In this February file photo, Warrior Dane Schutter (23) hits a five-foot shot early in the first quarter against Pittston Area’s Matt Johnson (2).
Tony Callaio file photo | For Sunday Dispatch
Senior point guard Evan Melberger and a strong sopohomore class lead Wyoming Area into the boys basketball season.
Melberger will be in his third season as a starter.
“He’s obviously a huge part of our team and someone we’re going to rely on quite a bit,” fourth-year coach Anthony Macario said. “He’s put in a lot of work this offseason where I feel like he’s one of the best point guards in the league. His skill set is that high where he’s that efficient of a player.”
Dane Schutter leads the sophomore class after starting much of his freshman season.
“He’s gotten himself bigger, stronger and is much more physical,” Macario said of the 6-foot-4 Schutter. “He’s a guy who I think is going to open up a lot of eyes this year around the league.”
Wyoming Area graduated the top two scorers, Jesse Mikoliczyk and Jake Greenfield, from a team that went 2-8 in Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 and 3-13 overall. The Warriors were sixth of seven in the division, but sixth of 10 District 2 Class 4A teams to make the postseason.
Although his size and strength make him likely to continue to see time at forward, Macario said Schutter has the tools to play any position on the floor. As a sophomore with versatile skills, Schutter is representative of the team as a whole in Macario’s eyes.
“The nice thing about our team this year is some of the versatility we have,” Macario said. “We do have a lot of guys who don’t have to play traditionally by certain positions. We can really spread the floor and have guys play in a variety of ways.
“Depending on who we’re playing and how certain teams choose to play us, we have some nice options to be able to go to this year.”
Tyler Sciandra, who saw a little bit of varsity time last season, is another sophomore who is a projected starter.
Senior wing Caden Bonita and junior guard Matt Bonita, other reserves from a year ago, are also expected to be in the starting lineup.
Nico Sciandra, Tyler’s older brother, is a senior who is new to the program, but is expected to give the team a spark, particularly on defense with his speed and, as Macario describes it, “absurd amount of energy.”
Sophomore guard Brady Noone and junior forward Dylan Petrucci add to depth.
