Dock, LC looking to see summer benefits

Young squads hoping to gel in summer league

TOWAMENCIN » The positive impact was evident to Dock Mennonite boys basketball coach Mike Fergus.

Dock had arguably the best season in school history last winter, going 24-6, winning its first BAL title, finishing second in District I AA and winning the first state playoff game in program history. Certainly, an experienced lineup had a lot to do with that, but there was no doubt the team’s inaugural summer league in June and July also helped the Pioneers.

While the Pioneers were far from the only team to see positives from the summer league, the hosts are hoping year two has a similar payoff a few months from now.

“We’re trying to instill in them a defensive mentality,” Fergus said. “The first thing is instilling in our kids to be playing harder than the team we’re playing against. The second thing is just having guys learn how to play with each other, because it’s summer league you’re missing kids, and for us to compete without key pieces can be difficult.”

Dock loses two key starters in glue-guy grinder forward Caleb Pfleiger and Mr. Everything point guard Miz Nyagwegwe, who either led or sat right near the top of points, rebounds, assists and steals per game. Fergus, who is going into his fourth year coaching Dock, admits this group isn’t at the same spot last year’s was but that’s why the Pioneers are playing these summer games.

The players and coaches are there to win and the games are competitive, but at the end of the month, the 12 teams in the field won’t be concerned with how many wins or losses they racked up. Instead, the idea is to push players out of their comfort zone,

DEBBY HIGH FOR DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA LC’s Nick Romeo came up against Dock’s Darius Ellis in Monday night’s game away at Dock.