New Northwood boys coach John Bryan, who spent the last two years as the freshman boys coach at Maumee, has more than 35 years of coaching experience in Ohio, Florida and West Virginia. Bryan takes over for Northwood alum Matt Donegan, who remains at the school and involved with athletics.

One of Bryan’s mandates this season calls for a change in attitude within the Northwood program. So far, so good, Bryan said.

“Overall, our whole attitude has changed,” he said. “We had some characters last year - and they’re still there - but I think we’re getting some of that change. Attitude and enthusiasm are key. If our attitude stays positive and our enthusiasm stays high, the sky’s the limit for us.”

First-year Cardinal Stritch boys coach Dave Rieker brings seven years of experience to his first boys’ head coaching gig. He was the head coach at St. Ursula Academy the last three years and he spent four years as a varsity assistant at St. Francis de Sales. Rieker takes over for Stritch alum Jim Sheehy.

Rieker said his philosphy is simple.

“It starts on defense,” he said. “If you have to take the ball out of the bucket every time and walk the ball up every time, it’s hard to score. We will be a pressure defense. We will press some teams and be a hard-nosed defensive team. My kids were shocked the first week of practice. We didn’t even have a basketball, we just talked about defense. When people are done playing us, I want them to say, ‘Wow, they can play defense.’ We will run on offense. Make or miss, we will go.”

Rieker said he is a realist when asked about setting goals for this year’s Cardinals, who were picked to finish fourth in the TAAC by the conference coaches.

“I would like to win them all,” he said, “but we know that’s not possible. I would love to be .500 my first year. I think that would be a great accomplishment.”

The Stritch have a new coach, too, in Terry Murnen.

The Cardinals, who were picked to finish third in the TAAC behind Ottawa Hills and Toledo Christian, are still getting a handle on their new coach, who spent 10 years at Central Catholic as a freshman and jayvee girls coach and the last three years as a varsity girls’ assistant at Maumee.

Eight of Stritch’s first nine games are on the road.

“I would like to think we can compete for the league,” Murnen said. “If you’re doing anything, do it to the best of your ability and at the highest level possible. We’re trying to find that right now.”

Northwood girls were picked to finish fifth in the seven-team TAAC behind three-time defending champion Ottawa Hills, Toledo Christian, Cardinal Stritch and Danbury.

“For us to contend with the top teams in our conference,” fifth-year coach Geoff Milewski said, “we need to play our best basketball and hope for a few bounces or missed shots to go our way.”

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