Success snowballing at Canon-McMillan
Sam Bohn averaged 13.6 points per game last season for the Big Macs.
Britton Beachy was the top newcomer last season. As a freshman, he averaged 10.2 points per game. Plus, he pulled down three rebounds and dished up 2.5 assists per game.
Canon-McMillan no longer warrants the designation as ‘The Snow Ball Dance’ game for basketball opponents. For the Big Macs, that’s positive progress.
“We are not that team opponents schedule for the homecoming game like in football,” said Rick Bell, who enters his 14th season as boys’ basketball coach. “We used to be the Snow Ball Social Dance. ‘After we beat Canon-Mac’, the announcer would say at halftime, ‘everybody report to the gym for the dance and a good time.’ We are not that anymore. We can play with anybody.”
Having lost only one senior to graduation from last year’s 11-11 squad, the Big Macs expect to compete with anyone this winter. However, experience guarantees nothing, warns Bell.
“Just because we have everybody back, that doesn’t mean we’re a lock on anything. We have to guard against listening to the noise. We cannot respond to the thinking or people saying you are going to be good simply because we have so many back.”
Bell knows in a section he compares to the ACC because of the coaching acumen and competitive contests other teams boast experience as one of their assets.
Chartiers Valley features The Almanac’s Player of the Year and Robert Morris recruit Matt McConnell (20.8 ppg). Bethel Park showcases three top-notch athletes in Joey Mascaro, Jake Dixon and Levi Metheny. Mt. Lebanon returns four starters, including sharpshooter Jonny David (18 ppg). Plus, the Blue Devils welcome back Matt Hoffman. The senior took a season off to focus on football and earned a scholarship to Villanova.
“We are like a lot of teams. They have a lot back, too,” said Bell.
Plus, he noted the section traded Trinity for Char Valley. The Colts were WPIAL Class AAA runners-up. They have won five titles under Tim McConnell, including two at the Quad-A level.
“The section just got tougher,” Bell said. “CV is one of the best programs in Pennsylvania. CV, whether they are coming up from AAA or not, they know how to win and it’s not like they are stepping up. They’ve been there before.
“Plus, Tim is a great coach. Joe [David] is a great coach too,” Bell added giving a nod to the Blue Devils’ skipper. “Lebo is going to be very good, too, with David, [Eddie] Jenkins and [Patrick] Ehland.
“Then there’s Bethel Park after that with Mascaro, Dixon and Metheny,” continued Bell, who added that Metheny reminds him of Sean Lee. He led Upper St. Clair to a WPIAL title before going on to star in football at Penn State. Lee now plays for the Dallas Cowboys. “[Metheny] wills his team to win. He’s not going to let them lose.
“And,” Bell added, “How can you rule out USC? It’s a dog fight every game. Exhausting,” he emphasized. “Upset USC. You can’t celebrate. You have a team like CV or Lebo staring you right in the face. There are no breathers.”
Regardless, the Big Macs are prepared for the long haul. They have been through ‘the grind’ before. In fact, they led the division at one time last year only to falter and finish fifth and out of the playoff hunt. “The players know how brutal the section is. I’m hoping the experience they received last year helps.”
What helps the Big Macs more is their passion for the game.
Noting experience is just one of the squad’s strengths, Bell said Canon-Mac will focus on its half-court game, press when necessary and work on ways to compensate for lack of height.
“We are not overly big. We’ll play man in places and use the press as an element of surprise or when we need to change the tempo. But, one of our biggest strengths is we have a lot of guys where basketball is their first love and their basketball IQ is good.”
Sam Bohn possesses a plethora of basketball knowledge. A three-year starter, he earned first-team all-section honors last season. The 5-10 point guard averaged 13.6 points per game. He also led the Big Macs in rebounding and in assists.
Though a sophomore, Britton Beachy brings shrewdness to his position. He earned Almanac Rookie of the Year honors last winter. He averaged 10.2 points, three rebounds and two assists per game last season.
While veteran Alex Hammers (11.6 ppg) rounds out the guard slots, Carson Miller, Jordan Smith and Malik Brown will power the inside game. A sophomore, Miller is a forward while Smith, a junior, can play center as well as forward. Brown is a center.
The Big Macs will also depend upon the leadership of seniors Luke Blanock, Connor Helinski and Jake Papi. Dom Eannace, Austin Berger, Mike Trax and Alec Robinson are juniors, who are expected to contribute. Sophomores RJ Bell, Cal Wilson, Jake Davey, Colin Torpey and Lou Krivanek complete the roster.
As usual, Bell has outlined specific goals for the Big Macs. “The goals never change,” he said. “Make playoffs. Win section. Win the WPIAL title. Qualify for states. Win the state championship.”
Because he has a staff and players that have committed to those objectives, Bell feels the Big Macs are on par with the competition.
“We won’t be out-worked,” he vowed. “When you look at our schedule, there is not one team we can say ‘I guarantee we win that game’ but by the same token there is not one team that we look at and say ‘we can’t beat them.’ That wasn’t always the case here. We are at the point here that we know that we can be competitive.”