When the hometown basketball team starts the season at 1-13, it might seem like a disappointing season. Not at Middletown High School.
The Knights started the season 0-12 but have won three out of their last five. They won their first game against Winters Mill High 45-43 on Jan. 29. Since then, they almost upset Frederick County power house Linganore High and won a close game against Piedmont rival North Hagerstown.
Most recently, the Knights knocked off South Hagerstown, 55-41, at South on Feb. 10.
The Knights basketball team is getting healthy, playing as a unit and might be a spoiler in the future.
When fans attended Knights games during their losing streak, their voices could echo. The stands were mostly empty and that’s rare at a Knights basketball game. Middletown is known in the past for having great fan support. Now that the Knights have been on a recent roll, the fans have been packing the gym again, watching the Knights playing harder and as a team to get some wins.
Senior Captain Jordan Hall, who has struggled with injuries, is now starting to get it together. Hall has been on the varsity team for two years and feels even with the early struggles, this team can be special.
“Right now wins aren’t important. Development of players; it’s not all about wins,” Hall said.
He might be changing his mind as the Knights start to put everything together.
Middletown has two great coaches, Jon Jarrett and Tim Leber, who have kept their players wanting to continue playing basketball.
Jarrett has coached the Knights for the last nine seasons. Jarrett succeeded his good friend and now partner Leber.
Leber coached the Knights before Jarrett from 1994-2000. In 2000, Leber stopped coaching to spend time with his newborn son, Brent. A second son, Bryce, followed. Leber said he believes family comes first so he stayed in the stands while Jarrett worked the sidelines.
Consequently, a similar event has happened to Jarrett. Jarrett’s first son, David, was born prior to the season. Jarrett turned to Leber for help and, now that Leber’s boys are older, he thought it was the right time to return.
Leber has helped Jarrett out in many ways. Jarrett said, “It’s nice having someone that’s a friend and a role model to me as a partner.”
This season has put them in scenarios they have never encountered in their coaching careers. Both coaches felt that in the long run, this season is one they’ll always remember.
“When things aren’t going great you find ways to work harder and look for things to try and fix the problem,” Leber said.
Both coaches have shown that they’ll never give up on the team and will do anything to get them to their potential on the court and in life.
With great coaches come great leaders and that’s something the Knights believe they’ve found.
Team captain Morgan Winn, the team’s leader in points per game, has been a leader off the court, as well. Winn was one of the players students could find in the weight room or running in the off-season every day. He has a great love for the game and hopes to finish this season strong.
Along with Winn is fellow captain Jordan Hall. Hall is now getting his game back to what it was in the past. He looks to be a leader for the younger players.
“I just want to step up as a leader on the court and when times get tough, be the guy who wants the ball,” said Hall.
He has also started to be considered clutch. He hit the game-winning free throw against North Hagerstown.
Doug Jesse and Matt Collins are the other seniors on the team and have been key contributors on the boards. With Jesse standing 6’2’’ and Collins at 6’7,’’ they’re a nice combo to have down low.
All the seniors have kept the team inspired and wanting to continue to play the game.
Due to this year’s lack of experience and injuries to key players, the team has had to force some younger players into action. Before this season only the four seniors had seen varsity playing time. This team has six juniors who all get playing time.
The team also has a sophomore and a freshman. Sophomore Chris Pirrone missed the first half of the season because of a bad ankle injury sustained during the fall while playing football.
Freshman Michael Pritts was moved up in the beginning of the season to help a wounded backcourt. Both have contributed to the team in major ways.
Pirrone has fought into the lineup despite the ankle injury. He feels it has hurt his game a little but doesn’t regret the injury.
“I came back to early but having no control over the things the team was doing was killing me,” Pirrone said.
The return of Pirrone took a lot of pressure off of the team. The backcourt was stronger and the team had a much better bench.
Pritts also helped the cause; he has started a few games and has played in all of them. Having a freshman on varsity was new to Leber but not to Jarrett. Jarrett coached freshman John Keimig in 2001.
Both coaches look forward to seeing Pritt’s game improve in the future but are cautious of giving him too much to do.
“We have to be careful this isn’t the same level he is use to playing,” Jarrett said.
Both players are expected to be a bright future for Middletown basketball.
This team is not all about winning a few basketball games. The Knights are about being a family and learning lessons that can be used on the court and in the real world.
If this team has one goal to end the season, it would be to knock someone out of the playoffs.
If this team uses the lessons it has learned, it will be no surprise to anyone if it does.