Wiltz, Cougars look to replace graduated Wagner
Long-time Charleroi boys basketball coach Bill Wiltz has been lucky enough to coach some talented players during his career, most notably Vinnie Graham in Wiltz’s tenure at Belle Vernon.
And, during his 25-plus years at Charleroi, Wiltz has had some good players, and maybe none of them were as good as 2022 graduate Will Wagner.
Now a freshman on the Thiel men’s team, Wagner was one of the best all-around players in program history.
So how does Wiltz plan to replace Wagner?
“You don’t,” Wiltz said. “Will was a special player.
“You can’t take 25 points a game out of your lineup and replace him with one person.”
The team will rely on its athleticism and speed to win games.
“We don’t have the shooting that we have had the last few seasons,” Wiltz said. “Keys for us will be to play transition basketball and we have to play up tempo. We will play pressure defense and we will have to get some easy hoops from our D.”
Senior Ben Shields, a 6-2 center, is the lone returning starter for the Cougars.
Junior point guard Bryce Large and junior wings Joel and Jake Chambers will also start, while the fifth position is up for grabs.
Wiltz said a pair of freshmen, Jackson Kerenko and Brock Henderson, along with senior Cole Marucci, are competing for that fifth spot.
The Cougars are in Section 4-AAA along with Brownsville, McGuffey, Mount Pleasant, Washington, Waynesburg Central and Yough.
“We think we can compete for a playoff berth,” Wiltz said. “It is going to be a competitive situation as Washington will be tough, Brownsville is returning a lot and McGuffey is always tough.
“The section will be tougher with Yough and Mount Pleasant coming down.”