T-Bolts Open 2012-13 Season

The Northmont Boys Basketball team opens their 2012-13 season this Friday night November 30 on the road at Xenia.  It is a GWOC crossover conference game.  The Freshman teams play at 4:30 followed by the JV teams at 6:00 and the Varsity game at 7:30.

Northmont returns 11 players from last years 14-7 squad led by returning starters Keith Richardson, Troy Mangen and Dominique Stollings.  Stollings was a second team GWOC Central Division selection while Richardson was  Special Mention Player.  The Bolts finished 2nd in the always tough Central Division behind Beavercreek last season.

Other Northmont players include seniors:  Jordan Fugate, Jordan Love and Brian Williams.  Junior players include;  Cameron Taylor, Isaiah Williams, Terry Ramsey, Kyle Webster, Addison Gaulding and Jonny Lowery.  Sophomores Jordan Lowery and Chris Landrum complete the 14 member squad.

I think our players are excited about the season and the possibilities it presents.  We have had 19 good practices and feel like we are ready to play some games.  I feel good about this team but you never really know what you have as a team until they play under the fire of a real game.  Last season many of these players earned valualbe experience playing a difficult schedule.  At times last season we were outstanding and other times we weren't very good.  It was our inconsistency that kept us from being a really good team.  Hopefully the lessons we learned last season and the game experience we gained will help us be more consistence in our performances. 

I do think this is the best group of inside players we have had during my time at Northmont.  We have 4 very solid inside players in Troy Mangen, Terry Ramsey, Isaiah Williams and Jordan Love.  All four of these guys can score, rebound and defend the post and hopefully they will stay healthy and have outstanding seasons. 

We also have experience on the perimeter in Keith Richardson, Dominique Stollings and Cameron Taylor.  They all played considerable minutes on the varsity last season.

We open our season with two road games and that is always difficult, but hopefully we will play well and when we open our home schedule on Dec. 7th against Miamisburg we will be 2-0.

Of course Xenia on Friday and Ponitz on Tuesday will have a say in that.  Xenia returns two starters who averaged over 10 points per game last season.  They are a difficult team to play against because they play quite different from many of our other opponents.  Xenia averaged shooting nearly 35 three point shots a year ago.  They love to full court press and run the fast break.  It is their home opener and Hall Of Fame night so they will be fired up and ready to go.  We just need to make sure we are ready for a high energy fast paced basketball gaame.  It should be exciting!!!