The Johnston boys basketball team knew that it would have an uphill climb this season as it was moved up to Division I after graduating all five of its seniors from the previous season.
The Panthers took their lumps in the state’s toughest field, finishing the year with an 0-20 record. The team will now look ahead to next winter and return to the drawing board with a developing roster.
“The number one thing we took from the season as a coaching staff is that we had the same number of guys involved from Dec. 1 until the last game. They stayed the course, stuck together and worked hard. It’s not easy to go winless and come to practice every day and give it your all. Our culture stayed the same, that’s a kudos to the team,” said coach Mike Bedrosian.
The Panthers were led mostly by underclassmen, with sophomores occupying most of the roster spots. A bright spot for the team was Ronnie Vento, who was the team’s primary ball handler and leading scorer. Bedrosian hopes that the team will find new ways of getting him open next season.
“Every night we gave it our all, but we’re young. We have a sophomore heavy group and a lot of those guys got their feet wet and next year will know how it will be. Guys like Ronnie Vento, he played every second of every game and had the ball in his hand every time. Next year we’ll have more guys to handle the ball and will open him up next year,” Bedrosian said.
Bedrosian was also proud of senior captain Anderson Villa, who was key in keeping the players locked in despite the tough sledding.
“Andy did a great job being our leader, being our guy to lead everyone and keep guys together. He didn’t fold,” said Bedrosian, who also learned some valuable lessons from his perspective. “I learned a lot as a coach this year, you learn more about yourself in seasons that you struggle. When you have success, you can keep doing what you’re doing, but in seasons like this, you have to go back to the drawing board. I learned a lot about myself, too, and that will only help me get better.”
Although Panther fans are hoping to see the team turn things around fast, Bedrosian and his staff are looking to maintain a strong chemistry on the court and make steady progress.
“I think next year we’ll be better, win some games and challenge for a playoff spot, then two years we’ll be back in the championship conversation. We just needed to get some experience and they got a taste of that,” said Bedrosian. “They’re already working out at Rainone, they’re hungry for it. They’re invested.”
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