Last year’s 52-36 loss to Troy in the Section II Class AA semifinals still haunts the returning seniors on this year’s Shaker boys basketball team.
“All last year, we focused on that loss in the semifinals, and it motivated us to work harder,” said senior guard Andrew Holmes.
Holmes, forward Malik Dare and forward Tyler Hoffman form the veteran core of this year’s Shaker Blue Bison – a team determined to win another Suburban Council North Division title and get beyond the Sectional semifinals.
“It’s going to take a lot of hard work, listening to coach (Jeff Holmes) and believing in each other,” said Dare.
Shaker graduated several key players from last season including forwards David Morrison and Chris Landers, as well as guard Zach Yakel.
“We lost heart and soul,” said Jeff Holmes, who is entering his 24th season as Shaker’s varsity head coach. “We didn’t just lose good players; we also lost great chemistry guys.”
Having Dare, Hoffman and Andrew Holmes back is a good starting point for the Blue Bison. Dare and Hoffman give them a strong inside presence, while Holmes has a reputation as a solid three-point shooter.
“He had a really good year for us last year,” coach Holmes said of his son. “We’re expecting him to be a more complete player this year. He can’t just be our three-point sniper.”
Shaker fans will notice a difference in Dare’s appearance this season, as the slender forward has added upper body muscle during the off-season to make him tougher for opponents to deal with near the basket.
“He’s gotten bigger and stronger. He worked hard in the weight room,” said Holmes.
The rest of Shaker’s roster is dominated by junior varsity call-ups, but one newcomer – guard Will Francis – should be a familiar name to those who saw him play last season down Route 2 in Watervliet.
“Will Francis is a big addition for us,” said Holmes. “He gives us an extra dimension with his speed.”
Andrew Holmes said the key to having success this year is getting the newcomers on the same page with them and Hoffman.
“I think they’ll be fine. They had success at the JV level last year, and they’ve worked hard during the off-season,” said Andrew Holmes.
“We have to find a way to come together as a team, but I think we have more skill this year,” added Jeff Holmes.
Shaker’s competition in the Suburban Council North Division has some unknown variables this season. Beyond Shenendehowa, which returns several players from last year’s team that finished second to Shaker, coach Holmes said new faces in the coaching ranks makes it more difficult to know what to expect.
“You’re looking at three new coaches in the North Divison at Saratoga, Burnt Hills and Niskayuna,” said coach Holmes. “Then, you’ve got John Lea at Ballston Spa, who always has his team ready to play.”
“We’re going to have to outwork (our opponents) and basically control the things we can control,” added Dare.
Shaker gets to see what the new-look Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Spartans will be like out of the gate, as the Blue Bison travel north to face them in the season opener Friday, Dec. 6. Four nights later, Shaker plays its home opener against Saratoga Springs.