Editorial/Review Fall 2009 On a small campus where your only constant activity options are to study, join clubs, waste time with friends, waste time in the mill, and waste time watching tele- vision, big events such as a Penn State basketball game tends to attract a lot of attention. With a brand new season, brand new head coach and 12 new play- ers, who knows what the outcome for this year’s basketball team will be. Through the years the Penn State Mont Alto team has been like a roller coaster. One season they are way up on top, and then they drop down low. Last season was a very exciting season in which they started off 2-7 but pulled to- gether to finish to season strong by win- ning 10 of their next 14 games, thus making the playoffs; only to be disquali- fied due to technicalities. Coming off such a high performance season with a disappointing end has lead to a lot of ex- pectations for this year’s team; however, with so many new changes it is difficult to predict how this season will go. Coach Marty Ogle has been the coach for the past ten years, but brought in an assistant coach last year from Messiah College. This year he has taken over the head coaching responsibilities so it is easy to say we can expect a completely different style of basketball. Also, there is only one returning player this year out of the thirteen players on the team who happens to be the only upperclassman. Derek Coy, a junior, and the only returning player from last year’s team as well as the only upperclassman, sat down with me for a few minutes to share his views on the team. Me: What are your predictions for this year’s basketball team and why? Derek: “We have a small yet very athletic team of kids who love the game and have a lot of potential. I am not too sure about the competition coming from the rest of the league but I am sure we are going to compete and work as hard as we can and I have Senfidence wie will have a prefly successful season.’ Me: What is the major difference about this team compared to last year’s team and what is the relevance? Derek: A lot, first of all out of all thirteen are new. Also we have a new head coach as well as a few new assistant coaches, so things are going to be very different and in- new players we all get along pretty well so chemistry will not be a problem for us. I think as time goes on we will just con- tinue to get better and better. Me: You are the only upper classman on the team, how do you think this will af- fect the team? Both for this years and next year’s team. Derek: Well hopefully I can play a leader type roll for everybody by sharing my experience with the kids that need my help, and help them develop a good work ethic. For next year I feel the team will be even stronger because assuming it’s the same group, they will be together for two years by then, so they will have great team chemistry together. Basketball has always been one of the main focal points of the Mont Alto cam- pus. Most of the campus residents attend the games as well as local citizens. Stu- dents come with their friends, support one of the biggest schools in America’s basketball team, then go to the millstream cafe afterwards. Obviously, fast service is out of the questions after these games since the mill is always incredibly packed. It’s a great way to get your mind Staff Writers Aaron Hefelfinger, Adam
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers