MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The Trinity Christian boys’ basketball team hit some road bumps this offseason, including losing its head coach in recent months. This comes on the back of the Warriors opting into Class AAA, too, which could have caused some panic.
But interim coach Rick Hill has been a steady hand throughout this process for the young team.
“I’m going to prepare for this season like it’s going to be a full season,” Hill said. “I’m very excited about this opportunity. We are a young team but the fortunate thing is, some of our kids have been – of course not being able to do anything in West Virginia – going to Pennsylvania and playing in some tournaments. Getting some training. So our kids right now are a little bit ahead of the curve than everyone else.
The Warriors have also lost a lot of production from last season, including Carter Anderson most recently who transferred out of Trinity on Monday. Still, sophomore Levi Teets and senior Mason Steptoe will be returning in this strange season, leaders among a group of talented freshmen and other underclassmen. Rising two classes will certainly be challenging, but Hill has confidence in his squad.
“Moving to triple-A, to start it will be a little challenging but as I said I’m looking forward to this whole opportunity,” Hill said. “We are a little bit smaller, kids will have to adapt to some things. Defensively we’re going to pressure a lot of people and use our speed and quickness and make this big jump to triple-A. I have talked to some of the guys, and we’re going to take it like any other season. My goal at Trinity is that whether we’re single-A or triple-A, we want to play the best competition. That’s the only way we’re going to get better, so we’re all embracing this opportunity.
“The kids are all psyched and honestly I think they have something they want to prove, being a smaller school. You hear the stigmas and I think that has really lit a fire under these guys to go out and prove people wrong.”
Outside of Teets and Steptoe, some of the players Hill will look to this year are James Harper, a 6-foot-5 junior who just transferred into Trinity and will give height to the small team; Gavin Jackson, a 1-2 sophomore guard; Chance Zapotoczny, a junior guard and new transfer; and newcomers, Jalen Hill, James Gabbart, Ben Lohmann and Carter Hartsock.
“It’s going to be challenging for them, but this group of kids has been putting in work on their own and haven’t given up hope of playing,” Hill said.
The conference change brings new competition, especially teams out of the panhandles that are relentless opponents like Wheeling Central and Hampshire. Other opponents worth watching are Notre Dame, Linsly, Berkeley Springs and Keyser. Hill is happy with the schedule, albeit noting the shortened season and possibility of changes coming.
“We’re excited, of course, it’s been just crazy. You make a date, that gets moved and you have to make another schedule,” he said. “We’re actually trying to add one or two more games, right now we have 16. But we’re very fortunate we get to play a lot of triple-A teams. It’s going to be a tough schedule for the kids; the travel is a little bit longer for us now going down to Hampshire and Keyser, Weir and Wheeling Central, but I’m excited, the kids are pretty pumped about it and we’re ready to get started.
And what does Hill hope will happen once the school’s board of directors get situated?
“I have the interim label title right now until the board is filled, and then hopefully that tag will be knocked off and it’ll be a permanent thing,” he said.
Trinity opens its season on March 5 at Madonna. JV is slated to play at 6 p.m., and varsity right after at 7:30.
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