Crusaders hoping for another successful season
This season, Elk County Catholic Crusader basketball head coach Aaron Straub enters his 45th coaching basketball at ECC and his 42nd as the varsity coach of the boys’ team.
Straub remarked that the success ECC’s teams had during the fall sports season has resulted in excitement headed into the winter.
“The success of our fall sports teams at Elk County Catholic has generated a lot of excitement and energy for our winter sports,” Straub said. “The state championships that our girls’ cross country team and volleyball team won have elevated the hopes, dreams, and expectations of all of our athletes. As a school community, we are very proud of their accomplishments and hope that their success motivates our team to work hard and realize that winning your last contest of the year is possible.”
Straub described the team’s 2022-2023 season as having been “outstanding,” and noted that the three seniors lost to graduation – Michael Jacobs, Adam Straub, and David Anderson – will be missed.
“Our tough losses every year are not the losses on the court but the losses of our seniors to graduation,” Straub said. “I am really proud of our three seniors from last year. They had an unbelievable work ethic and left their mark on the history of Elk County Catholic High School basketball.”
The Crusaders are coming off of a season that saw them go 263, winning the District 9 1A title, Elk County Holiday Tournament, AML North, and overall AML title.
“We finished in a tie for second place in the D9 AAA league and set a new school record giving up .67 points per game,” Straub said.
Straub noted that the team battled their share of adversity last year, including losing current senior Jordan Wasko to an injury late in the regular season.
“Losing Jordan Wasko to an injury in early February was a real test for our team and for Jordan. I believe that this unfortunate experience made both our team and Jordan better, and we will see the carryover this season,” Straub said. “We were a team in the biggest sense of the word last season. We did not have a player average in double figures and we played for one another. We were unselfish and really bought into our team and program philosophy.”
Straub also cited the team’s 2022-2023 season-ending loss, and one of their most disappointing games as hopefully being motivating factors this year.
“With all of our success, our season ended with a disappointing loss to Carlynton in the second round of the PIAA state playoffs. This was a game that we led throughout and a game that we should have won. Again, I think this experience will help this year’s team in our preparation for the season,” Straub said. “Finally, it is my hope that our school record setting low point total in our Brookville game on Feb. 7 when we were only able to score 16 points in the game will provide the inspiration and desire to work hard to find easy baskets and score more points.”
This season, Straub remarked that he likes his team, their desire, and their work ethic. He also credited strength and conditioning coach Scott Jacobs with doing a great job getting the players in condition and ready to play.
“One of our biggest areas is going to be the ability to generate offense from our defense and find easy baskets and easy points. That will need to get done through pressure defense, transition, second chance opportunities, and attacking the basket and getting to the line,” Straub said. “Our leadership is good and we have a very good mix of seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen.”
Straub shared that he hopes to see his players stay happy, healthy, and holy and work hard to develop their God-given gifts and talents.
“I hope that no one outworks, outhustles, or out prepares us,” Straub said.
“I know I am looking forward to watching our team represent our school, community, and basketball program with faith, a strong Christian witness, and an overall commitment to excellence. I am looking forward to seeing our team setting an example of sportsmanship and hard work,” Straub added.
This year’s roster consists of 13 players between the varsity and junior varsity levels.
Seniors are Jordan Wasko, a 5-10 guard; Bobby Urmann, a 5-10 guard; Timmy Brannock, a 5-10 forward; and Colby Nussbaum, a 6-2 forward. Juniors are Lance O’Neill, a 5-9 guard; Noah Halquist, a 6-0 forward; and Wil Wortman, a 6-0 forward. Sophomores are Frankie Smith, a 5-8 guard; Marcus Muccio, a 5-10 guard; Christian Sloff, a 5-11 forward; Charlie Geci, a 5-10 forward; and Jacob Wasko, a 6-3 forward. The lone freshman on the team is Chase Simbeck, a 5-8 guard.
Straub cited the players’ work ethic and the fact that they are great teammates as being among their biggest strengths.
“We have a team that is willing to set their personal goals aside for the team goals, and a group that cares more about the team than they do about themselves,” Straub said.
One of the team’s biggest challenges, according to Straub, will be their schedule.
“We play a great schedule, play in two great leagues where we are challenged night in and night out, and there is never an easy game or an easy opponent. We embrace our schedule and the challenges as that will make us a better team,” Straub said.
Straub encouraged community members to come support the team at their games this season.
“If you want to see the true definition of a team, come watch us play,” Straub said. “If you want to see a team play for one another, come watch us play. If you want to see a team play hard and work hard and represent our school and community with pride and poise, along with good sportsmanship, come watch us play.”
This season also brings the return of a junior high team for the Crusaders, something Straub expressed excitement about.
“I am excited to be able to have the interest from our studentathletes in the sport of basketball at Elk County Catholic to be able to bring back our freshmen team. Having an extra 22 contests will benefit everyone in our program at all levels,” Straub said.
Members of the junior high team are Luke Songer, a 5-11 forward; Brayden Barnett, a 6-0 forward; Jacob Ruffner, a 5-5 guard; Matthew Gilmore, a 5-7 guard; Gideon Cronk, a 5-8 guard; Chandler Nunamaker, a 5-11 forward; Wyatt Brem, a 6-0 forward; and Franco Williams, a 5-9 guard.
Straub also credited those involved with the grade school program for all of their work preparing players to be successful once they reach the junior high, junior varsity, and varsity levels.
“Our success starts with our grade school program,” Straub said. “Our coaches at the younger levels (grades 3 through 8) do a great job and prepare our kids with skills, knowledge, desire, and attitude to be excellent high school players.”
Assisting Straub this season at the varsity level are Jude Hoffman, Doug Straub, Mike Buchheit, Nate DaCanal, and AJ Straub. The JV head coach is Jesse Bosnik, and he is being assisted by Dave Bosnik. The junior high head coach is Wee J Fernan, and he is being assisted by Tony Breindel. The strength and conditioning coach for all levels of the program is Scott Jacobs.