Red Foxes focus on intensity for upcoming season

Hartsville High varsity boys’ basketball coach Aric Samuel said at times it appears the Runnin’ Red Foxes are a wanted team. “It seems like something is marking us that we are going to get every team’s best effort.”

During the 2008-09 season, Samuel said he intends for the team to come out and play hard every night and step up to the challenge.

“This year, we’ve got a team that all 15 of these guys love basketball,” the coach said. “I know this team has better team chemistry. I look forward to coaching this team for that reason.”

Samuel said his preseason goal is the same every year: win it all.

He said that starts with the team establishing an identity, and his expectations are for the team to work hard to achieve that.

The coach said he expects the team to be a good shooting team. He also said the Foxes have a solid post presence in Demarcus Cook and Eric Joe. The inside game, Samuel said, should free up the shooters.

“We can be very successful,” Samuel said.

Samuel said his key to team success is playing harder than every team they face. “If we play hard and do the little things like rebounding and taking care of the ball, I am very confident we can make a deep run in the playoffs and really start setting this program up the way it needs to be set up.”

The team will be led by Jordan Scott, Eric Joe, Lawrence McPhail and Demarcus Cook. Scott, Joe and McPhail are returning starters from the 2007-08 season.

The team had some impressive games last season but also had some disappointments. Scott was the team’s leading scorer last season, and Joe and Cook should give the Foxes a solid inside presence.

The Foxes’ first game will be on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at Crestwood High School at 6 p.m.