LANCASTER MENNONITE BLAZERS
COACH: Geoff Groff (20th season; 287-198 overall).
ASSISTANT COACHES: Seth Buckwalter, Don Hess, Dick Peacock.
LAST SEASON: 5-11 Section 4, 7-17 overall (Lost to York Catholic 56-41 in a District 3 AA quarterfinal game).
KEY PLAYERS LOST TO GRADUATION: Peter Landis (3.0 points per game, 4 3-pointers), Ben Miller (3.7), Luis Santiago (1.5), Steve Shenk (0.6), Tayler Wilson (13.5, 53 3-pointers), Andrew Yoder (4.1).
KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: G Matt Hess (Jr., 8.9, 16 3-pointers), F Zach Lehman (Jr., 8.9), F Jon Snader (Sr., 1.8).
STRENGTHS: Experience point guard (Hess) and flexibility.
WEAKNESSES: Lack of size and varsity experience.
QUOTABLE: Geoff Groff - “I’m looking forward to working with our group of players and coaches that enjoy being around each other and are pushing each other each day and are striving to be competitive night in and night out. In our section, Lancaster Catholic, as the reigning section champ, has to be the favorite until someone can prove otherwise.”
NOTABLE: Tip of the cap to the Blazers for really hanging in there last season. That 0-10 start had to be frustrating, but Mennonite followed that up with a 6-5 clip and clinched a postseason bid. There, the Blazers won a district game and advanced to the AA quarterfinals - getting some great momentum moving forward. … Mennonite did lose some key weapons - including sniper Tayler Wilson, who was one of the most underrated players in the league last winter; he's at Lancaster Bible College - but there is a nice nucleus back in the mix, starting with point guard Matt Hess, who is back for his third season as the Blazers’ catalyst. Fellow junior Zach Lehman is an experienced wing scorer and Jon Snader will most definitely help out in the paint. That’s a great starting point. … Coach Groff said he has five other players competing for the other two starting spots - which should give Mennonite some depth, which is always nice.
REINHART SAYS: Like Groff said, Lancaster Catholic is still the linchpin here. And Columbia also returns a dynamite nucleus and will be heard from. That said, no reason to believe the Blazers can’t make some noise. They have a solid, experienced trio to get it started and Hess is a heady playmaker who will make Mennonite go. No 0-10 start this time around. These guys will be heard from.
JEFF REINHART: jreinhart@pnco.com
ON TWITTER: @JeffReinhartPN