“Right now, I look forward to playing any game. Because who knows what’s going to happen?”

That was the response that first-year Wolverines head basketball coach Jordan Copley had knowing it would be weeks until he could have his team back together on the court.

And becoming a team in all variations of the word, is at the core of what Copley is looking to accomplish this year.

The new coach is looking for positive impacts from all players to keep team basketball the top of the list, hand-in-hand with winning.

“I don’t necessarily feel there is one individual person that needs to step up,” said Copley. “We need to move forward with the team mentality, meaning everyone holds everyone accountable. Obviously, we have a few seniors and juniors that have seen a lot of varsity minutes, and the younger players look to them for leadership and neither are afraid to embrace this role.”

The Wolverines, like many schools across the nation, have been impacted by COVID-19. Prior to the state’s pause on winter athletics, Sheffield was already in the middle of a 14-day stoppage. Regardless of the early halt or the current one, Copley was prepared coming into the season and is focused on keeping his players up to speed.

“We knew the potential was always there. Obviously not practicing is going to hinder a team,” said Copley. “When these sorts of things happen, we got to adjust and react to the situation and the best of it.”

Copley added: “I spitballed the idea about potentially doing some Zoom calls with the kids about staying in touch; to keep basketball in their minds, do some playbook work, check in on them overall.”

Sheffield will see the return of 11 players from last year, led by seniors Connor Johnson, Sam Lauffenburger, Nolan Alabaugh, and Tyler Hepinger, who is approaching 1,000 points on his career. Throw in the two juniors, Caden Copley and Tony Richards, and Coach Copley is confident his veteran leadership will guide a deep and talented group of sophomores.

“The sophomore class has a lot of depth from A-to-Z,” said Copley. “Some with a lot of varsity time and some with very little. That being said, I think moving forward this younger group has the ability to contribute lots of valuable minutes. The work and dedication the team has put into the off-season has been incredible and this sophomore class definitely brings the dedication as well.”

Sheffield’s sophomores include Lucas McNeal, Connor Finch, Mason Silvis, Gage Mott-Macalush, and Matt Lobdell. Copley is hoping the mix of new and experienced athletes and the team-first approach will lay the foundation for building up Sheffield basketball.

“I’m trying to build a program,” Copley said. “These kids are a huge piece to Sheffield basketball, as long as I’m there. To building the culture of a team. Nobody is greater than the overall goal and that’s to win basketball games.”

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Today is the latest in a series of winter sports previews of Warren County high schools in the Times Observer circulation area. Despite the announcement earlier this month by Gov. Tom Wolf that places a minimum three-week stoppage of all high school and youth sports practices and games in the state, the remaining sports previews will still run periodically in the days ahead.