Trending
SHADYSIDE – Ed Andes has scripted countless successful seasons in his 25 years as head coach of the Shadyside boys' basketball program. Last year's campaign was one of the most enjoyable.
Andes guided his Tigers to a 17-7 mark en route to another OVAC 2A championship, besting nemesis Wheeling Central in the title game. In addition, the Orange again advanced to the district tournament.
Andes, who is approaching the coveted 400-win plateau at his alma mater, has seven OVAC crowns and 13 district berths on his resume. He has the distinction of playing in the regional and coaching a team to the regionals.
This season, however, may prove a challenging one for the former Tiger hoop great. Andes must replace three quality starters from last year.
Korey Beckett, Mason Vannest and Bryce Amos were all key cogs in the Tigers' championship season.
Beckett, now playing at Wheeling University, was one of the Ohio Valley's premier players. The talented guard earned All-Ohio honors after averaging some 20 points a game. He ended his sparkling career with 1,264 points.
Vannest, a four-sport Tiger standout, was a three-year starter at point guard while Amos, now a WVU pitcher, was the Orange's hardwood glue. Logan Crozier is another departed Tiger via graduation.
"Korey, Mason and Bryce meant a great deal to our program. It was fitting they closed out their careers with an OVAC title," Andes said. "Their departure obviously leaves a big void. But, hopefully, we have some younger kids ready to step up."
The foundation for this year's Orange edition will come in the form of two battle-tested veterans: Elijah Brock and Ben Wach. The talented tandem has the makings of a potent inside-outside combination.
Brock is an athletic 6-5 senior forward. Wach, meanwhile, is a sharpshooting 5-10 junior guard. Brock averaged 14.7 points and eight rebounds a game. Wach, who lost time due to a football injury last season, averaged 8.1 points a contest.
"Brock is very athletic and is great around the rim. His inside presence frees up our other players," Andes said. "Ben will now handle the point guard duties for us. We are also counting on Ben to be more of a scorer this season. We have a lot of confidence in him."
Only two other lettermen are on the roster. Holden Salgat is a 5-10 senior guard while Karl Tsoras is a 6-0 junior guard.
"Holden plays hard and is a good defender," Andes said. "Karl is a talented player who can help us in many different ways."
Brennon Barnes, a 5-8 guard, is the lone other senior on the 21-player roster.
Several juniors are expected to see quality varsity time. They include 5-10 guard Luke Bell, 5-11 guard Dylan Booth, 6-0 guard Nathan Booth and 6-2 forward Colton Gorby.
"We have a deep junior class. How well they progress will be key to our success," Andes noted.
Tyler Stottlemyer, a 5-11 guard who is currently nursing an injury, and Hayden Keen, a 5-10 forward, round out an eight-player junior class.
Two sophomores are vying for time. Ean Weatherson is a 5-10 guard while Caden Nippert is a 5-11 guard.
Andes has a nice freshmen class, numbering seven. The frosh are guards Damian Russell, Caleb Clark, Austin Dietz, Isaiah Filburn and Brandon O'Grady as well as forwards Ryan Collins and Lucas Crozier.
"I really like our depth. I feel we can play eight or nine guys this year," Andes said. "Last year there were games we played only five.
"But we graduated a lot of points and we lost our quarterback," he continued. "Brock and Ben give us two seasoned veterans but we need our younger players to grow up quickly."
Shadyside opens its season on Nov. 29 against Barnesville. Buckeye Trail is the lone new opponent on the Tigers' schedule.
Andes' staff is both veteran and quality.
Jared Andes is the jayvee coach while Mike Schlanz is the freshman coach. Jay Thomas and Justin Andes are the eighth and seventh grade coaches, respectively.