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By RALPH COX
WEIRTON -- It has been a while since the Weir boys' team has had a winning record and things at the end of last season didn't look like the future was very bright with four seniors, three of whom did the bulk of the scoring, departing.
But between last February and now a couple of things happened that has eased the anxiety of veteran Red Riders coach Mike Granato.
First, Reed Reitter, who was an all-section basketball selection as a sophomore last year at Union High School in Burgettstown, transferred to Weir. Then Jake McCoy transferred from Oak Glen. They were an outstanding tandem as wide receivers on the football team and with their size, strength and quickness, Granato is hoping they can help the Red Rider basketball team turn things around.
Now with the 6-foot-4 Reitter and the 6-2 McCoy, Granato has some size inside to give returning starter Frank Ty Hudacheck (6-3) some help up front.
"We, as coaches, have the challenge of meshing these transfers in with our lettermen and others in the program," said Granato, who is in his 19th year as Red Rider head coach and 36th year of coaching high school basketball. "We got a little head start on getting acquainted in the summer leagues and shootouts. We had great participation there. That early start will help a lot in developing the chemistry we need for this team to be successful."
The interest in basketball at Weir is increasing with each season. Granato said 28 upperclassmen and 12 freshmen showed up on the first day of high school practice.
"That's good news," Granato said. "But it also is bad news for me because I had to make some cuts and I don't like having to do that. I'm really glad the kids want to play basketball and the coaching staff did all it could to give as many as possible the opportunity to play."
Granato has seniors Keyshawn Faulks (6-1) and Hudacheck as the only returning starters. Also back, though, is senior Nick Krutilla (5-10), who was first man off the bench for last year's 6-16 team.
Along with them, Granato is excited about the return of senior Cam Pierce, who was the starting point guard as a sophomore. Unfortunately, he injured a knee playing football in 2016 and missed the entire season. With the speedy senior back, along with sophomore Sebastian Spencer, who was point guard on the freshman and jayvee teams last year, Granato feels that position will be in capable hands.
Faulks, a swing man, is the leading scorer returning from last year at seven points a game. Hudacheck averaged about four points a game and Krutilla averaged about 5 coming off the bench.
Granato said he has more depth this year than he has had in years with juniors Thomas Buffington (6-2), Donovan Riggs, Luca Haught, Reid Hoover and Deon Trupiano moving up to the varsity from the reserve team.
Along with Spencer, Granato said he has three other promising sophomores that could dress for varsity play in Elijah Gillette Brodie McUmar and Tanner Mikula.
"Those guys played on the freshman team last year and also saw some time with the jayvees so they played a lot of basketball and should get some varsity minutes this year depending upon game situations," Granato said. "I look for us to have a 9- or 10-man rotation, at least in the early stages of the season. In addition to all that depth we will be more athletic than we have been the last couple of years."
Mike DelRe, the athletics director at Weir, will be the varsity assistant. DelRe has a lot of experience as a basketball head coach, especially with the Madonna girls program. Frank Sisinni is the junior varsity coach and Paul Buffington, Jr., will coach the freshman team.