A new head coach coupled with four returning starters and four others with varsity experience leaves Geneva eager for the 2024-2025 season.
Last winter, the Eagles finished 15-8 overall and 9-5 in the Chagrin Valley Conference Lake Division.
“We are returning a lot of experience with this year’s squad,” said first-year head coach John Barbo. “They know the offensive system very well so we should be able to start the season with quite a bit of our offense ready to go. Defensively, they buy into our philosophy, and I know they will work hard on that end of the floor.”
Barbo expects his squad to be strong, both mentally and physically.
“One of our team’s main strengths is just that—strength,” he said. “We have a lot of kids who play
football, so they bring not only physical strength but also a mental toughness that we like to use to our advantage. I’ve also always admired the work ethic of the players in this program. They’ll work hard every practice and do whatever it takes for the team to be successful.”
Having so many football players on the roster put the Eagles at a slight disadvantage.
“Because our football team played a couple weeks into the postseason, we are getting a little bit of a late start, but that’s true of a lot of programs,” Barbo said. “Nonetheless, getting our football players to
transition from a sport where you run straight at people and hit them to a sport where you try not to do that might take a few games. I also have several juniors that I am going to rely heavily on this season, so getting them varsity-ready is going to be a priority early on.”
The Eagles return three all-conference performers from last season.
Senior Luke Barbo, a 6-foot-1 guard, was a second-team selection after scoring 14.6 points with 5.5 rebounds per game last season. He enters the season with 729 career points to his credit.
“Luke is a four-year varsity starter who I am expecting to have a great season this year,” Coach Barbo said. “He contributes offensively and defensively and will be a key to our success this season.”
Andrew Oros and Caden Proy were honorable mention selections.
Oros is a 6-foot-2 senior forward who averaged 7.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest and Proy is a 6-foot-1 junior guard who dropped 11.5 points with 4.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
“Andrew has been working very hard in the offseason to get stronger, and early on, it appears to be paying off. We will rely heavily on Andrew in the paint for his rebounding and offensive skills. He also is a very good outside shooter, which opens up his game and makes him much more versatile,” Barbo said. “Caden is an aggressive player both offensively and defensively. Look for him to be a major scorer and rebounder for us this season. He has the potential to have a truly outstanding
season.”
Hayden Diemer and Bryce Peet round out the projected starting lineup.
Diemer is a 6-foot-2 senior guard (7.1 ppg/3.1 rpg) and Peet is a 5-foot-10 junior guard/forward (2.7 ppg/2.0 rpg).
“Hayden is an incredibly gifted athlete who, unfortunately, injured his knee in the second-last football game this season and had to have surgery to repair it. He will be back midway through the season, and I am expecting him to contribute and pick up right where he left off,” Barbo said. “Bryce is truly one of the smartest players I’ve been around. He’s a leader on the floor, and I know I can count on him to make smart decisions. He takes defense seriously, and always seems to be at the right place at the right time.”
Geneva has its sights set on winning the CVC Lake Division title and making a deep postseason run.
“I want to stress that our goal should be to show up every day ready to work hard, have a positive attitude, and sacrifice for the good of the team,” Barbo said. “If we focus on getting better every day, good things will happen.”
