The Mount Greylock boys’ basketball team has concluded tryouts and are gearing up to have a successful season. Coaches include Mount Greylock math teacher Bob Thistle, as well as Russ Howard and Dave Hadley. With a young team last year, the boys fell just short of making the Western Mass tournament. 

“We came up a little short last year,” Thistle said. “I think we were 9 and 11, so I think players will have a chip on their shoulder and something to prove.”  This year, there are 21 boys who will be in the basketball program, including the senior captains Toby Foehl and Mitchell Jezuoit and seven incoming freshmen. 

Lucky for Mount Greylock basketball fans, the team’s schedule has many home games and the team hopes to draw in an enthusiastic crowd. The Mounties also has some tough games ahead, according to Thistle. “We have worked in the off season to get some harder games which I think will help to make us better,” he said. 

Thistle said he wants players to have a basic philosophy and mindset — to work hard and have fun and improve. Though it is a team goal to make Western Mass this year, as it is every year, he also said he wants the team to grow closer as a family and learn more about the game of basketball.