District champion Devils unveil banner, commemorate team
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - The 2021-2022 District XI Champion Shenandoah Valley Blue Devils.
SHENANDOAH – The last time a Shenandoah Valley boys basketball squad brought home a District XI title, their home court was the former West Mahanoy Township High School in the Heights.
The Devils, under Head Coach Rob Miller came one game away four times prior under his 13-year tenure, including back-to-back berths in the title game in 2016 and 2017.
The 2016 loss was followed by a run into the state playoff equaling the deepest run in program history, a record set by the 1976-77 team.
The last team to win a District XI title.
Before Thursday’s game against Schuylkill Haven, Miller told the crowd at the high school gym that a screenplay about the team’s story would be rejected by any producer in Hollywood.
“It just couldn’t happen,” Miller said. “In Freshman basketball, they dominated, and they lost a key player from that team to another team in our division who we had to play at least twice a year every year after that.”
He said the high school squad won two games and six games in their Freshman and Sophomore years respectively.
“You guys finally filled this huge space on the wall that I’ve been trying to do since I got here. You guys will never understand how much I appreciate that.”
Head Coach Rob Miller to his 2021-2022 District XI champions
As they prepared for their Junior year campaign, cue the coronavirus pandemic.
“We weren’t sure if we were going to have a season,” Miller said, adding that they lost a host of players to injuries and illness.
“The perseverance of this team is what they’re going to be remembered for. They battled through all of that three years in a row to get to their senior year,” Miller said. “And just when we thought we didn’t have anything to fight through, Luke Matta, ne of our star players, has a major injury and misses out on the rest of his season.”
Miller said the 56-44 win over Tri-Valley to secure the District XI title, fulfilled a dream.
“You guys finally filled this huge space on the wall that I’ve been trying to do since I got here,” Miller said to the team, gathered aside him at half court. “You guys will never understand how much I appreciate that.”
Along with the District XI title, the 2021-2022 campaign came with a first in program history — an undefeated season on the home hardwood.
Miller was joined by the entire championship team, who are as follows:
- Matthew Alvarez
- Bobby Boris
- Joan Guillen
- Owen Kosar
- Luke Matta
- Nicholas Mikita
- Jonathan Cano
- Erick Hernandez
- Kaleb Maksimik
- Rian Ramos
- Brian Rivera
- Kenny Maldonado
- Brady Najda
- Estuardo Salguero
- John Silvestre
- Gunner Taylor
- Brandon Boris
- Brayden Maksimik
- Jonathan Nagle
- Head Coach Rob Miller
- Assistant Coach John Gower
- Assistant Coach Mark Kufrovich
- Trainer Josh Kneal
- Scorekeeper Kathy Boris
The team, on the count of 4-6-2, referencing Shenandoah’s legendary landline telephone exchange, unveiled the championship banner underneath the far-side scoreboard.
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CORRECTION: This article originally listed the former home court of the Blue Devils as the Roosevelt Junior High. Home games at that time were actually played in Shenandoah Heights and the article has been corrected.
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