Three Rivers Conference Preview

<p>The Three Rivers Conference is one of two new conferences in the Dayton area this season. The TRC pulled teams from all over Dayton and have a decent group to start their legacy in the area. Youth is something that will be a problem even for the top teams. Take a first look at the new conference and what to expect from it’s members this year.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Contenders</strong></span></p> <p><em>Miami East</em>- The Vikings were one of the better looking rosters in the Cross County Conference last year finishing 14-9 on the season. One of the glaring issues this team had was their youth. The two top returning players are both sophomores. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1068246" first="Jacob" last="Roeth"]</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1068245" first="Wes" last="Enis"]</strong> are still two of the area’s best players regardless of their young ages. Their return means the Vikings will continue to be a favorite even in a new conference. The youth also means however this group is susceptible to an early exit come postseason similar to last season.  </p> <p><em>Milton-Union</em>- The Bulldogs were solid in the SWBL Buckeye last year finishing 12-9. They too struggled in the postseason falling early in the Sectional tournament. Gone are some of their gritty guys that played their tails off regardless of who they were facing. Even with those "culture guys" gone, Milton-Union is still one of the favorites in the new TRC. Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="976066" first="Blake" last="Brumbaugh"]</strong> has so much potential and could have a breakout year facing Division II and IV teams now vs Division II teams in the SWBL. <strong>Andrew Lambert</strong> (Sr) also returns and brings size on the block. The Bulldogs may be able to take down Miami East and Troy Christian due to their youth, but no denying they will need more than Brumbaugh and Lambert to do this.</p> <p><em>Troy Christian</em>- The Eagles again had a great regular season in their final year in the Metro Buckeye Conference, pulling together 14 wins. However, they took an early exit to Lehman Catholic which ended their season earlier than they expected. Really they only lose 2 players from that team that was relatively young. <strong>Ben Major</strong> (Jr) has been a key member since his freshman year for the Eagles. His athleticism is hard to matchup against. <strong>Parker Penrod</strong> (So) runs the point and looked confident this Summer on the AAU scene. The youth again raises concerns if this group will struggle again come tournament time.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Rest of Conference</strong></span></p> <p><em>Bethel</em>- Bees will welcome Shane Kincer as the new coach in 2022. Has a good group back led by <strong>Casey Keesee</strong> (Sr) and <strong>Will Reittinger</strong> (Sr). New look and new opponents for the Bees.</p> <p><em>Covington</em>- Buccs struggled scoring the ball a year ago and now are without their two best scorers from that group.</p> <p><em>Lehman Catholic</em>- Lehman surprised some people winning 13 games last year. Return 6-foot-8 <strong>Justin Chapman</strong> (Jr) who has All-Conference potential. Cavs have to be right there with the top teams in the TRC.</p> <p><em>Northridge</em>- Polar Bears return one of the best scorers in the SWBL last year in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1225083" first="Antoine" last="Jacobs"]</strong> (Sr), but lose much of the supporting cast around him.</p> <p><em>Riverside</em>- The Pirates return 2 of their top 3 from a 7-9 team last year. <strong>Landon Stewart</strong> (Sr) will be one to watch.</p>