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