By JEREMY SELLEW
[email protected]
The roster doesn’t look the way Matt Loftis thought it would, but the third-year Elizabeth Forward boys head coach is enthusiastic about what this season could hold for his Warriors.
Senior forward Chase Whatton and senior guard Evan Lewis are out with season-ending injuries suffered during football season, leaving EF with only one returning starter: sophomore Zach Boyd.
“He’s healthy now, let’s start there,” Loftis said. “The last three or four games last season, we played him here and there, but he definitely wasn’t the same player after getting injured. But now he’s healthy and ready to go. I think he’s going to be one of the top players in the section, if not in 4A.”
Loftis said Boyd, a star receiver on the Warriors football team, is poised to break out.
“He really understands that he needs to be a leader with the young group we have here,” Loftis said. “I think last year as a freshman, he was fine with not being the guy. I don’t think he even wanted to be the go-to guy.
“This year, the writing’s on the wall. He wants the ball in his hands and when that happens, good things come from it. I think he’s really going to benefit with a guy like Vernon Settles running the point. Zach can be out on the wing where he can create, shoot or attack.”
With four starting positions up for grabs, Loftis said the competition level in practice has been intense.
“It’s kind of reinvigorated me and the coaching staff,” he said. “This is probably the most talented class I’ve had. With Charlie Meehlieb, Isaiah Turner and Settles, we could see one or two of those guys in the starting lineup.”
With the push of the incoming freshman class, there are some returning players ready to fight for those starting spots. They include senior guard Matt Daniels, senior forward Don Turek, sophomore guard Mekhi Daniels and junior guard Ethan Bowser.
“Ethan Bowser is going to play the Evan Lewis role for us,” Loftis said. “He’s a really quick kid and a great defender. He plays hard and is all hustle. I’m confident he’s going to fill that role.”
To read the rest of the story, please see a copy of Thursday’s Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at http://monvalleyindependent.com.
