The Bellwood-Antis Boys basketball team is looking to bounce back after a disastrous 2-20 season last year, while the girl’s team is looking to resolve unfinished business after making it to the first round of PIAA State Playoff but unfortunately lost in the first round.
The team lost two vital parts of the team due to graduation in Holden Schreier and Hunter Simmons. Schreier was the first option on offence and lead the team in steals on defense and Simmons lead the team in blocks.
Apart from losing both Schreier and Simmons the boys are retaining the same exact team, with Seniors Colin Gibbons and Martin Fatzinger leading the charge.
Other seniors include Jack Braim, Bryce and Dylan Eckenrod
“We’re all very excited to play and the team is ready to work hard. Said senior Martin Fatzinger, we don’t want a season like last year and have bought in to win”
Juniors Jackson Dorminy, Curtis Shedlock and Conner Mayes are set to return. Dorminy lead the team in scoring last year with over 9 points per game
Head Coach Tyler Mertiff will return for his 4th year as B-A’s coach, and Bellwood-Antis alumni Jarrett Taneyhill will be the men’s assistant coach.
“This will be a very exciting season for the boys basketball team, stated Head Coach Tyler Mertiff. We return 4 starters and a ton of depth, we ended the season winning 2 of the last 3 games, which hopefully we can build upon this season. This should be a fun and exciting season with a playoff spot on the line.”
Preview: Girls basketball looking to improve
The Bellwood-Antis girls basketball team are looking to improve their 14-13 record from the 2024-25 season.
The team lost 4 seniors last year who include Leigha Clapper, Addy Turek, Jenna Norton, and Hannah Waite.
Head Coach Kiley Longo-McGarvey will return for her third year as B-A’s coach, and this is her sixteenth year in the girls basketball program.
“We have pretty good size on the inside. We have a strong core of veterans returning. We have added some familiar faces back into the mix that help us with our speed and athleticism. Stated Head Coach Kiley Longo-McGarvey.We are looking to challenge ourselves this season we a very tough schedule to help us prepare for the gorals we have throughout our season. We are looking forward with anticipation to pick up where we left off and continue to push ourselves towards our goals.”
Seniors: Lilly Gerwert, Lindsay Campbell, and Marissa Cacciotti will be returning for the Lady Blue-Devils.
Gerwert, who averaged 17.4 ppg, was the leading scorer during the 2024-25 season. She is close to 1,000 points and is aimed to get it at the beginning of the season.
The team will also return standout sophomores Isabella Sloey and Karlie Sweigert, who made immediate impacts as freshman last year and are looking to start off hot again.
“I am looking forward to my last season of playing in high school. We have all put a lot of work in the offseason, so it will be exciting to see all that work pay off and have fun with my teammates one last year,” said Gerwert.
The girls will open their season home vs Penns Valley on 12/3 and the boys will be away at Penns Valley 12/2.
Good luck to both teams!
