Boys Basketball: Sentinel-area storylines ahead of the 2023-24 season
Sentinel-area teams weigh anchor on the 2023-24 high school boys basketball season Friday.
Ahead of the action, which begins with tip-off tournaments, here are five storylines to watch in the upcoming season.
Keeping close tabs on CV
In a memorable 2022-23 season for Cumberland Valley, the Eagles struck District 3 Class 6A silver, qualified for the PIAA tournament and finished with a 21-5 record. Head coach David Vespignani’s group will have a new makeup entering the 2023-24 campaign, having lost key seniors in Nolan Gilbert, JD Hunter, Jackson Boone and Dylan Levis to graduation.
Junior Nolan Buzalka, the only full-year returning starter, averaged 10 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game as a sophomore. After Boone suffered a season-ending injury, current senior Tzuriel Ogunnaike replaced Boone at center for the second half of the year.
Second-year success
Under first-year head coaches Mike Gaffey and Mike Mehaffey, the Mechanicsburg and Red Land programs witnessed a shift in play last winter. Gaffey and the Wildcats made a run to the PIAA Class 5A second round and forged a 19-9 record. Mehaffey and the Patriots recorded their first winning season since the 2010-11 campaign and qualified for the District 3 Class 5A tournament.
Both teams have pieces in place to replicate their winning formula. Gaffey and Mechanicsburg retain juniors Josh Smith, Chance Yanoski and Justin Bardo, three starters from last year’s lineup. Red Land also has three starters back in seniors Anderson French, Tyler Kerlin and Elijah Espinosa.
A familiar face at Cedar Cliff
Cedar Cliff’s Kevin Rutherford returns to the head coaching ranks this winter after serving as a volunteer assistant for the Colts under former skipper Tigh Savercool last season. Rutherford is experienced in the position, having directed the Camp Hill boys for six seasons and the Mechanicsburg boys as an interim in 2021-22.
Rutherford has a combined 76-102 record between his previous stops, last guiding the Wildcats to an 11-13 season and a 2021-22 District 3 Class 5A playoff berth. Cedar Cliff comes off a 10-12 campaign and retains standout guard/forward Sam Grube.
Panthers look to pounce
With a consolation win in Boiling Springs’ Paul Corby Tip-Off Tournament last year, East Pennsboro snapped a 23-game losing streak that stretched to the beginning of the 2021-22 season. The Panthers finished 9-13 in 2022-23, establishing a foundation that could lead to bigger things.
With a litany of returning talent, East Penn has the means for a postseason run and overall improvement. Junior Dayrell Everett, who averaged 15 points per game as a sophomore, highlights the Panthers’ returning corps. Senior Leo McCoy and sophomore Haydn Lay make up a noteworthy supporting cast.
Thundering Herd thunder ahead
Carlisle advanced to the District 3 Class 6A playoffs for the first time since 2018 last season, and the Herd have their sights set on a similar result. Directed by head coach Andre Anderson, who earned his 150th career win in last year’s 13-10 run, Carlisle returns a bulk of its starting lineup.
Senior Jaydon Smith returns as the team's standout performer following a junior season that included averages of 16.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. Juniors Parker Smith and Lucas Ream reunite with Jaydon Smith in the backcourt while Spencer Griffie reestablishes his presence in the frontcourt.
Christian Eby is a sports reporter for The Sentinel and cumberlink.com . You can contact him at and follow him on Twitter at:
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