SEASON PREVIEW: A PROGRAM ON THE RISE
This year’s high school boys basketball team will feature plenty of new faces at the varsity level, with only two returning starters from last year, Seniors Tanner Palsgrove and Brogen Angle, leading the way.  The Buccs graduated 36 points per game, 20.1 rebounds per game, and 9.5 assists per game from last year’s seniors, and are eager to find out who will step up and fill those shoes for them this year.  With a mixture of experience (6 seniors) and youth (3 underclassmen), there will be opportunity for everyone who hits the court.  For the junior varsity teams, they will feature an A team and a B team, with the goal being to get as many players to play and continue to develop during 6 quarters of game experience.  The high school program is now familiar with what it takes to be successful both on and off the court.  They put in work during team camps, became closer as a unit, and learned some new offensive and defensive tactics.  Now, it’s up to them to play and execute to the standard that’s been set.

Fresh off of the biggest upset in the state of Ohio during the Division 4 tournament with their win against Legacy Christian last year, the Covington Buccs Boys Basketball program has seemed to garner a bigger following for the upcoming season.  As a result, the program is excited to begin its very own Covington Rec League featuring 28 of Covington’s own 3rd and 4th graders to participate in their inaugural season.  They will play against one another every weekend, and continue working on developing their fundamentals learned from the Mini Buccs program. 

The Mini Buccs program is the basketball program’s fundraiser for the year.  Last year, there were 70 Covington students in kindergarten through second grade participating in this instruction.  Every Wednesday in January, these 70 kids work with the high school basketball players to develop their fundamentals and interest in the game of basketball.  To keep the costs low for our students, the Mini Buccs program was generously sponsored by 26 local Miami County/Covington businesses.  Each member of Mini Buccs receives a basketball and a t-shirt, instruction from the high school players, and will perform at halftime of the home game against Tri County North on February 1st.

Numbers have also seen a steady increase across 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, with 19 in the middle school program, and 22 at the junior high level.  They will develop their fundamentals as well, but become more advanced in X’s and O’s, and in the 4 core values of the basketball program.  

When student-athletes leave the basketball program at the end of their senior year, they will be developed in these core areas; they will be more prepared, accountable, tougher, and more thankful.  With these visions and common goals set, it’s clear that the Covington Buccs are a program that is On the Rise.