The Tamaqua Raiders boys basketball program enters the new season facing a significant challenge: replacing three players who combined for more than 40 points per game last year.

Head coach Jim Barron’s squad graduated Noah Mateyak — a 1,000-point scorer who averaged 16.86 points per game — along with Cooper Ansbach (14.45 ppg) and Luke Kane (9.82 ppg). Together with Matt Vecolitis, that senior group provided the bulk of the Raiders’ offense for a team that finished 8-14 overall and 5-9 in Schuylkill League Division 1 play.

“Experience will be a big issue for this year’s team,” Barron acknowledged. “We lost a huge percentage of our scoring from last season with the departure of Mateyak, Ansbach and Kane.”

The Raiders return just one starter in senior forward Brady McCabe, a 6-foot-2 presence who averaged around five points per game last season. While McCabe brings valuable stability, the roster’s lack of varsity playing time presents both challenges and opportunities as younger players step into bigger roles.

“We only return one starter from last year in McCabe,” Barron said. “Ace Schickram and Jakin Tamagini played in every game last season off the bench. This year we will have five underclassmen playing significant roles.”

Schickram, a 6-foot sophomore guard/forward, and Tamagini, a 6-foot junior guard/forward, both gained experience last winter and should help ease the transition. Senior forward Luke Frohnheiser (5-10) provides another veteran presence, while newcomer senior guard Jaeden Chalk adds leadership to an otherwise young group.

Tamaqua will also rely on several newcomers, including sophomore guard Terrence McDowell (5-9), junior center Donovan Broadway (6-5), and freshmen Gavin Edmonds (5-11), Gavin Shannon (5-11) and Chance Makovec (5-8). Broadway’s size gives the Raiders a much-needed interior option as they navigate league competition.

“We need to find ways to score the basketball,” Barron said. “We are going to have to rely on our athleticism to be a solid defensive team this season because we probably don’t have anyone who will consistently give us 15 points a night.”

That defensive identity may be Tamaqua’s clearest early-season strength. With so many new contributors, balanced offense rather than a single go-to scorer will be necessary.

“It’s going to be a group effort to make up for all the scoring we lost last season,” Barron said.

The task mirrors what many programs face during transition years — developing offensive weapons, building chemistry, and helping young players adapt to varsity speed and physicality. Success may be measured less in wins and losses and more in growth over time.

“I look for us to really make strides as the season goes on as our young guys gain more experience and confidence,” Barron said.

For now, athleticism, defense, and steady improvement form the foundation. As underclassmen settle in and the Raiders find their rhythm, the scoring should come — and the program’s focus will extend beyond this season toward building a deeper, more experienced core for the years ahead.