Eight Schuylkill League titles. Four District XI titles. Eight-time state qualifier. All in the past twelve years. Nothing screams success like that does. Pottsville’s Boys Basketball program has one of the best, if not the best, basketball team in Schuylkill County, racking up their championship titles. So what is the secret to their continuous success?
“To continue success, we need to simply play together and follow our principles. We have a tough schedule this year, so we need to stay locked in and grind during practice so we have great chemistry throughout the season,” said Senior Mason Barnes.
Much time and effort goes into building a basketball program that consistently repeats success. Some factors that make the dream of success a reality are the players, the coaches, the fans, the school and the athletic department administration.
“The biggest thing to me is that our athletic department has the basketball team face the biggest competition out there. You have to play the best to be the best. They do all of the small things, practicing day in and day out,” Mr. Eric Rismiller, Pottsville’s Athletic Director said.
When it comes to being victorious year after year, it also means you are losing senior talent year after year. For some basketball programs, losing a large group of talented seniors can hurt the team for the upcoming season. The underclassmen have a lot of work to do and a lot to look forward to.
“It’s awesome knowing that it’s finally my turn to help with the success of our program. It’ll be challenging filling the shoes of last year’s seniors, but I believe we have the potential to do something special this year,” Junior Nico Boris said.
Previous players who have graduated have a lot to look back to. Success brings memories and also lessons.
“Basketball was a big part of my life in high school. Looking back, the accolades were proof of our hard work paying off. The biggest life lesson I’ve learned from Coach Mullaney was to always worry about the next play – you can’t change what happened before, and continuing to better yourself,” 2019 graduate JR Hahner said.
With successful teams comes proper leadership. The head coach of the Pottsville Boys Basketball Team is Mr. Dave Mullaney. He has been the head coach for the past twelve years, with an overall record of 260 wins and 69 losses. Does he have any tricks up his sleeve behind the team’s success?
“Have a passion for what you do and just work at it every day. In running a program, there are so many days that don’t feel successful, but over a long period of time the continuous effort will pay off. There have been so many current and former players that have dedicated themselves to our program without any guarantee of playing time or satisfaction. But I never hear a former player saying he regrets all the effort and time dedicated to our program. So, I guess if there is a secret maybe that’s it: getting guys to fully buy-in and believe that their commitment will all be worth it in the end,” Coach Mullaney said.
The Pottsville Boys Basketball team has a lot going for them as they look forward to continuing their victorious ride through this season. As they prepare and work hard during this offseason, they get ready for yet another basketball season, starting on December 6 against Glen Mills.