The Pioneers are looking to turn the program around after missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
A new attitude has permeated the Clearview Regional High School boys basketball program.
After missing the playoffs and winning 12 games combined over the past two years, an experienced group of seniors is hungry to get the Pioneers back to the postseason and in contention for the Tri-County Conference Royal Division title.
“With the bulk of the team back and a couple kids that came in with leadership, our expectations our higher,” head coach Rob MacKerchar said.
The Pioneers feature high expectations even after seeing their top two scorers from 2016–17, Andrew Delaney and Kyle Maska, transfer out of the school.
To compensate, Clearview has two strong scorers on its roster who were part of last year’s team. Senior Alex Soriano was one of the Pioneers’ top scorers as a sophomore in 2015–16. Last year, Soriano sat out the entire season as he recuperated from an injury he suffered during baseball. Soriano is back this year, and MacKerchar expects him to be a consistent, double-digit point scorer each night.
“I’m surprised at how good he looks having taken a year off,” MacKerchar said. “He worked really hard in the summer, especially managing basketball and baseball.”
Another senior, Dan Sullivan, joined the team this year after transferring from Kingsway Regional High School. Sullivan is expected to give Clearview’s offense a boost, as is returning sophomore Justin McNichols, Clearview’s top returning scorer from 2016–17.
“He’s definitely going to pick up the slack since he’s a year older,” MacKerchar said. “A lot of the other guys who played supporting roles last year will have an opportunity to shine this year.”
MacKerchar spoke highly of the chemistry on this year’s team. The bulk of Clearview’s team consists of seniors and sophomores.
“You have a very heavy senior leadership and very heavy sophomore class,” MacKerchar said. “So the sophomores have grown up with each other and have known each other and the seniors have grown up together and have known each other.”
Senior Marco Piccone said the returning players gained a lot of valuable experience last season, when the Pioneers went 7–17. He said this year’s team came into this season more confident and tighter than in the past.
“After practice and scrimmages, we’ve been hanging as a team and everyone has been coming together,” Piccone said.
MacKerchar believes last season was a good learning experience for the players about working hard each game and not taking anything for granted.
“For these guys, (last season) was a wake up call,” he said. “They realize we can’t look past any game. I think they realize if we take it one game at a time, we can compete for anything.”
The returning players, especially the seniors, are hungry to reverse Clearview’s fortunes this year. Piccone said the team doesn’t just want to get the Pioneers back to the playoffs, they also want to win a playoff game, something the program has not done this decade.
“It would be awesome if we won a playoff game for Clearview,” Piccone said.
Clearview entered January with a record of 3–3. The Pioneers won their first two games over Clayton High School and Pennsville High School and also won a game over winter break against Paulsboro High School.
