The 2007-2008 season has come to a close with the Mustangs finishing 15-9 overall and 9-7 within rugged Region 2.  Farrell, Sharon, and Reynolds finished 1-2-3, and a combined 6-0 versus the boys in blue.  Those three teams proved to be the top three in the region and deserve to represent the conference in the District 10 Playoffs.  Good luck to all three teams.

The 2007-2008 squad showed a ton of promise as they returned 74% of their total offense from the previous 12-12 season.  To put that into perspective, the 2008-2009 team will return only 13% of this season's scoring.  Basically, the Mustangs will be graduating 1276 of their total 1482 points from this season.  Next year's team will need to improve upon their commitment level to playing and working basketball in order for their team to be competitive at the region and district level.

Departing senior Dustin Snyder served as a role model as to what hard work and dedication to basketball will provide as his attendance to pre-season, post-season, and summer workouts was nearly spotless.  The same, unfortunately, cannot be said about the rest of the 2007-2008 Mercer team.  Countless workouts were missed during the off-season that could have been used to become better at skills, fundamentals, and team play.  While the 2007-2008 team was filled with promise and athletic ability, it did not possess the work ethic during the off-season necessary to make the jump at becoming a D-10 power.  Simply put, the Mustangs were outworked during the off-season, and we cannot afford to put in the same type of off-season in the future. 

Graduating are seniors Adam Braymaker, Joel Pyle, Weston Schaa, Mike Sherman, Dustin Snyder, and Justin Wittler.  Snyder led the team in scoring, 3-point field goals, made free throws, assists, minutes played, steals, charges drawn, while turning the ball over less than twice per game.  His play on both ends of the ball will be very difficult to replace.  Nobody has worked harder at playing basketball in my eight years at Mercer!  Pyle was the team's hardest worker and best defender during the season and during practices.  Braymaker had a nice season despite pulling a groin muscle in mid-season which hindered his overall play.  Schaa thrilled the crowd with his athleticism and led the team in rebounds and blocked shots.  These four finished their Mercer careers among the top 100 in Mustang history in scoring, and will be missed.

As for the future, Mercer returns an 8-13 JV team which will need to make the jump to varsity in just a few short months.  Returning letter winners are sophomore Andrew Erdos and freshman Justin Glass.  Also returning from JV are sophomores Damian Burns, Matt Little, Rich McCullough, Jeff Mock, Eric Staul, and freshman Lucas Clarke.  Others expected to move up to the Varsity/JV squad next year include frosh Garret Byers, Cody Fowler, Tim Garrett, Nick Guiler, Austin McElrath, Brandon Moon, Jason Urban, Josh Verigood, along with 8th graders Miles Bennington, Ian Bequeath, Aaron Collins, Brandon Little, Paul McCullough, Tom Roseman, Billy Selders, Jordan Smith, and Joel Solomon.

Underclassmen tourneys are just around the corner, and we will be playing in a number of those tourneys.  If you are interested in making that jump from "also-rans" to the elite of D-10, you will need to make more of a commitment to your overall game.  One way to get better is to play and work at your game, especially at the things that you don't do well.  I am holding "Homework Basketball" sessions every Sunday from 4:00 to 5:30 in the High School gym.  These sessions are free of charge and are designed purely for the improvement of individual skills and fundamentals.  Anybody attending these sessions will get better!  You need to get better!  Get to "Homework Basketball"!