Ryan Hughes is well aware of the type of season the Sto-Rox boys basketball team had in 2024-25.
As the team’s coach, he lived through every second of it.
Now back for his second year of his second go-round with the Vikings, Hughes isn’t making any grand promises or predictions. But he said people who watch the team play shouldn’t expect to see what they saw a year ago.
“This is a completely different team this year,” he said, looking ahead to the Vikings 2025-26 campaign, which gets underway at 7:30 p.m. Friday at home against Seton LaSalle..
“I’ve been reading a lot of articles, and no one is mentioning us. People don’t think we’ll be any good. But I think we’ll be able to sneak up on people.”
A year ago, the Vikings slogged through an 0-10 record in WPIAL Class 3A Section 2 play and went 2-20 overall.
Hughes said he sees the potential for “a lot more success.”
“We had a good summer and fall, and we have a good group back,” he said. “I like the direction we’re going. I think we’re going to surprise some people.”
Hughes said the Vikings are not very big, but they are athletic.
“And we have some depth, so we can play pretty aggressively,” he said. “If we get into foul trouble, we have some guys who can pick up the slack.”
Hughes said the Vikings also have more experience than last year’s team.
“We’re still young, but we have a few seniors, and we’re going to rely heavily on them,” he said.
Two of the key seniors are MJ Thomas and Marcus Griffin. Hughes said the 5-foot-10 Thomas is the team leader.
“He’ll give us a lot offensively and defensively,” he said. “He’s all over the floor and does a little bit of everything.”
The 6-foot Griffin, Hughes said, might be the team’s best all-around player. “In the fall, he was our go-to scorer,” Hughes said, “and I think he’ll carry it over to be that guy.”
Chase Jefferson, another senior, will add depth after improving during the offseason, Hughes said.
Running the point for the Vikings will be 5-9 sophomore LJ Washington.
“He had some really good moments toward the end of last year when we put him at point guard,” Hughes said. “And he made strides throughout the summer.”
Two other sophomores will be counted on to provide solid play in 5-9 Adam Thomas – MJ’s younger brother — and 6-3 Karic Willis, the latter of whom Hughes characterized as “very athletic.”
Hughes described Adam Thomas as “a pest – he gets his hands on everything defensively, and offensively it seems like he’s always in the right position. He has a motor that doesn’t stop. He and his brother are alike that way.”
Hughes said he figures the Vikings’ section road will be a rough one.
“I expect Bishop Canevin and Keystone Oaks to be pretty good,” he said. “We had some success at times against them at home last year. It showed we could play with those guys.”
Be First to Comment