WEST CARROLLTON BOYS BASKETBALL A TEAM ON THE CUSP
In the five seasons before Anthony Parker’s arrival, West Carrollton High School’s boys basketball program went 8-107. Thirty-seven games into Parker’s run as head coach and the Pirates are 15-22, including 9-5 in Year 2.
West Carrollton, which hosts Fairborn (1-12) tonight in a Miami Valley League Valley Division game, is looking for its first winning season since going 12-10 in 2012.
During a nine-year run in the Greater Western Ohio Conference (2011-2019) the Pirates won 13 conference games.
Heading into today, WC is tied with Stebbins (12-3) at 8-3 in the first year of the MVL and two games behind division leader Sidney (131, 10-1).
“Whether we’re down or up (coach) wants us to keep applying pressure,” senior Kalen McKinney said. “The last couple years when we got down, we just shut down and didn’t really try to fight back. But he came in and taught us that the game is never over until the clock hits zero.”
“This is the first year we were able to implement how we wanted to design our program,” Parker said. “We went hard in the weight room. We had great summer workouts. We worked hard in summer league. We had guys buying in.”
Parker’s coaching pitch includes pieces from state champion mentors. In the 1990s Parker played for current Belmont head coach Art Winston, who won two state titles at Jefferson (1998 and 2010). Prior to WC, Parker was an assistant at Trotwood-Madison under Rocky Rockhold. Trotwood, which has played in three straight state tournaments, won the Division II state title last season. Parker led the Rams to two 2018 postseason wins (district semifinal and final) in Rockhold’s absence.
“Initially our whole thought process (at WC) was ‘Hey, we want to change a culture,’ but it took us a year to find out that ‘No, we want to create a culture,’” Parker said. “That way kids that want to buy into us can, and those that don’t want to — hey, we understand.”
In addition to increased on court and weight room work, the Pirates have bonded over pizza, putt-putt and movies.
“Sometimes it just takes someone coming in and believing in the guys and showing them they can do it,” Parker said.
“He’s been pushing us since Day 1,” McKinney said. “He’s preaching a family culture and us against everybody attitude. We’re just trying to stay together, stay as one and make history for the school and city that we’re playing for.”
McKinney, a 6-foot-4 senior guard, leads the MVL in scoring (17.2 points), while Austin Bauer-Jones, a 6-3 senior forward, leads the MVL in rebounding (9.6) and is third in assists (4.4). Bauer-Jones, an All-GWOC performer last year, averages 7.9 points.
Stanley Shrivers, a 6-2 junior guard, ranks second in the MVL in assists (5.1), third in steals (three) and fourth in rebounding (7.8). He chips in 11.1 points.
Aigbokhai Kadari, a 6-7 junior forward, leads the MVL in blocks (3.6). He recorded a triple-double in a 62-59 win over Stebbins on Jan. 10 with 12 points, 18 rebounds and a school-record 12 blocks.
Ten of WC’s 12 players are 6-1 or taller.
“I would love to be undefeated,” Parker said. “But with all things considered, we are very happy with the turnaround. We’ve generated excitement throughout the community, and we’re excited about that.”
Stage is set: The GWOC American Division has proven to be among the state’s best girls basketball affiliations this season with Wayne (17-1, 8-0) and Fairmont (15-1, 7-1) ranked No. 2 and No. 5, respectively, in the Associated Press Division I state poll. Those two meet Wednesday at Trent Arena (7:30 p.m. tip).
In addition to impacting the division title race, the outcome will influence postseason seeding. Girls coaches have from Jan. 30-Feb. 1 at noon to seed teams online for the sectional tournament. The Wayne-Fairmont winner should be the No. 1 seed in the Southwest District North draw.
Fairmont has won 11 straight since losing 51-49 at Wayne on Dec. 7. The Warriors have won seven straight since dropping a 51-47 decision to No. 1 Mount Notre Dame on Dec. 29.
Outside the area: Barnesville senior Luke Powell had 35 points and hit 10 three-pointers in a loss to Union Local last week to become the second player in program history to surpass 2,000-career points. The first? His father Matt Powell. The tandem is the only father-son duo in Ohio history to accomplish the feat.