Parkville sends off five seniors to next level
The majority of high school students participate in athletics as a hobby or extracurricular activity. Few are actually lucky enough to turn that hobby into something that can help earn a college degree. That’s the mindset head coach Josh Czerski brought to Parkville High School’s basketball program this past season.
Czerski was the former assistant coach at John Carroll (Bel Air, MD) in 2015-16, but was hired as head coach for the Knights last fall. The program hadn’t seen a great amount of success in recent years, so a culture change was on the horizon with the hiring of Czerski.
Prior to every team’s season, the coaches and players will meet and discuss goals to accomplish for the upcoming season. Chances are, winning a state title is somewhere on the whiteboard. While that was on the minds of the coaching staff and players, much of the conversation had to do with improving both on the court and in the classroom in order to get as many seniors graduating and continuing at the next level.
Mission accomplished.
The Knights finished with a 13-11 record on the year, which was an improvement from 2015-16, but if you ask Coach Czerski his thoughts on the year, it was a major success. Guard Lamonttea Brown and forward David Ugochukwu will continue their basketball journeys at Penn State Schulykill. Guard Devin King will play for Penn State-York. Forward Trashawn Samuels signed with Penn State DuBious, while wing Breon Williams signed with Harford Community College.
“These five guys put the work in every day to get to the next level athletically and academically,” Czerski told PrepHoops. “The coaching staff and administration is so proud of their hard work.”
Brown led the knights this season averaging 14 points per game. He was named second team All-County, first team All-Division, and represented Parkville in the Baltimore City/County All-Star Game. His gritty, physical play should translate well at the next level. Often times he is the smallest player on the floor at 5’9,” but his willingness to compete on both ends of the floor sets the tone for his team.
“Coach Czerski was a great help to me because he held us to higher standards to prepare us for what’s coming at the next level,” Brown told PrepHoops. “Schuykill was the best fit for me because it’s similar to Parkville in that it’s not too big or too small and it’s very diverse.”
Ugochukwu is an undersized big that impacts the game in many ways. The 6’3″ forward averaged 10 points and nine rebounds per game for the Knights during his senior campaign.
“Playing for Coach Czerski really helped me build confidence in myself,” Ugochukwu said. “Over the course of the season, he was doing everything he could to help get me to college, which made me work even harder. Schuylkill had a great vibe when I visited. The campus felt like home and Coach Williams is someone I would love to play under.”
King is another smaller guard at 5’10,” but his shiftiness makes him a handful in transition. He averaged nine points per game alongside Brown in the backcourt. Not only can King put the ball in the basket, but he’s also impressive jumping the passing lanes and coming up with steals.
“Linking up with Coach Czerski may have been the best thing I could’ve asked for,” King claimed. “By destiny or by the grace of God, we crossed paths and he led my brothers and I to the ideal place for each of us. Not just on the court, but in life as well. All of those unseen hours in the gym paid off for all of us. Choosing Penn State York was a no-brainer. They run a similar system to Coach Czerski’s and when I met Coach Petry, I felt like I’ve known him for years. Committing to Penn State York was an overall great decision for my family and I. It’s not too far away and gives me everything I could ask for.”
Williams was a transfer to Parkville from Owings Mills. In his lone season with the Knights, he averaged nine points per game and had four games with six or more three’s. Williams went out with a bang against Towson High School finishing with 30 points, all coming in the first half. He’ll head to Division I Harford Community College.
“Coach Czerski pushed me to limits I thought I could never get to from day one,” Williams said. “I can confidently say I grew as a player and a man this season at Parkville. Harford had such a great atmosphere when I went on my visit. Coach Mike [Smelkinson] and Coach Jarrod [Randall] introduced me to this great program and made me more comfortable with my selection process.”
Samuels was another transfer to Parkville this past season. The 6’5″ big man was key for the Knights as he was a shot-blocking presence at all times. Samuels has great upside with his size and athleticism that will translate well at Penn State DuBois.
“Even though this was my first and last year at Parkville, all the guys on the team made it feel more like a family,” Samuels said. “I can easily say the coaching staff here is one of the best I’ve ever played for hands down. Coach Czerski did whatever he could do to get his players to the next level. It’s like that man never stops working. I want to thank him for pushing me the most to believe in myself even when I didn’t.”
Coach Czerski and the coaching staff will continue to establish a new culture at Parkville. With a much younger team coming into next season, there will be a concentration on growth and development so when the next set of seniors graduate, they’ll do so with the opportunity to play at the next level.