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Canfield boys basketball players introduced at rally
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.Jake Petro, a member of the seventh-grade boys basketball team, was met by Coach Jim Harmon as he was introduced during the Meet the Team Rally at Canfield High School Nov. 20.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.A Canfield High School varsity player shook hands with Varsity Head Coach Todd Muckleroy as he was introduced during the Meet the Team rally at Canfield High School Nov. 20.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.Ninth-grade basketball player Ricky Havrilla was met by Varsity Coach Todd Muckleroy as he was introduced during the Meet the Team Rally at Canfield High School Nov. 20.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.Brayden Beck, an eighth-grade basketball player, was met by his coach Mike Yourstowsky as he was introduced during the Meet the Team Rally at Canfield High School Nov. 20.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.The Canfield High School junior varsity basketball cheerleaders entertained the crowd with a cheer during the Meet the Team Rally at Canfield High School Nov. 20.
By ABBY SLANKER
To kick off the boys Canfield basketball season, a Meet the Team Rally took place in the Canfield High School gymnasium Nov. 20. Family, friends, fans and community members packed the ‘Cardinal’s Nest’ as players on the seventh-grade, eighth-grade, ninth-grade, junior varsity and varsity squads were introduced, along with their coaches.
“Thank you for your support this evening and all year-round for all our school endeavors. Thank you for being here tonight for our boys basketball program,” said Greg Cooper, CHS athletic director, as he opened the program.
Varsity Head Coach Todd Muckleroy welcomed the crowd and introduced Mike Merritt as the assistant varsity coach.
“I would like to thank the Canfield community for its continued support. I would also like to thank our basketball boosters group. They work hard for our teams and we appreciate what they do,” Muckleroy said.
To start the program, Muckleroy introduced Jim Harmon, seventh-grade boys basketball coach.
“What’s exciting about this team is we have a lot of quick little guys, which will work to our advantage,” Harmon said before his team was introduced.
After introductions by announcer Jeremy Hamilton, the seventh-grade team showed off their skills with a few basketball drills and then a team scrimmage.
Next was the eighth-grade team, with former CHS player and first-year coach Mike Yourstowsky.
“We were lucky enough to find a guy who is passionate about basketball and coaching. The transition to coach from player can be tough. This guy is not far removed from our program. He is blessed with players to help him learn his new trade. He is excited and fired-up about this team,” Muckleroy said.
Before his team was introduced, Yourstowsky said he is excited to still be able to be involved in Canfield basketball.
“I appreciate the opportunity to go to school and still be involved in Canfield basketball,” Yourstowsky said.
After introductions, the eighth-grade team showed off their skills with a few basketball drills and a team scrimmage.
The ninth-grade cheerleaders then entertained the crowd, leading a cheer and then performing a dance.
The ninth-grade squad was introduced along with coach, and Canfield High School alumni, Rob Donahue. After introductions, the team highlighted their skills with a few basketball drills and a team scrimmage.
The Canfield High School junior varsity cheerleaders then took the floor to perform a cheer and a dance.
Next up was the junior varsity team and Coach Bob Tinkey.
“Coach Tinkey has been coaching here for almost 30 years. That’s a long time and is a good thing for me. You can’t help but have respect for Coach Tinkey,” Muckleroy said.
Before his team was introduced, Coach Tinkey addressed the crowd.
“This is probably one of the smarter teams I’ve had in a while. I’ve been throwing things at them and they have really picked up on them. They are eager to learn and are hard workers,” Tinkey said.
After introductions, the junior varsity team showed off their skills with a few basketball drills.
The varsity cheerleaders then took the floor and led the crowd in a cheer and performed a dance.
Finally, the varsity boys basketball team was ready to be introduced.
“This team is ready to go. They are ready to go against another team. They are tired of going against each other. This is a fun group and it is going to be a fun season,” Muckleroy said.
After introductions, the varsity team showcased their basketball skills with a few drills and a scrimmage against the junior varsity team.