There will be a lot of new faces on the Marlboro boys’ basketball court this season.

The Iron Dukes’ roster was gutted after last season by the loss of 10 seniors from last year’s Section 9 Class B runners-up.

Last Wednesday, 11 new players got their first taste of varsity experience during a scrimmage last Wednesday against Monticello.
“We’re young but we’re very talented,” Marlboro coach Mike Koehler said. “We have a lot of kids that can get out and run, which is something we have to learn how to do, but we have the ability to be a very good team.”

Several key players returning for the Dukes this year, include sophomore Korbyn Samuels, one of the Dukes’ leading returning scorers.

The Dukes also will welcome back senior Justin Schwarzbeck, junior Alex Grzechowski, Matt Drake, Drew Belcastro and Tony DiMegglio.

“We’re a pretty young team, but I think we’re going to be strong team,” Schwarzbeck said. “We have a lot of good athletes. We have a lot of good basketball players. A lot of us are getting along. We’re getting closer and closer every day.”

Some of the newcomers who got their first taste of varsity action on Wednesday included Chinaedu Okasi, Colin Casey, C.J. Faircloth and Mark Prisano.

“It’s a lot faster of a game than JV,” Schwarzbeck said. “It’s a lot more competitive and kids are stronger.”

Scrimmages are giving the Iron Dukes a clue of what they need to work on as they head into the regular season.

“We have to learn how to run constantly in transition and get back and transition,” said Koehler.

When the Iron Dukes have had success, it was because they were able to outrun and outwork their opponents.

“It’s important,” Grzechowski said. “It provides energy and keeps momentum going our way throughout the game.”
And most importantly, it provides offense.

“The last few seasons, transition has been huge,” Koehler said.

“This year, we’re going to have the ability to score off our defense. We have a lot of guys who can get their hands in passing lanes. We have the ability to score on defense and we just have to make sure we’re always prepared to do so.”

They don’t have much time to prepare. Traditionally starting the second Monday of November, preseason practice did not start until Tuesday, Nov. 12, due to Veterans Day.

The regular season is coming fast as the season opens on Dec. 3 when Marlboro hosts Millbrook.

“We play a game in less than two weeks,” Koehler said. “It’s a shorter preseason than normal. It feels like we haven’t had two weeks of preseason.”

But for a program with a recent history of success, everyone has the same goal: getting back into the Section 9 Class B tournament and winning the title they failed to defend last year.

“We want to make it as far as we can,” Schwarzbeck said. “Win a section title and maybe more. See how far we can go.”
Koehler said that’s a legitimate goal for his team.

We just have to learn how to work to do it,” Koehler said. “Nothing’s going to be given.”