Boys High School Basketball Season Kicks Off This Week

The high school boys basketball season gets underway this week with South Carroll looking to defend its county and regional title, while Liberty has a new coach.

The Knights have three returning players this year looking to improve on last year’s 14-9 record. They were 11-3 in the county.

Coach George Wunder is starting his 11th year at the helm of the Century squad.

Returning are seniors Evan Fritsche and Mitch Sleight along with junior Chris Tan. The three are also the top returning scorers from last year. Fritsche is the top rebounded for Century. He averaged five per game last year.

Sleight, Fritsche and Tan will be joined at the opening tip-off with Billy Dickman and Michael Austin.

Wunder feels that South Carroll is once again the team to beat in the county.

"We are adding eight new players to our varsity roster this year, so we are just beginning to learn how to play together on both ends of the court. This team has a lot of potential to be successful if we continue to work hard. I’m looking forward to watching this team progress throughout the season," said Wunder.

The Knights open the season on the road Monday at Walkersville.

The big change at Liberty this season is on the bench. Jay Seaborg takes over for Steve Johnson. Johnson stepped down after 11 years as coach and died in October.

The Lions were 4-18 last year overall and 2-12 in the county.

The projected starters for Liberty are Greg Pickett at point guard, guards Chad Barcikowski and Collin Orf and forwards Shane Sweeney and J.C.Farley.

Farley should be the top rebounded for the Lions.

Seaborg feels that South Carroll is the team to beat in the county.

"We have eight new varsity players so it will be a year of having players adjusting to the varsity game," said Seaborg.

Liberty opens on the road Monday at Oakdale in Frederick County.

The Cavaliers won all the titles, but last year as they fell a game short of the Class 2A state finals.

South Carroll was 24-2 overall last year and was 13-1 in the county.

Coach Doug Goff starts his sixth season as head coach with five players returning including two starters.

The starters are Gavin McTavish, who averaged 12 points a game and guard Dan Mullen, who tossed in 8 points per game. McTavish also grabbed seven rebounds a game.

Mullen, McTavish, Ryan Tate and Ethan McBryde are four of the five projected starters.

Goff says Century and Westminster are the teams to beat in the county.

South Carroll travels to Linganore Monday to open the season.