Laurel-Concord-Coleridge will be in search for another strong start to their season with winter sports practices underway.
LCC will be under the leadership of second year head coach Quin Conner.
Coach Conner said the team stayed pretty busy over the summer.
"We attended team camps at West Point-Beemer, Conestoga, Arlington, Ponca, Oakland-Craig, Clarkson-Leigh, as well as hosting TCNE (Allen/Emerson-Hubbard) and Wakefield here in Laurel," said Conner. "If we didn’t have a team camp, we had weights from 6:30-7:30 a.m. and basketball from 7:30-8:30 a.m. pretty much four days a week through June and July."
Prior to LCC, coach Conner was the head boys coach at Maxwell for three years and before that, an assistant boys coach at Conestoga.
Izac Reifenrath will be coming over to the boys side as an assistant this season.
Among the 14-member team Noah Larson will be the lone senior.
Official NSAA practices began in mid-November as LCC did have conditioning for the entirety of the week leading up to Nov. 17.
"Truly just a time for the guys to open up their lungs and remind their legs what fatigue feels like," remarked Conner.
The LCC boys basketball coaching staff has kept the team busy during week one with a goal to end the week introducing some level for their defense and offense.
LCC has also mixed in quite a bit of skill development as well, and plenty of shooting.
Coach Conner highlighted the goals from the staff.
"Continue to develop our young crop of players," said Conner. "Make sure that every time we step on the court we are giving our 100%. Take small victories and look to improve every time we lace them up."
Laurel-Concord-Coleridge will look to improve on their 9-16 finish a season ago. LCC did start the year at 4-0.
The Bears will have to find a way to replace almost 37 points a game lost in graduation. Each guard/wing spot will need to have a new person step in and fill the voids but coach Conner is excited to see who that is and what they do with their opportunity.
LCC will return a young group following a big graduating class.
"(Junior) Cade Johnson is our lone regular starter that returns," said Conner. "Looking for him to take a big step forward in just about every area. I look forward to seeing what the rest of our junior class as well as emerging sophomores will do to complement each other on the varsity floor."
Cade Johnson will play the guard/forward positions this year for the Bears and first picked up the sport when he was nine years old.
He highlighted what his off-season looked like and what he'll take away the first week of practice.
"I have been working on improving my vertical and finishing over taller defenders," said Johnson. "I will get a feel for what our team’s dynamic will be this year and what we will be able to accomplish."
Some goals set by the players include qualifying for state and to finish with an above .500 record.
"I’m excited to start playing basketball again," said Johnson. "I love basketball and it’s my favorite time of the year."
Coach Conner would also like to see his team take another step forward defensively as the offense will always come if you are willing and able to guard.
"Last year was most of these guys first time ever playing man defense, and that brought along some learning curves," said Conner. "Hoping that for some of these guys being in the second year with me as the coach, they are able to carry over what they learned last year and begin to expand on it."
The Bears first travel to West Point for a jamboree with the LCC girls team on Nov. 25 visiting GACC. Girls action will open at 6 p.m. followed by the boys varsity game.
Coach Conner mentioned the goal is to do their best as a program to get each other ready to go.
"Knowing that we will not be at our best come Dec. 5, but with the expectation to go in and compete and see where we are at come the final buzzer. Our guys will be ready to go, I never doubt that."
The 2025-26 Laurel-Concord-Coleridge season opener for both girls and boys will be on Dec. 4 hosting Crofton. JV action will start at 4:30 p.m. in Laurel.
The Bears look forward to seeing the passionate LCC fans follow them this winter.
"I would like to thank everyone who comes out and supports us no matter how far away it is," said Johnson. "It’s awesome to look up into the stands and see lots of fans there to cheer us on."
