'99-00 SCHEDULE

Dec. 6 -- Linesville      10-- Kennedy Christian      11-- at Shengango      14-- Commodore Perry      17-- Neshannock      21-- at Mercer      22-- at Slippery Rock      23-- at Union      29-- at Oil City Tournament      30-- at Oil City Tournament Jan . 4 -- George Junior      7-- Greenville      11-- West Middlesex      14-- at Commodore Perry      18-- at Sharpsville      21-- Wilmington Feb. 1-- Mercer      2-- at Laurel      4-- at George Junior      8-- at Greenville      11-- at West Middlesex      15-- at Kennedy Christian      18-- Sharpsville      22-- at Wilmington.

By The Herald Sports Staff

Transition in Transfer again will be the theme, as the Reynolds High School boys basketball program is on its third head coach in as many seasons. But first-year coach Don Andres has his sights set on effecting a turnabout in Transfer after a highly-successful cage coaching career in northeastern Ohio.

So intent on offering an optimistic outlook in Reynolds' roundball program is Andres, the club issued a media guide and refers to the club as the "Runnin' Raiders.'' And his preseason expectations are by no means modest.

"This year's goals are team-oriented, taking one game at a time, improving weekly, challenging for the (MCAC AA) title and making the (District 10) playoffs,'' Andres said via the media guide.

Andres, a former all-state player at Niles and Little All-American at Malone College and who compiled a 267-252 composite scholastic cage coaching ledger, is described as being, "very intense, motivated and enthusiastic,'' and the Raiders will be molded in his image.

A year ago, Reynolds, under first-year coach Mark Batt, a former Thiel College standout, displayed some growing pains but finished 6-18 overall and a 3-9 circuit slate.

This year, "(the Raiders) must work hard, be intense, be focused and avoid injuries to be a success, (and) they must also have chemistry and a proper mental outlook for success,'' according to Andres.

The Runnin' Raiders will be led by returning All-MCAC frontliner Randy Conley, a 6-foot-7 senior. Others expected to contribute include four juniors in 6-2, 260-pound football lineman Dan Palyo, 6-1 shooter Tim Neifert, 6-0 shooter Matt Shellenbarger and 5-11 swingman Brandon Davis. Lending depth will be 6-1 junior wing Tim Anderton and 6-2 post players Don Schmidt and Jim Combine and 5-11 Steve Sepos, along with a pair of freshmen perimeter performers in 5-9 Adam Maurer and 5-8 Colin Glover and 6-1 swingman Dan Mahlon.

Four other freshmen also are listed on the preseason roster, including 5-5 wing Curtis Ague, 5-8 wing Travis Garrett, 5-6 point guard Matt Irvine and 6-1 wing Steve Micsky.

Andres indicated his club "will stress a motion offense (and) fast break, along with a pressure, helping defense,'' however, "only 16 players make up the junior varsity/varsity roster, so depth may be a problem.''

Andres, who was not formally hired by the school board until Sept. 27, will be assisted by three of his former proteges, Doug Foster (junior varsity) and Brian O'Dell and Michael Nicastro (junior high). Reynolds products Jim Micsky and Brian Brown will work with the junior high program, also. Brown was a Raiders' standout during the mid-1980s.