The Geneva Eagles are heading into winter with a new leader, a deep roster, and a whole lot of confidence.
First-year head coach Connor Zimmer may be just beginning his tenure, but he already sees something special in this group.
“I love our potential,” he said. “We have a lot of talent, but also a lot of leadership. If everyone buys into our standard, we will be a hard team to beat.”
With three returning starters and six more players back with varsity experience, Zimmer plans to lean on something most teams can’t match: depth. The Eagles can roll out wave after wave of contributors, each capable of changing the game on any given night.
“We can go deep into our rotation and always have a threat on the court,” Zimmer said. “Our players aren’t selfish. If you take one of our threats out of the game, we will have another threat waiting to get the shots he deserves.”
That abundance of options starts with senior guard Caden Proy, a returning starter who can take over on either end of the floor.
“(He’s a) great threat on offense and defense,” Zimmer said. “Don’t let him get going or it’s going to be a long day.”
Beside him is senior point guard Bryce Peet, the team’s on-court organizer and emotional backbone. Zimmer calls him “one of our greatest leaders and also our enforcer, great at keeping everyone on the same page,” a description that fits the veteran floor general perfectly.
Senior guard Antonio Rivera brings an entirely different but equally important spark. With a motor that never winds down and the ability to stretch defenses from deep, Rivera’s impact is felt from the opening drill to the final buzzer. Zimmer calls him an “energy professional.”
In the front court, seniors Nate Csiszar and Noah Hicks provide the toughness and balance to round out Geneva’s starting unit. Csiszar is the underrated weapon, the player opponents overlook at their own risk.
“Don’t forget about Nate, or you’ll be in trouble,” Zimmer warns.
Hicks, meanwhile, sets the standard for effort within the program. The coach praises him as the “hardest worker” who brings “relentless effort and competitive excellence every day.”
Behind that senior-heavy starting lineup sits a rotation loaded with contributors eager to make their mark.
Junior guard Danny Freeman offers athleticism and backcourt scoring, while seniors Isaiah Ward and Ricky Dipetta add more guard depth and defensive versatility. Senior Cameron Ellis gives Geneva another scrappy, quick-handed presence, and senior Dylan Shaef brings size and poise at 6-foot. Sophomore center Matt Oros, standing 6-foot-3, provides a young interior option with room to grow into a major piece of the puzzle.
The lone obstacle Zimmer sees lies not in personnel but in travel, as the Eagles face a difficult stretch of back-to-back road games later in the season. His message to the team is simple: handle it like professionals.
“Our players just need to stay locked in and come out and execute,” he said. “(It’s) just another business day.”
With depth, leadership, and a roster full of experienced seniors, the Geneva Eagles look ready to roll. If they match the belief their new coach has in them, they won’t be an easy team for anyone to deal with this winter.
