By Luke Loftus The Johnstown Breeze
2025-11-26 06:00 AM
As the fall high school sports season winds down, Roosevelt Rough Rider athletes, including boys and girls basketball, are getting ready for their season.
Girls basketball
The Roosevelt girls basketball team looks to improve even more from their impressive year last year, where they unfortunately fell in the Great Eight of the state playoffs. They are returning three players, and one lone senior, Kyla Hollier, who has signed with the CSU Rams to continue playing basketball at the college level. And the other two returning are junior Ava Grosboll and Halle Adams.
When asked about players she is excited about and looking forward to seeing this year, head coach Kerstin Young said, “Easily, I could talk about each girl, but how I think about it as a coach is every player on our roster is important to what I’m wanting to build so each of them bring something unique to the team, whether it’s skill, ball handling, scoring, defense, rebounding, their leadership, energy, their hype off the bench, or work ethic. And I’m just excited about all those pieces and how they fit together. We are at our best when everyone contributes and that is exactly what we are going to expect this season and what makes us so tough to play against.”
Asked about her expectations for this year, Coach Young said, “It is to compete every single night, to grow both physically and mentally throughout the year, and I want to be playing our best basketball when it matters most. To make another run at state and not just the Great Eight, but to actually win state and to go further than we did last year. And being able to represent Roosevelt with pride both on and off the court.”
Even after going an astounding 22-4 last year and making the Great Eight, Coach Young said this on what it will take to improve even more and make that state finals run.
“We are best when everybody contributes. It goes back to teamwork and expecting to compete with toughness. I emphasize defense, that’s huge for me. Being scrappy, being gritty, boxing out, getting rebounds. Doing the simple things, free throws, layups, good footwork, playing with confidence, always being a threat on offense.
“And I firmly believe that good players are going to make themselves look good and great players make others look good,” Young said. “And that all goes back to teamwork. I’m also big on culture, teamwork and working together. Things like work ethic, focus, discipline, all of those things are going to come into play this year, and just being committed. The basketball season is a very long season. And teaching these girls to handle all of those things throughout the season.
“I’ve got a group of girls that want to go the extra mile. They proved that in the offseason. And I couldn’t be more excited to get started.”
The Lady Rough Riders’ season tips off on December 10 against Legend High School. Their first home game will be December 15 against the Wellington Eagles to start league play.
Boys basketball
The Roosevelt boys basketball team looks to make the same strides they did last year, and to keep improving on that. In the 2023-2024 season they went 5-18. Last year, under new head coach Tommy Ervin, they improved to 11-12. This year, the team and Coach Ervin are looking at taking another step.
“Overall, we made a sixwin jump. We want to make that same jump again,” Coach Ervin said about this year. Last season the boys missed state by one seed.
When asked about what it will take to make that same jump and reach the playoffs, Ervin said, “I think defensively it’s just consistency. I think that’s our strength. I think it is something we did a very good job of last year, and it’s up to us to build on and create turnovers and get some easy points in transition. And on the offensive side of the ball, I want to keep playing fast in transition. And in the half court, being a little bit more patient and letting things develop, and making the right reads and consistently taking easy shots. Also making sure we are in the right spots, and making the right reads, and that’s up to me to scout and dissect what the other team is going to do so we have an advantage on that end.”
Ervin on some players he is excited about this season: “Our leaders, Jack Cook, he was all conference last year and it was his first year playing varsity. He did a great job of leading, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Then we are going to have Brooks Reckard back. He is a glue guy. He facilitates, he rebounds, he plays defense. He is just someone who plays winning basketball all the time. And I think there are players you win games with, and players you win games because of, and Jack and Brooks are in that mix. We have both of our big guys back, Brody Burke and Landyn McCann. I think they really complement each other well, so depending on what we need we can flip flop those two. They’re just a unit too, they’re each other’s biggest cheerleaders. I can’t wait for those two to play.
Then we have Noah Lucero. I don’t care what anyone says, he is one of the best defenders in this area, incredible football player and just an athlete. And he gets his hands on everything and leads us on that side of the floor. Also, I am really excited for a freshman, Heydyn Bahnsen-Price, and as we progress throughout the year, I think people will be getting to know him. And we are really excited to have him.
“I’m excited,” Coach Ervin said. “We had a really good summer and now it’s all just translating it to when the lights are on.”
The Roosevelt boys tip off their season on December 1 at home against Eagle Ridge Academy.