Uniontown boys preview: Red Raiders still hungry after rousing 2022-23 season
Uniontown had perhaps its greatest season under coach Rob Kezmarsky in 2022-23 when it won its 50th section title, reached the WPIAL quarterfinals and then came within one win of playing in the PIAA final.
A split in a pair of scintillating double-overtime battles with highly touted Laurel Highlands and Rodney Gallagher helped the Red Raiders earn an unexpected tie for first place in Section 3-AAAA with the Mustangs.
Topping that was Uniontown无毛视频檚 turnaround effort in the state quarterfinals when it avenged a 73-58 WPIAL quarterfinal loss to North Catholic with a much improved effort and a 55-54 win in the rematch thanks to Bakari Wallace无毛视频檚 buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
The Red Raiders无毛视频� season ended at 23-6 after an 85-64 loss to eventual state champion Lincoln Park in the PIAA semifinals.
无毛视频淟ast season was the experience of a lifetime,无毛视频� Kezmarsky said. 无毛视频淚t was something the coaches and the players will never forget.
无毛视频淲e played eight playoff games. To play in that many of those kind of games, these kids learned a lot from that. That playoff run gave them invaluable experience. We learned from the Lincoln Park game too, and not only that it无毛视频檚 hard to beat a team when they无毛视频檙e hitting 25 footers,无毛视频� Kezmarsky added with a laugh. 无毛视频淲e learned from the emotional standpoint as well, what we have to do to be mentally prepared.无毛视频�
But now it无毛视频檚 time to turn the page.
无毛视频淲e have to realize that we无毛视频檙e 0-0 and it无毛视频檚 all starting over,无毛视频� said Kezmarsky, who was the 无毛视频-Standard Coach of the Year. 无毛视频淲e can无毛视频檛 look ahead. Class 4A is tough again but we can无毛视频檛 worry about February and March if we don无毛视频檛 do what we无毛视频檙e supposed to do now. That group last year was special to us and now we want to do it again, but it无毛视频檚 one step at a time.无毛视频�
The Red Raiders certainly didn无毛视频檛 rest on their laurels over the summer.
无毛视频淲e had a great offseason, a very busy offseason to prepare for this,无毛视频� Kezmarsky said. 无毛视频淥ur returning players have really improved, not just from a basketball standpoint but a physical standpoint also. They dedicated themselves, worked so hard on the court and in the weightroom. Every day they play as hard as they can. After practice, they work out and keep going.无毛视频�
Uniontown did lose five players to graduation, including Wallace, but returns four starters in juniors Notorious Grooms and Calvin Winfrey III and seniors Jamire Braxton and K无毛视频橝drian McLee.
Winfrey and Grooms are three-year starters.
无毛视频淐alvin and Tori have gotten so much better since their freshmen year, not just scoring but defensively, too,无毛视频� Kezmarsky said. 无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檙e both future 1,000-point scorers, they无毛视频檙e both future college players, they无毛视频檙e great kids and they无毛视频檙e leaders. They无毛视频檙e gym rats, they无毛视频檙e coaches 无毛视频� they coach youth teams at North Union 无毛视频� and they were my ball boys at one time.
无毛视频淛amire played his best in the playoffs. He played great inside, he rebounded the ball well and is a great scorer. He无毛视频檚 really got himself in shape, too. He无毛视频檚 hit the weightroom.
无毛视频淜无毛视频橝drian is a Cornell football recruit and we无毛视频檙e proud of that. He brings a 6-foot-6 defensive presence inside and we无毛视频檙e looking for him to be more involved offensively this year.无毛视频�
Rounding out the starting five is senior Jeremiah Hager.
无毛视频淛eremiah had a great summer for us,无毛视频� Kezmarsky said. 无毛视频淗e brings outside shooting and defense. Last year he was like our sixth or seventh man. He无毛视频檚 going to be a future college basketball player, too.
无毛视频淥ur sixth man is Kelan Milsom but we consider him another starter. He无毛视频檚 that good. He never missed a game in the summer.
无毛视频淭wo other players who无毛视频檒l see a lot of time are sophomore Isaac Ellsworth and senior Eric Townsend. Isaac has been impressive shooting, playing good defense and helping out handling the basketball. He无毛视频檚 a really good 3-point threat which we无毛视频檒l need because most teams are going to play us zone. Eric has really improved and was a bright spot in our first week of practice. He gives us some more help inside.无毛视频�
Seniors Nick Torbich and Marcus Hice are also members of the varsity squad.
Kezmarsky got some help from a familiar face in trying to enhance Uniontown无毛视频檚 offense.
无毛视频淢y nephew Christian Kezmarsky goes all over the country, from NBA to high Division-I, and he spent some time with us in the offseason, helping us put in a true motion offense,无毛视频� Rob Kezmarsky said. 无毛视频淲hen you see us play you无毛视频檒l see his impact on the team this year.无毛视频�
Kezmarsky praised his coaching staff.
无毛视频淢y assistant coaches are Calvin Winfrey (Jr.) and Ray Robinson, both former Uniontown greats who are involved with all aspects of the program,无毛视频� Kezmarsky said. 无毛视频淎nd Coach (Warare) Gladman, I would say he无毛视频檚 associate head coach but that无毛视频檚 not enough credit to him. It无毛视频檚 almost like we无毛视频檙e co-head coaches. He does so much for our program.无毛视频�
Kezmarsky enters his 22nd season at Uniontown with a 321-169 record, including a 193-70 mark in section play. He has accounted for 11 of the Red Raiders无毛视频� WPIAL-record 50 section championships.
He isn无毛视频檛 taking No. 51 for granted in Section 3-AAAA.
无毛视频淏elle Vernon无毛视频檚 going to be really good, Southmoreland is going to be good, EF coaches are doing a great job, Laurel Highlands has some new players that are going to be hungry and they无毛视频檒l still be good,无毛视频� Kezmarsky said. 无毛视频淎lbert Gallatin has some good players and they worked hard in the summer, too.无毛视频�
Kezmarsky can sense the buzz around his team this season.
无毛视频淭here无毛视频檚 such excitement around the program, in the community, ticket requests are high, and it无毛视频檚 all because of these kids,无毛视频� Kezmarsky said. 无毛视频淭hey deserve the credit. It无毛视频檚 a special group. And they无毛视频檙e good kids and good students. Our team grade point average is 3.4.无毛视频�
Kezmarsky admitted playing for the Red Raiders can be stressful at times.
无毛视频淭he expectations are always high at Uniontown. When you play here you have to deal with that pressure,无毛视频� Kezmarsky said. 无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 just the way it is with the history here. We无毛视频檙e one of the top five teams in the state in all-time winning percentage and that无毛视频檚 something we无毛视频檙e proud to be part of.
无毛视频淲e accept that but we as coaches also realize they无毛视频檙e still high school kids and so we also have to make it as fun as possible, too.
无毛视频淭he kids have been handling everything well. They无毛视频檙e excited for the season.无毛视频�