Solid group of seniors lead SMCC

SANDUSKY — St. Mary Central Catholic's boys basketball team had plenty of high points in the 2022-23 season. Maybe the best moment was the Division IV sectional semifinal versus Plymouth, when Charlie Kaftan rebounded a miss by Sedric Cook and put it in before the buzzer, winning the game 46-44. Kaftan, now a senior, believes the tournament win and close losses to teams such as SBC River co-champion Hopewell-Loudon can be built upon entering the 2023-24 campaign. "We had a lot of big moments where guys made plays," Kaftan said. "It shows us we have what it takes to compete at that level." The Panthers return four letterwinners from that team under new head coach Kyle Hammond. Hammond stepped down last spring from his position as boys basketball coach at Edison after 10 years. In less than two weeks, he filled the open position at SMCC. "I'm really excited about being here and the possibilities of our program," Hammond said. "You look at Saint Mary's and see a ton of tradition in boys basketball." With five seniors leading a deep varsity roster, the Panthers believe their ceiling is high if they can turn some of last season's close losses into wins. It starts with Kaftan, whose buzzer-beater wasn't a flash in the pan. He led the team in scoring at 8.6 points per game, added 4.5 rebounds and will have more responsibilities as a senior. He can hit a shot from deep but also contribute to rebounding with his 6-foot-2 frame. Kaftan and his teammates enjoy playing in Hammond's scheme. "I've talked to Garrett (Jackson) and Braylon (Harris) and we like the system he's putting in," Kaftan said. "We want to play fast and this system is going to allow us to do that." "I can tell he's trying to install a winning mentality back into our school," Jackson said. Jackson will handle the ball and conduct the Panthers' offense. He is a speedy athlete who can create from anywhere on the floor. His main focus is limiting turnovers on offense. "Our decision-making hasn't been the best in the past couple years," Jackson said. "We're trying to get over the hump." Jackson's most impressive moments come on the defensive end, where Hammond hails him as "one of the best on-ball defenders I've coached in a long time." Braylon Harris, like Kaftan, is another length scorer who can rebound and defend all positions. He averaged 7.1 points per game as a junior and will take on more usage as a senior. Brayden Gill is the fourth returning letterwinner and is looking to build on a productive sophomore season. He is another longer guard akin to the body type of Harris and Kaftan, which gives the team defensive versatility. The Panthers are undersized compared to some of their opponents, but they are focused on attacking the glass from the wings. In the frontcourt, players like 6-4 Jacob Harrison and 6-3 Gabe Burch will be positioned in the paint. "We're going to have to fight and scrap," Hammond said. "Especially when it comes tournament time, I believe rebounding is what really separates teams." SMCC gained senior reinforcements in forward Chris Robinson and guard Benny Leech, who did not try out as juniors. Bryan Gibson, Reid Wikel, Blake Finneran and Sam Lawrence will battle for playing time off the bench. "They work so hard in the offseason, they care a lot about it and it rubs off on us," Kaftan said of his underclassmen teammates. "It's good that there are guys that make us compete." The Panthers want to play a fast brand of basketball so they'll need to lean on all 12 varsity players at times to carry the load. "We want to push the basketball like I preached at Edison," Hammond said. During Hammond's career as a player in the 2000s, Saint Mary was one of the best basketball programs in the area. Now as the head coach, he wants to restore that success and remind his players of the program's rich history. "There's a lot of pride they should have representing this school," Hammond said. "I love how our kids are embracing that challenge and wanting to put this school back to where it should be as a competitive program." 2023-24 roster No.&emsp;&emsp;Name&emsp;&emsp;Pos.&emsp;&emsp;Ht.&emsp;&emsp;Yr. 0&emsp;&emsp;Bryan Gibson&emsp;&emsp;G&emsp;&emsp;5-11&emsp;&emsp;10 1&emsp;&emsp;Brayden Gill&emsp;&emsp;G&emsp;&emsp;6-2&emsp;&emsp;11 2&emsp;&emsp;Braylon Harris&emsp;&emsp;G&emsp;&emsp;6-2&emsp;&emsp;12 3&emsp;&emsp;Garrett Jackson&emsp;&emsp;G&emsp;&emsp;5-10&emsp;&emsp;12 4&emsp;&emsp;Chris Robinson&emsp;&emsp;F&emsp;&emsp;6-0&emsp;&emsp;12 5&emsp;&emsp;Sam Lawrence&emsp;&emsp;F&emsp;&emsp;6-0&emsp;&emsp;10 10&emsp;&emsp;Blake Finneran&emsp;&emsp;G&emsp;&emsp;5-7&emsp;&emsp;10 11&emsp;&emsp;Benny Leech G 5-10 12 13&emsp;&emsp;Reid Wikel&emsp;&emsp;F&emsp;&emsp;5-11&emsp;&emsp;11 20&emsp;&emsp;Charlie Kaftan&emsp;&emsp;F&emsp;&emsp;6-2&emsp;&emsp;12 25&emsp;&emsp;Jacob Harrison&emsp;&emsp;F&emsp;&emsp;6-4&emsp;&emsp;11 33&emsp;&emsp;Gabe Burch&emsp;&emsp;F&emsp;&emsp;6-3&emsp;&emsp;10