makaela Bandy adds to the varsity depth.

Several freshmen figure to contribute prominent minutes immediately with Maggie Johnson and Maggie Frye. Reese Boone and Aleena Johnson could also enter the picture.

"I'm really excited about our freshman class and the freshmen who are now part of their sophomore class," coach Bunch said. "A couple of the freshman girls are really athletic."

Cosner and Burt represent the first class to go through all four years since coach Bunch arrived at the school.

"Just to be able to go through this journey, it's been fun to experience," Cosner said. "I've actually known coach since I was in sixth or seventh grade because I played with Quinn.

"Not returning to state last year, we are taking it as fuel for this year. We worked. I don't think I've ever seen this team work as hard as we did this offseason."

As the daughter of the coach, Quinn has evolved from just a freshman ball-handler to someone who fills the stat sheet night in and night out. Her conditioning received an upgrade this past fall after joining a Yellowjacket girls soccer program which was resurrected following several years of Williamstown fielding one co-ed soccer team.

"I got face-planted a couple times," Quinn laughed when asked about any injuries suffered during the fall.

Burt and Cosner nodded in unison when Quinn was asked about her becoming more of a vocal leader.

"As a freshman, I wasn't really vocal - I got better as the year went on," Quinn said.

Burt touched on the advantage having Pickens as a practice partner.

"It definitely made me better with us going at each other every practice," Burt said. "It was a lot of work, but it definitely helped both of us."

Coach Bunch spent one season as the interim head coach for long-time Williamstown mentor Fred Sauro then occupied the neighboring seat to Sauro as an assistant two years ago when the Yellowjackets made their run in Charleston.

"Four of our girls have played in a state title game, so the experience is there," coach Bunch said. "They really shouldn't see anything that they haven't seen before. Our season will be based on our depth and who steps up. It's hard to go to Charleston and win playing four or five girls. You need depth and I think we have the girls to do it.

"The first day of practice, I told the girls we have five players returning who have varsity playing time, so there are spots there -- there are some minutes there for whoever wants to take it."

WRESTLING

After last year's output, Williamstown wrestling has put itself in the conversation.

The Yellowjackets return eight wrestlers who qualified for the state tournament, including 120-pound state champion Dutch Sandy and third-place finishers Aiden Meeks and Cole Smith.

Two key losses occurred with the graduation of Kipp Freed and That Trent, who placed in the top four in their respective weight classes.

Otherwise, coach Tyler George says the state of Williamstown wrestling is in a good place after finishing fifth among Class AA/A schools. The Yellowjackets' program did a 180 after scoring 122 points at the state meet - nearly 100 more than their showing from the previous year.

"I am so super proud of what we did last year - obviously, Dutch Sandy was the first state champion we have had in our era. We're looking forward to this season as well. I think we can possibly do even better."

This year's roster is just shy of 30 wrestlers. Quantity also equals quality with several battles ongoing at multiple weight classes. With a strong middle school program to boot, this is what coach George and his staff envisioned when they took over six years ago.

"We're getting more kids to camps, out of season tournaments and club wrestling - they are doing all the right steps and fully buying in," George said.

According to a recent preseason poll which divides the entire state into two divisions based on size of schools, Williamstown is ranked No. 2 in Division II.

"We want to repeat as LKC champs, win regionals and ultimately be state champs," George said. "That would be huge. I told the kids the other day after the rankings came out we have not won anything yet. The ranking is nice and getting some credit here. But we have not won a thing yet. I told them to keep that in mind.

"We have goals, but you look too far and you lose track of what you are doing here. We have guys like Dutch Sandy and a couple of hammers on this team - those aren't the guys that win you the state title as a team. It's the middle of the pack guys who do something they are not expected to do. It's truly going to be a team effort."

Case in point: Senior Aiden Meeks, who did not begin wrestling until his freshman year in high school. Last season at 113 pounds, Meeks was one of eight Yellowjackets who won 30 or more matches.

"A lot of people don't know this is only Aiden's fourth year of wrestling," George said. "He played basketball and football his whole life and went from a losing record wrestling his freshman year to a state qualifier last season. We were just planning if we could get this kid on the podium and have a good tournament. He pieced it together."

Also back with state experience on their resume are seniors Dylan Pucella, Tyler Newlon and Evan Turner. At 175 pounds, Turner was one win shy of 30 for the year after going 1-2 at the state meet. Junior Wesley Freed also qualified out of regionals.

"Evan is up at about 190 pounds - he has already talked about how hungry he is to put his name on our wall," George said. "We ended up getting a couple of new transfers - two are freshmen and one is a sophomore. Those three can definitely find a spot in the lineup and be competitive no matter where they are at. We're going to be able to fill all 14 weights again and all 14 guys can be very competitive no matter what tournament we are at."

Of the newcomers on the roster, individuals such as Jacob Junkins has the potential to be the caliber of a Dutch Sandy. AJ Ayers transferred from Edison, while Ethan Morrison transitioned from Parkersburg South. Freshman Landon Miller is a homegrown product.

"We have kids two and three deep at certain weights who are really fighting for spots," George said.

Just a sophomore, Sandy is already gaining elite status among his coaches. And deservedly so. Despite sitting out nearly a month of the season as precaution from injuries suffered during the season, he posted a 34-1 record and became just the second freshman from Williamstown to become a state champion as a freshman - joining assistant coach Dalton George in that group.

"Dutch kind of flipped a switch at state and took care of business - we had no doubt about that," George said. "We were super proud of him. Dalton told Dutch to get it as a sophomore because that was something he couldn't do. We kind of talk to him and treat him like he is an adult and forget he is a kid. Since this school year when the summer started, he has been more humbled than I think he has ever been.

"He keeps his nose down, his eyes down and his feet turning. He is acting like a leader and it's really helped his attitude. To become that leader and be the face of our program or whatever you want to call it, but it shows people if you put the work in it doesn't matter what school you are at - you can be successful in this sport."