At practice last Monday, Rob Greenleaf caught his first glimpse of the Ford City boys basketball team in its entirety. Several football players, three days removed from a loss in the WPIAL semifinals, were in shorts, practice jerseys and basketball shoes.

The fact that Ford City now has a full complement of players pleases Greenleaf, the Sabers' new coach. The team has much to learn about new schemes, leaving Greenleaf a bit anxious to fast-forward a month or so into the season.

The Sabers, 7-15 last season, expect their gridiron guys to contribute heavily this season as Ford City seeks a fourth consecutive Section 1-AA playoff spot. Three of the team's four returning starters — Garrett Sigler, Beriah Good and Kent Commodore — played football, as did several contenders for playing time this winter. It's a reality Greenleaf considers great for the team's athleticism but a slight cause for concern because the boys must quickly transition, mentally and physically, from one sport to the next.

Also, Gabe Valasek, Ford City's fourth returning starter, was busy this fall with golf.

"You gotta be focused," Greenleaf said he planned to tell his players. "We gotta get better every day. We gotta get something new in every day."
Monday's practice indicated much still is in flux for Ford City. Several times, Greenleaf acknowledged to his players that he understood they needed time to learn both the drills he taught them and the concepts the drills emphasized.

Greenleaf said he still is undecided on what offense Ford City will run. He plans to install a few basic schemes and will wait to see which system fits his player personnel best.

Defensively, Ford City will use the same pressure-based schemes that Greenleaf's previous teams — Franklin Regional, Northgate, North Allegheny, to name three — utilized, Greenleaf said.

Regardless of what the Sabers run schematically, they will operate with intensity, Greenleaf said. He learned that much when he watched Ford City at a couple summer league games this past offseason.

"I loved how hard they played," Greenleaf said.

The Sabers hope their hustle efforts are better coordinated this season. Ford City, which absorbed a few Elderton players last season after Elderton High School closed for a year, struggled to establish good chemistry.

"Last year, we really didn't work in unison as a team," Valasek, a 6-foot-2 senior, said.

That team still made the playoffs, however. Ford City lost to Quaker Valley in the Class AA preliminary round.

Valasek dubbed himself "the glue" for this year's team, at least when the Sabers huddle. On the court, he, senior Dan Russo and junior Tyler Nuzzo provide Ford City its tallest interior options.

Sigler, the team's senior point guard, expects to be the one who connects all the Sabers between whistles. And he is confident about whatever scheme Greenleaf ultimately chooses, up-tempo or otherwise, for the offense.

"If I do well," Sigler said, "we get the whole team going, and then we get some points on the board, and hopefully, a couple wins."

Article Originally Published in The Leader Times

By William West, LEADER TIMES
Saturday, November 27, 2010