Tri-Valley senior Braeden Doyle is ringing in the new year, leading a veteran bunch that seeks a district championship after just falling short last season.
The Bulldogs (7-1; 6-0) are currently the only undefeated team in Division II Schuylkill League play and have outscored their opponents so far, 73 to 58 points per game.
“Braeden (Doyle) takes the team on his shoulders, and he’s a senior leader night in and night out. He does what he has to do to help the team win,” said Masser. “He shoots the ball well, finishes well, rebounds well, and carries the team on his shoulders.”
Doyle’s excellence was shown on full display this past week when he dropped 26 points at Marian Catholic before leading the way with a 17-point game against Pine Grove.
“Our goal is just to be competitive every game, and we’re trying to win out,” said Doyle. “We’re really close, and we’ll hang out with each other on off days, and everyone enjoys playing together.”
Doyle was part of Tri-Valley’s district playoff run team last season, which fell to Marian Catholic 59-55 in the District 11 2A Championship game on March 1. They also fell to Pottsville 63-55 in the Schuylkill League quarterfinal playoffs at Martz Hall on February 8.
He’s continued the dominant play this season with an undefeated league record with wins over Mahanoy Area, Williams Valley, Lourdes, Shenandoah Valley, Nativity, Marian, and Pine Grove.
“We have guys that can put the ball in the rim, and Braeden’s (Doyle) been in the program four years and it’s his third year starting,” said Masser. “It’s a great feeling to have a kid like that on the team.”
The offensive pour down in a 74-40 win at Marian Catholic included Porter’s 17 points, Johnson and Klock’s 11 points, and Cooper Carl’s seven points.
The Bulldogs’ offense, which is outscoring opponents by 15 points per game, is led by the team’s five seniors: Camryn Olmas, Owen Miller, Klock, Doyle and Carl. Juniors Trey Porter and Jack Wehry have also been leaders offensively.
“This team is close, and we love playing basketball together, and we play fast,” said Doyle. “If we’re playing fast, we’ll be good because everyone gets the ball and takes good quality shots.”
For now, Tri-Valley looks to build on the success from the last four years, when they accumulated 72 wins and 30 losses.
The biggest goal for Doyle this season remains to win a District 11 Championship. Mahanoy Area has won two District 11 2A Championship titles in the last five years, while Marian Catholic, Shenandoah Valley, and Williams Valley have also won district titles.
“Our school is a very tight-knit community, and it’s amazing when you get recognition, even being a smaller school,” said Doyle. “I don’t care who wins and gets the praise, I just want to win.”
Doyle’s first goal for the remainder of the season is to win the Division II league standings, then make a good run at the league and win the District 11 2A Championship.
“My role on this team is one of the scorers, and I don’t need to score that many points because I know my teammates have me if I don’t score because they’re all solid basketball players,” said Doyle.
Tri-Valley is undefeated in Division II league play, while Schuylkill Haven sits in second place at 5-1, with Weatherly in third place.
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