Andrew McDermott is heading into his second year coaching a hungry Leechburg boys basketball team. The players, coaches and community are determined to turn the ship around.
Last season, the Blue Devils finished 2-20, but with a big turnout, McDermott sees potential out of the program.
“My primary goal is to make these kids role models for the younger grades,” McDermott said. “It means a lot to me that I can build a program, especially after how rough last year was, to still have a pretty big turnout for the team this year. It makes me feel like we’re going in the right direction. We’ve got kids coming back, looking forward to continuing to build the program from the elementary level on up this year.”
Brady Rollinger, a starter and team leader, returns for his senior season. He said that everyone has bought in.
“He’s an amazing head coach, and it’s easy to talk to him because he’s so young,” Rollinger said. “He understands what we need to do to progress as a team and a family and really put it all out on the court.”
Rollinger spearheads the Blue Devils on offense. He averaged 9.5 points per game last season.
“Brady Rollinger is definitely our No. 1 guy,” McDermott said. “He’s been there four years, three years of varsity action. He’s going to be the main guy that we’re relying on in terms of ball handling and scoring, and then after that, we’re pretty balanced.”
Rollinger is taking from what he learned through the years and teaching others.
“I remember my freshman year, all the older kids, like (Braylan Lovelace) and just his whole grade, they were always there for me, even when I wasn’t in high school yet. They always helped me,” Rollinger said. “It had a big impact on me, and now it’s nice being the one that younger kids are coming up to me and asking what they can do to make themselves better and to contribute more.”
Rollinger isn’t the only one who will be leading the team. He brought some help. He convinced seniors Chase Henry and Jake Cummings to join the squad.
“We’re really going to be relying on those three guys, especially the leadership from all of them,” McDermott said. “Chase is a great baseball player and Jake’s a phenomenal football player. They’ll be bringing the leadership qualities onto the team. We’ve already seen that in some of the open gyms, but that’s really going to be what we’re leaning on this year.”
Last season, the team was led by underclassmen who lacked varsity experience. McDermott said he hopes for a more cohesive unit now that the team has gained experience.
Rocco Vigna, Mason Scitticatt, Nevin Steele, Mason Bertino and Timmy Skeel are returning players who McDermott has seen growth from.
Vigna averaged 6.1 points per game last season, along with 4.7 rebounds per game.
The team’s strong suit will be its interior. The Blue Devils have a physical frontcourt with two football players.
“Jake Cummings is just a great athlete,” McDermott said. “He’s going to give us a post presence, him and Timmy Skeel, both. Also, Mason Bertino grew a ton. He’s been attacking the hoop well, and he can shoot. He’ll give us that kind of inside out threat that would be a luxury to have.”
Rollinger said he believes the Leechburg interior is much different than last year.
“In the paint, it’s going to help so much,” Rollinger said. “Last year, we let up so many second-shot chances and gave up so many easy rebounds to kids that were bigger and stronger than us, but this year is going to be a whole different ballgame.”
Rollinger added that the big men have been putting in the work on and off the court.
“We’re definitely going to have bigger bodies this year,” Rollinger said. “Our big men have been in and out of the weight room like no other. We’ve been working all summer, getting shots up, running plays, doing it all.”
Rollinger mentioned that sophomore Skeel has shown up and done work over the offseason himself to prepare himself. He said he has improved and continues to do so.
Bertino, a sophomore, and freshman Connor Szymanski are two young guns who will help bolster the team.
“Connor Szymanski, he’s another guard that will be playing varsity most likely as a freshman,” McDermott said. “We’ll have a good mixture of a lot of upperclassmen, and then a couple freshmen and sophomores that will be contributing pretty heavily this year.”
As for the defense, McDermott wants to up the tempo. He said he wants to play fast and aggressive.
“This year, especially with Chase and Jake back in the mix, we’re going to be playing a lot more up tempo,” McDermott said. “Our defense is going to lead to offense this year. We’re going to be pretty aggressive, definitely man to man, trapping, and we’re gonna be mixing a lot of stuff in, but we definitely want a high tempo this year.”
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McDermott’s goals are for the Blue Devils to limit turnovers and to play sound defense. He sees potential in the team.
“We want to make the playoffs,” McDermott said. “We’re not a team that’s content with having low expectations for ourselves, no matter what the circumstances are. It’s maybe a little high of a goal right now for the position we’re in, but you know that’s an obvious goal as you go into any season.”
Gabe Santiago, Bertino, and Rollinger suffered injuries in other sports. Rollinger and Bertino will be ready to go early on in the season. Santiago is out for the year.
Rollinger and the Blue Devils are locked in.
“We’re ready to eat,” Rollinger said. “The boys have been putting a lot of work in, on and off the court, in the weight room, in the classroom. It’s just everyone’s mentally there this year as well.”
Rollinger added that Leechburg, for all sports, is competitive and feisty. The Blue Devils want to win.
“I think we’re underdogs,” Rollinger said. “No one ever has any trust in us or anything, but we had the new football coach, coach (Randy) Walters, like six years ago and he changed the whole program. We just have a fanbase and more people believe in us now, and now that Andrew is back, he’s doing a lot for the community and the team, it’s so much better than it used to be.”
Leechburg boys at a glance
Coach: Andrew McDermott
Last year’s record: 2-20 (0-12)
Returning starters: Brady Rollinger (Sr., PG), Rocco Vigna (Jr., SG), Gabe Santiago (Jr., SG), Nevin Steele (Jr. SF)
Top newcomers: Jake Cummings (Sr., PF), Chase Henry (Sr., F)