Dec 7, 2017 4 min read

CAMONSBURG – Rick Bell, the veteran head coach at Canon-McMillan, understands that most people who follow WPIAL boys basketball expect his team to be significantly worse this season.

Canon-McMillan lost five seniors from a team that last season went 18-7 and qualified for the PIAA playoffs. They lost their top three scorers, two of whom, RJ Bell and Britton Beachy, are college basketball at Geneva and Lancaster Bible, respectively.

While the Big Macs return only two starters and two other players with significant varsity experience, Bell doesn’t expect his team to take a step back.

“We’re looking at it like a challenge,” Bell said. “We think we’ve got a chance to be pretty good this year. It’s a journey, but we’re looking at it like a challenge to do what we did last year and maybe even do more.”

With the season opener set for tonight against Altoona in the Canon-McMillan Tournament, Jason Fowlkes, a senior guard and the Big Macs’ sixth man last year, is confident for the upcoming season in Class 6A Section 2.

“A lot of people don’t think we’re going to play good this year. I think it’s going to be on us to step up and prove people wrong,” Fowlkes said. “If they don’t know who we are when we come out, they’ll see.”

Bell said Fowlkes and senior guard Kenyon Lewis, who is one of two returning starters, are likely to lead the Big Macs’ fast-paced offense and play at the top of their zone defense.

Pull Quote

“They’ve worked really hard. A lot of people love playing basketball; not everybody loves working at basketball – there’s a difference. These guys love working at basketball.”

– Head coach Rick Bell

Joining Bell and Fowlkes in the starting five are three juniors: point guard Elliott Waller, a returning starter, guard Drew Engel and forward Ethan Beachy, Britton Beachy’s younger brother.

Bell said he will continue to run the same “positionless five-out” offensive system they ran last season.

“We didn’t have any true post guys. We’re not going to cry about who we’re not. We’re going to embrace who we are,” Bell said. “We have no post. We’re trying to get a layup. We’re trying to beat you off the dribble. When we’re at our best it isn’t going for the three, it’s driving and then kicking it out and getting a wide-open three.”

Though the Big Macs lost a lot of leadership in the last class, Lewis thinks this year’s team has plenty of solid leaders.

“We lost some great elements to our team, but we also gained great elements. We’ve been working all summer. I think we’re really going to turn some heads this season,” Lewis said. “One thing Coach Bell has told us was to take good notes of the class that came before us. That’s what everyone did.”

As a high school basketball coach for the last 30 years, Bell said he thinks this is one of the hardest-working teams he’s ever had.

“They’ve worked really hard,” Bell said. “A lot of people love playing basketball; not everybody loves working at basketball – there’s a difference. These guys love working at basketball.”

Bell said the key to win games for his team is to have fun, and he thinks the system they play allows his players to enjoy the game.

“We need to have fun and enjoy the process,” Bell said. “We want to play fast. We don’t just want to play fast against Altoona (on Friday). We want to play fast against everybody…Basketball today in the modern day, they play fast. These guys, they don’t want to make 35 passes before they shoot. They wanna play. I think how we play is fun for them.”