RAY SWANSON | Keystoner Coaches bring smarts, experience

Hickory and Sharon didn't have to venture far to fill a couple of basketball coaching vacancies.
Nick Cannone, former head coach at Farrell and most recently at Wilmington area, will take over as coach of the Hickory Hornets, replacing former pilot Tony Mastrian.
Gene Sarazen, who had been an assistant for the Reynolds High girls team, will now direct the Sharon High girls team.
Both new head coaches are very familiar to area roundball fans, having been on the local sports scene for a great many years.
A defensive mind
Cannone, who played under the legendary coaching wizard Eddie McCluskey at Farrell and also coached the Steelers from 1990-98, had been coach of the Greyhounds for the past four years. Two years ago, he took the Greyhounds into the District 10 playoffs.
At Farrell, however, he took his Steeler teams into the playoffs in the WPIAL each season, making a run into the PIAA Tournament five of those eight years.
Like his high school coach, McCluskey, Cannone is a stickler for good, hustling defense. He believes a strong defense wins ball games and that will be one of his key elements at Hickory.
Cannone is also big on summer programs, hoping to build his teams through strong feeder systems in the younger grades. He is also a firm believer in basketball camps.
The new Hornets coach wants to surround himself with a strong coaching staff although he's not that adamant in hiring new ones at this time. Rick Ladjevich, an assistant to Mastrian last year at Hickory, is expected to be on board for Cannone this year.
At Farrell, in his playing days, Cannone was also a standout on the football field. He's a student of the game and knows his stuff. He has a fairly strong nucleus coming back this season. Stay tuned.
Cannone, 50, and his wife have three children, all boys. They all could be future basketball players.
A wealth of knowledge
Sarazen, a native of Farrell, takes over the reins from former Sharon High girls coach Maureen O'Brien who had a one-year stint as the Tigers head coach, finishing at 13-12.
Sarazen, always a gentleman, is a very knowledgeable basketball coach. He has had some health problems (heart), however, that is all behind him now and he's ready for the challenge.
At Sharon, earlier in his coaching career, Sarazen was an assistant to Alex Chrobak and later Jerry Banaszak. He also served as an assistant to former Farrell coach Frank Sincek.
He spent three seasons under Chris Anglin at Sharpsville High School and served as an assistant coach at Reynolds under Justin Magestro.
Paving the way for success
Sarazen is extremely appreciative of the opportunities provided by both Anglin and Magestro in keeping his coaching career intact.
Like Cannone, Sarazen is also high on weight training programs and summer camps. His Sharon girls team will be very active during the summer months.
Sarazen, 55, will greet a Tiger team this season that has a good solid nucleus with four returning players, all talented. His team will face the likes of league foes Hickory, Grove City and Slippery Rock, all powerful units.
In this corner, we're wishing both Cannone and Sarazen the best of luck in their future endeavors. They are entitled to it.