MANSFIELD — This has not been the kind of season anyone hoped for or envisioned when St. Peter’s tipped off its basketball campaign.
After all, this is a school that has won a pair of boys basketball state championships, in 1968 and 1978, under legendary coach Bob Frye. The Spartans were long considered one of Ohio’s small-school powerhouse programs.
Within the past five years St. Peter’s reached the Elite Eight in the Division IV state tournament three consecutive seasons under former coach Joe Jakubick.
But this year those memories have faded, and the tight numbers at such a small school have become microscopic.
When the season began, rookie coach Michael Barrett had just 16 players out for the team, freshman through seniors. But injury, illness, and academics have taken a toll. In Friday night’s 77-44 loss to Loudonville, only 10 players dressed for junior varsity and varsity combined.
“It’s tough, we just have so much inexperience,” Barrett said. “We have four seniors, but two of them have never played before.”
After Friday night’s Mid-Buckeye Conference loss, the Spartans dropped to 0-16.
“It’s no fun getting a drubbing like this,” Barrett said. “But I’m hoping our kids can take what’s happening and maybe learn some lessons beyond basketball.”
Just finishing the season, despite all the setbacks, would show a never-quit attitude.
“I can’t even remember a full week of practice,” Barrett said.
Indeed, everyone would need to be injury-free and healthy (no small chore amid a pandemic), just to allow an intra-squad 5-on-5 practice.
On game nights, St. Peter’s has a small backcourt, and that as well as inexperience and a short bench puts them in a matchup nightmare consistently. Rebounding and turnovers have been issues, too.
Still, on Friday night junior John Harris had 14 points, while senior Albree Grose added nine and senior Gavin Foltz chipped in eight. Foltz has been a solid performer most of the season, and Barrett sees genuine promise in Harris, who is learning varsity basketball on the job.
“With a good off-season, I think he can have a nice senior year,” the coach said.
Success won’t be measured by the record for the Spartans this year.
Indeed, the girls team, piloted by veteran area mentor Roy Shoulders, had to scuttle its season just before the year began. Senior Julia Rizzo, who was crowned Homecoming Queen on Friday night, was allowed to play at Mansfield Senior this year since St. Peter’s was unable to put together a girls varsity squad.
The boys have at least been able to experience a season, although being competitive is a tough chore under the best of circumstances.
“Right now we have to just try to get better every day,” Barrett said. “We just need to keep working at it.”
