It’s been over a decade since the Athol boys basketball team has produced a winning season, but this winter the team will look to make progress toward changing that as it focuses on the future.
“It has to be the message,” Athol coach Dan Bevis said. “The past hasn’t been good for us. We have to learn to move on.”
For this year’s team, there is a strong emphasis on staying positive even if things don’t go well in the moment.
“It’s a part of growing up,” Bevis said. “Things aren’t always gonna go your way. We have to handle that adversity.”
Athol’s roster lacks size, but it features a lot of athleticism.
Point guards Keegan Lutz and Bryce King both have similar quickness and speed.
If either player has the ball, there is a good chance they will be able to break down the first line of defense to spark the Red Raiders’ offense.
“You have to have someone with a good head on their shoulders for that position,” Bevis said. “Both of them understand what’s expected of them and what they need to get guys in the right position.”
King looks to distribute first but has sneaky good offense.
“When we need to score, he’s not afraid to take a shot,” Bevis said. “That grit is something I love. He just doesn’t like to lose.”
Scoring will come from a lot of different places for the Red Raiders but it will start from the forward position.
Mark Ferrari is poised to come out firing this season.
“Mark is where we start,” Bevis said. “He’s aggressive and he’s worked on getting better inside and using his size to his advantage.”
Ferrari can shoot from the outside but he envisions the ball moving to whoever is open.
“I feel like with our players here we can distribute the ball better,” Ferrari said. “It should be more a team thing this year.
If offense breaks down and the shot clock is dwindling Ferrari is ready for that as well.
“I can shoot it or drive,” Ferrari said. “If they play up tight I can drive if they back up I can shoot.”
The offense got upgraded this season with the return of Nick Bousquet, who missed last season because of an ACL injury suffered during football season.
“The rehab went well,” Bousquet said. “The worst thing was not being able to play basketball. It feels amazing to be back.”
Bousquet provides a soft jumper for the Red Raiders and has the ability to get hot from outside.
“Welcoming him (Bousquet) back will be big for us,” Bevis said.
For the most part, the Red Raiders stick with man-to-man principles on defense.
The Red Raiders will deal with the likes of big man Carsten Carey from Frontier Regional in the Hampshire North, along with Greenfield, Mohawk and Smith Academy.
Three-time Western Mass. champion coach Angelo Thomas took over Greenfield’s program in the offseason.
Noah Pottinger is playing his first full season at the varsity level. Last season Pottinger moved up from junior varsity.
“He played some big minutes for us and his confidence grew,” Bevis said. “He played all summer. I think he has that basketball savvy to him.”
The Red Raiders begin their season at North Brookfield on Friday night at 6:30 p.m.
