By Matthew DeGeorge
Building from scratch after not being able to play at all is something completely different. Add in a new coach and you’ve got the measure of the challenge before Academy Park this winter.
The Knights opted out of the 2021 season, citing concerns over COVID-19 in the community. That means new coach Todd Hryn has little experience within the ranks to build on. Instead, the former assistant at Penncrest and Strath Haven has a chance to create this year’s team out of whole cloth.
The closest thing to experience comes from the football field. The Knights will count on a pair of players from AP’s run to the District 1 Class 5A semifinals to provide grit in the post, via senior Ibrahim Sanogo and junior Darrell Fields. Kahlil Greenwood was one of the Knights’ top pass-catching threats in the fall, and the 5-9 senior has varsity experience dating back to 14 games as a sophomore.
Senior captain Zahamir Mobley played sparingly in his sophomore season in 2019-20. Sophomore Jamir Anderson will run the point, while junior Najee Shaw and senior Bryce Mickens will fill out the rotation.