In his eighth season as Weatherly boys' head varsity basketball coach, Ron Cann has become quite familiar with his biggest opponent...the number of players available in the Wrecker program. Each season, the numbers fluctuate either up or down, and this season, the veteran coach has 15 players to work with between the varsity and junior varsity teams, combined.

Despite those staggering figures, one thing remains consistent the Wreckers will give their all towards the overall improvement of the program."Being a smaller school, we're constantly facing the problem of having limited numbers of players out for basketball," Cann admits. "But these kids work so hard. They show up each night ready to go and ready to give me their all and that kind of effort is just great."Also, graduation took several key players away from a 4-17 squad, causing for more adjustments throughout the lineup for Weatherly. However, Cann sees his roster for this year as more than capable of producing some positive results.Despite the necessity for adapting to change, the Wrecker system will remain the same in many facets of the game, as Cann promises fans the same up-tempo style of play on both sides of the ball."We'll pressure teams and try to run as much as possible," he stated. "We're going to fire it away, because we can't sit back in a zone defense with our lack of height. The faster the pace of the game, the more it will benefit us."Multiple offenses and defenses are in the gameplan, along with a non-stop, all-over-the-floor type of attack.When looking at the lineup, Cann's roster features some returnees to aid in the efforts.Returning for the Wreckers this season is Luke Reiner (Sr., 5-10), who will man the point guard position. According to Cann, "he has improved his body tremendously and put in a lot of work in the gym in the off-season. He's also a good shooter and handles the adjustments well."Partnering up with Reiner in the backcourt will be 5-10 junior Luke Figas. "Besides his ability to score, he will be drawing the toughest opponent, defensively, for us," Cann admits.Senior Nick Miller, 5-9, will also be featured in the guard rotation, as Cann plans to employ his staple three-guard lineup. Miller is a strong shooter and has the ability to drive to the bucket, which should help in point production this season.The inside game will feature a pair of six-footers in senior Brett Kelly and junior Dillon Bizarre. Kelly has the ability to step outside and hit the long jumpers, while Bizarre is planned to be the inside stopper, defensively. While the majority of rebounding duties will fall on these two, Cann is hoping that the duo will receive help from everyone on the floor.When coach looks to the bench, he will be relying upon two sophomores and two freshmen. Sophomore Zach Peiser, 6-1, is the tallest player on the roster and will spell relief for the inside game, while classmate Evan Kunkle will fill in at the 'three-spot,' and also help out defensively. Zach Moon (guard) and Gary Buck (forward) are the two freshmen hoping to garner experience and improvement, as the season goes along.Early on in the season, the Wreckers are remaining focused on each day, each practice, and each game, as they come. Their willingness to learn, along with their commendable coachability, allows Coach Cann to refer to them as "a great group of tremendous kids."Despite their lack of size and depth, the Wrecker faithful are hoping to continue to improve as time moves along."If we are able to rebound and force some turnovers or get some steals on defense, we're fast enough of a team that we could be alright," Cann related. "The kids show up each day willing to work and work hard, and I tell them to forget the past, to not think about the future, and just worry about this practice, or this game. If they can do all of those things, we will be competitive."With the challenges that lie ahead, look for the Wreckers to continue to remain focused on the task at hand. The adversity and potential problems they face will be faced with their hard work, desire to improve and determination to compete.