Olympus hoops teams youthful but talented

While virtually all schools lose key players at the end of every year, the graduation bug hit the Olympus Titans particularly hard in 2006, decimating their varsity basketball teams.

Simply put, both the boys and girls squads were forced to start over. The Titans feature so many new players that even the most dedicated fans will need to refer to the program frequently to keep the new starters straight.

Matt Barnes, head coach of the boys team, lost all five starters and a total of nine varsity players. Stars like Ray Paull, Crosby Styles and Nate Vanvranken all graduated, leaving the Titans with little experience on the perimeter.

"We've got a lot of new faces out there," says Barnes. "But they're still a talented group. We'll be able to do some things that we couldn't do last year."

Although they will doubtlessly miss the likes of Paull and Styles, John Varner, a newcomer to the starting lineup, gives the 2007 Titans something that they didn't have one year ago: a big man who can score.

Varner, a senior, has the size to play inside and enough athletic ability to burn opposing teams from beyond the arc. His play, however, is just one of the reasons that the Titans posted a 6-1 preseason record this year.

"John is a big, strong kid, and he's helped us a lot so far this season," says Barnes. "But all of the kids are starting to get to know each other, and they're starting to trust each other a little more. Everyone is playing well right now"

Although the Titans appear to be rolling, it remains to be seen how Barnes' young team will hold up under the pressure of region competition.

The girls team has faced similar problems this season. Coach Kael Ashton had to replace his entire varsity squad, and the Titans' lack of experience was the major determining factor in their lackluster 2-5 preseason campaign.

"We're a very young team," says Ashton. "We're still trying to figure out how to play as a team."

As if breaking in five new starters weren't difficult enough, Ashton and company are also getting used to life without 2006 graduate and all-world guard Michelle Pace. Pace, a two-time all-state selection, carried Olympus for two years and left some very big shoes for the 2007 Titans to fill.

"You can't replace someone like Michelle," says Ashton. "As both a player and a leader, she was one of a kind."