There is some of the same, but also much is different, about the Yorktown Patriots’ boys basketball team compared to last season’s record-tying, 20-win high-school squad.
Just one full-time starter returns from a Yorktown team that finished first in the Liberty District standings in 2024-25 before falling in the semifinals of the 6D North Region Tournament.
“We still have size, but we are young,” third-year Yorktown coach Joe Keimig told ARLnow. “As a team, we know what we have to do.”
Yorktown’s returning starter is point guard Jake Coulam, who will lead the way this winter. He led Yorktown to 20 victories a year ago, tying the program record for the most wins in a single season.
Coulam is one of just three seniors on the young squad. Two other top returning players are junior guard Sam Roosa and junior forward James Davis.
Coulam enjoyed a standout season last winter. Chosen as the district’s Player of the Year, he earned first-team all-district and all-region honors and made second team Class 6 all-state.
Coulam made 50 three-pointers last season, scored 300 points and averaged six assists per game.
Yorktown appeared quite capable in its opening game of the new season, which includes a busy December schedule with the Patriots playing 11 games (10 away) and participating in four tournaments.
In the opener, the visiting Patriots routed the Lewis Lancers, 84-35, in a Dec. 1 non-district contest in Springfield.
Yorktown never trailed. It took a quick 4-0 lead, was in front 19-10 after the first quarter and 50-17 at halftime. The 84 points were more than any the Patriots scored in a game last season.
“I was disappointed we started a little slow, but we got going,” Keimig said.
Coulam, Roosa and Davis each had strong games to lead Yorktown, with its full-court press helping to force 27 Lewis turnovers. There were 10 different players combining for 20 steals, and 10 players scored in the win.
Yorktown had only one first-half turnover and shared the ball well among teammates throughout the contest.
Davis led the way with a double-double. He scored a team-high 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to go with three steals and two assists in just three quarters of action.
Davis made his first nine shots, missing just one throughout the contest.
“We have some experience back, and this team knows what we are capable of and what we want to do,” Davis said.
Roosa made three three-point baskets, scored 15 points and had three steals against Lewis. Coulam did not score in the opening period, but finished with nine points and had four assists and two steals.
Junior guard Walton Butler (four points, two steals) and junior forward Garrett Schmelling (eight points, two assists, one steal) were Yorktown’s other two starters.
Off the bench, Ryan Cooney scored nine points with a steal, Charlie Ganbaatar made two three-pointers and scored eight, Naim Benni scored five, and Shane Laughlin added four points and a steal.
In addition, 6-foot-6 sophomore forward Benny Vandall was active off the bench with two points, four rebounds, two rebounds and a block, as was Alex Randisi with four rebounds and two steals. Garon Carcillo had three steals and two rebounds.
Yorktown took only six foul shots in the game, missing its first four and making its last two.
Also among its opening games this season, Yorktown plays twice in a tournament at South Lakes High School, has single games in two one-day tournaments, and then plays twice in a holiday tourney.
“It’s a lot of games early,” Keimig said. “We’re on an AAU schedule right now.”
He was referring to offseason AAU basketball teams that regularly play multiple games during a short period of time.
