2024-25 Lynchburg-Clay Boys Basketball Preview

The Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs start the 2024-25 season with a new head coach leading the program, as they look to improve on the previous season.

LC’s new head coach is Kyle Pertuset, as he takes over for Brian Callahan after two seasons at the helm of the Mustangs, where LCHS had a combined record of 25-23.

Pertuset was hired in May to become the new head coach at LCHS, as he’s a 2005 graduate of Minford High School and a 2012 graduate of Shawnee State University. As reported by The Highland County Press this past May when he was hired as the head coach, Pertuset began his official coaching career at his alma mater, being an assistant coach for Minford’s junior high program following graduation, as he was also a volunteer coach for the high school program.

Pertuset worked his way through the ranks at various programs, including the past three seasons at Cambridge High School. Before that, Pertuset coached four years in Kentucky, with one year at Heritage Academy, followed by three at Jackson City.

Now is time for Pertuset to build back the Mustangs’ program, as they finished in third place last season in Division I of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference with a 6-7 conference record. In SHAC games last season, the Mustangs averaged 49.1 points per game and allowed 53.2 ppg. In all 23 games played in the 2023-24 season, LCHS averaged 46.6 ppg and allowed 52.6 ppg.

Lynchburg-Clay has six seniors, five juniors, four sophomores and one freshman on their 2024-25 roster, as three to four players returning started games last season.

Seniors for the Mustangs are Asher Faust (guard), Jay Cordrey (guard), Austin Bell (guard …injured), Cody Bell (guard), Caden Faust (guard) and Braedon West (guard).

Cody Bell — an OPSWA Special Mention All-District selection — in 22 games last season scored 216 points (9.8 ppg) and grabbed 59 rebounds 2.7 rpg). He also collected 34 assists, 41 steals and had seven blocks.

Austin Bell finished last season with 23 games played and he totaled 157 points (6.8 ppg), 96 rebounds (4.2 rpg), 38 assists, 28 steals and nine blocks. West also played in all 23 games where he finished with 112 points, 51 rebounds, 34 assists, 19 steals and one block. Cordrey’s totals from last season were 76 points, 41 rebounds, 11 assists, 14 steals and one block.

“We have decent depth at the guard position, although losing Austin Bell to injury was a blow because he does so much for the team on both ends of the floor,” Pertuset said. “Cody Bell will look to step into a role that involves more primary ball handling this season. Cody has a great ability to shoot the basketball and demonstrated that over the summer.

“Asher Faust is a guard who just plays hard every play, every rep, every game. That is a skill of itself in this day and age, and I can see us leaning on Asher to bring energy and relentless defense. Braedon West provides experience and depth at guard and has a great ability to play the game at a pace of great control.”

Juniors include Elam Faust (guard), Denver Clinton (guard/forward), Rhalstan Greene (forward) and Caden Boone (forward).

Clinton last season played 19 games, averaging 17.7 points per game with 4.9 rebounds per game, 1.8 assists per game and 1.9 steals per game. He finished with 337 points, 93 rebounds, 34 assists, 37 steals and nine blocks. Clinton was also an All-SHAC, Coaches Honorable Mention All-District, OPSWA Second-Team All-District and Honorable Mention Div. III All-Ohio player last season.

“I look for Denver Clinton to have a big season, as we will rely heavily on him to score the basketball, defend and be a leader by example,” Pertuset said. “At his full potential, he is a POY candidate within the next two years.”

Pertuset spoke about more juniors on the roster as well.

“I have been impressed early on in practice with Elam Faust. He looks to be very athletic and runs the floor very well,” he said. “Elam also has the ability to hit the outside shot.”

Sophomores for the Mustangs are Max Baker (forward), Aric Slack (guard), Trevor Niehaus (guard) and Austin Manning (guard).

“A varsity newcomer we are excited about is Trevor Niehaus because he’s put in a lot of time in the summer, whether it be the gym or weight room, and I look for it to pay off for us,” Pertuset said. “Max Baker is another player who has put in a ton of time to get better. He would live in the gym if we let him, and anytime you have a kid like that, you’re excited about it.

“I am looking forward to seeing the development of all of our kids who put a lot of time in during the summer. We have several others who have the potential to really contribute if they do the right things. I like the guys we have in the locker room. They all have done some good things, guys like Harley Lewis, along with the rest of our roster will also be looking to make a mark. We will just have to wait and see … everything is day to day.”

Putting his touch on the Lynchburg-Clay varsity program, Pertuset knows it will take time, and that began this summer when he took over the team. Though patience is key in adding a system to any basketball program, Pertuset said his first summer at LCHS was a success in “many ways.

“The offseason was successful in many ways, but it was difficult to fully implement a new system because during the summer with multi-sport athletes, kids working and vacations, you rarely have all the kids there at the same time,” he said. “We might have 15 one time, 17 the next, but it’ll be a different blend of players. Anytime you start over, there’s a lot of getting to know the personalities of your players, how they respond to different types of coaching, approaches, etc. I am very pleased with what we accomplished in the weight room, and we appreciate the boosters and administration effort on that end as well.”

Even with the short amount of time together with his team, Pertuset said there are positives to build on, and there are also improvements to be made.

“We play hard, and I feel we have a pretty interchangeable group,” Pertuset said. “We have adjusted to playing at a faster pace, we have embraced the weight room. So far, we are open to our identity being a pressure defense team and a transition defensive team.

“We will have to do a better job rebounding and defending. We also need to improve on our approach day to day in practice, and for the most part we are. We just have to understand that every rep matters and in order to give ourselves a chance to win, we must maximize every opportunity.”

Describing his team as “versatile, athletic and deep,” Pertuset has expectations for the Mustangs to become “better every day” and to work on improving.

“I expect us to get better every day, and work to fix our mistakes, as well as be flexible enough to take on new challenges or approaches,” he said. “A basketball season is a lot like a long road trip or car ride … you are never quite sure what is around the corner. Obviously we would like to be a factor in the league as well as the D-VI district tournament too.”

The SHAC should have another season of competitive basketball, where the Mustangs are coming off a third-place finish last season at 6-7. The Div. I champions last season were North Adams at 13-0, followed by Eastern at 10-3 and LCHS. Next were Peebles at 5-8 and West Union at 1-12.

“(The SHAC) is a great league top to bottom,” Pertuset said. “It has great coaches, great players, great fans and great communities. I don’t think you can take any games for granted.”

The non-conference schedule for LCHS consists of the following games: at Green, vs. Paint Valley, vs. East Clinton (Chad Hodson Classic at Fairfield), at McClain, at Hillsboro, vs. Westfall, at Felicity, vs. Washington and vs. Blanchester.

“The challenges for non-conference games are always in the preparation, how prepared are we going to be, how much attention to detail we are going to focus on, scouting and how we will adapt to the style of play, etc,” Pertuset said. “We are looking forward to playing, and I know this senior class would like to carry over the success from other sports onto the court.”

Assistant coaches for LCHS are Todd Faust (varsity assistant), Tyler Barton (JV coach) and Scott Chisman (freshman coach).

The Mustangs begin the 2024-25 season Tuesday, Dec. 3 on the road against the Fairfield Lions in a SHAC game at Grandle Gymnasium.

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