BERLIN- Worcester Prep’s boys’ varsity basketball team got its season off to an uneven start, cruising past Gunston, 68-24, last week in the season opener before falling to Salisbury Christian, 51-49, in a tight game on the road on Tuesday.
The Mallards are coming off a 17-3 season last year including the Eastern Shore Independent Athletic Conference (ESIAC) championship. Worcester lost a handful of key players from the conference championship team, but return a solid nucleus expected to make a run at a repeat in the ESIAC.
Senior co-captains Matt Reilly and Ryan Nally are expected to lead Worcester this year, along with another four-year player in senior Jack Marshall. Other seniors on the squad include Thomas Buas and Jack Pedigo. Erik Zorn is the lone junior on the 2013-2014 team, which includes a flock of young Mallards ready to make their mark on the program.
Sophomores Elio Telo, Wyatt Richins and Charlie Pritchard are ready to step into key roles, while freshmen Owen Nally and Tate Shockley are expected to make an immediate impact. The Mallards faced Greenwood Mennonite at home yesterday in a game played too late to be included in this week’s edition, and will face Greenwood again today on the road. Next week, the Mallards will face Holly Grove on Monday at home and will travel to Chincoteague next Wednesday in the last game before the holiday break.