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By RICK THORP
WOODSFIELD -- As Jon Perkins opens his second season as head coach at Monroe Central, he's quick to point out he has four starters back and another player who played a lot last winter.
"We're excited about that," he beamed.
Who can blame him?
After starting his inaugural campaign with the Seminoles 1-9, Perkins' squad finished on a high note, ending 7-16 on a loss to highly-touted Garaway in the sectional tournament.
"I think we won the first game against Bridgeport and went on to lose our next nine," Perkins, the former St. Clairsville standout and ex-Bellaire girls' assistant coach, said.
"I think it would've been easy for the kids to fold the tents. We changed some things around and changed our identity (after the losing streak). We pressed a lot more and played a little more up-tempo style and played .500 ball the rest of the way.
"I don't think you could've asked for much more after starting 1-9."
This past summer, Perkins said, the momentum continued.
"We played Buckeye Local in the Wheeling Shootout and beat them one at the buzzer," he said. "The second time, we beat them soundly by pressing them.
"I told our kids that if that doesn't prove to you how we need to play the game then I don't know what will. When we play our style and bring that effort, we'll be OK. We'll be a tough out for people when we bring as much energy as we possibly can."
Looking to help navigate the challenging slate will be five players that Perkins said grew immensely last season -- Logan Pletcher, Ryan LaFollette, Dalton Dick, Zac Jones and Robert Bigler. All but Jones are seniors.
"I'm blessed with good, quality kids," Perkins said.
Pletcher (5-foot-10) played shooting guard last year.
"He's turned into a leader," Perkins said. "He's a really hard worker and I don't think think he missed a single event we had in the summer. He was in the gym putting up a lot of shots and I hope it pays dividends for him."
LaFollette (6-1), the last season's leading scorer, showcased his athletic ability this fall as quarterback of Jay Circosta's 6-4 grid squad.
"He's the best athlete we have" Perkins said. "That's not to short anyone we have, but those who watched football know how athletic he is. He's a great playmaker."
Dick (5-11) served as the team's 6th man last winter.
"He came off the bench and played great defense for us," Perkins said. "The kids voted him as a captain this year. He just leads by example. He doesn't say a whole lot. Great defender … hustler."
Jones (6-4) gained 16 pounds when he went out for football for the first time in 2017 and Perkins, an assistant under Circosta, believes it will pay dividends when he tangles inside under the hoop this winter.
"I don't think he'll back down this year," he said.
Bigler (5-10) is the team's second-leading returning scorer.
The rest of the players who'll likely see varsity time include -- senior Jacob Hooper (6-2), juniors Jason Reich (6-1) and Owen Hartshorn (5-10), and sophomores Wyatt Young (5-9) and Talin Babcock (5-8).
Perkins is assisted by Jordan Stephens, John Ischy and Jared Highman.