Player Profile: McClain Tigers

The two McClain Tiger seniors in Roger Carroll and Trey Lytle will look to lead the Tigers on the court this season, but before they reached their final year of high school basketball, they looked back to their childhood … where and how they began their basketball careers, as they weren't a part of the same team early on.
   
"I started playing basketball when I was really young," Lytle said. "My parents both played, and I've always enjoyed it and I just kept playing."
   
Carroll's story is similar to Lytle's, but with a bit of a twist.
   
"I first started playing basketball at Lynchburg," Carroll said. "I started off in third grade playing on a traveling team. We used to come and play Greenfield, then in the eighth grade I came here. We played against each other from the third to seventh grade, then we came together here."
   
Being opponents early on was, in fact, one of their favorite memories as they looked back at their basketball career.
   
"We played against each other for a good while," Lytle said. "We won a couple little league Highland County championships against each other. It's been pretty fun.”
   
Having those memories makes this year even better for both players.
   
"It's an amazing feeling," Carroll said.
   
"It’s fun because growing up you’re with them, and you are like 'they are good,' and you grow up and end up being teammates," Lytle said.
   
With it being their final year of high school basketball, each player had some things they were looking forward to.
   
"We want to win an SCOL (South Central Ohio League) title as a team," Lytle said. "We are all pretty close, and we think it would be a great accomplishment to bring the title back to Greenfield."
   
"I want us to go to the Convo (at Ohio University)," said Carroll. "Making it that far would be a good time."
   
Getting to the Convocation Center is a task the Tigers will be met with during tournament time, and reaching that point for the seniors would not only be an accomplishment, but would make it worthwhile as they have given a lot of years to the sport.
   
"I've continued to play basketball because you develop friendships and it is a competitive sport," Lytle said. "I love to compete, and it’s great to compete with these guys (looking at teammates)."
   
Carroll's reason for sticking with the sport was simple.
   
"I have a love for the game," he said.
   
This is it for both seniors. This is their final go-around with the Tigers. This is their final opportunity to play on the McClain court where great teams have set the standard in the past. This is the year where both seniors want to make their mark as leaders on that same court as they continued their work on that same court with the season nearing.
   
"Our offseason has been pretty good. We had a lot of scrimmages and tournaments in the summer that we did well in," Lytle said. "There is a lot of pride in wearing the McClain jersey. We are all a family, whether you play still or are an alumna, you are still a part of a close-knit group."
   
Carroll spoke about what the program meant to him.
   
"This program means a lot. We emphasize a lot on defense, the community always comes out and supports. The community gives a lot of support behind you, and it feels really good to be a McClain Tiger."
   
Yes, the Tigers are known for their defense and these two seniors respect that tradition, in Greenfield.
   
"Everyone can play offense," Carroll said. "Defense, you have to work for."
   
"Defense wins championships," Lytle said.
   
Again, the seniors spoke about what it means to be a McClain Tiger.
   
"It goes back to just how close we are as a team," Lytle said, "We just like playing basketball together, and we all get along well. If you are close you are going to play better and enjoy playing. If you’re not … it's not fun at all."
   
"The support of the community, again, is just great," Carroll said. "It's about team chemistry. You want everyone to want to look forward to coming to basketball and working. You want to show up, and just having guys on the team who want the same thing makes it a whole lot better."
   
This season is different than last year for the fact both Carroll and Lytle are not rookies to the varsity game anymore. This is their second season in Coach Brent Eaton's varsity programs, and they both said it is a different experience than last year.
   
"It's changed up a lot. When you go from freshmen and JV to varsity, the tempo of the game is different," Carroll said. "A lot of the guys this year don't have the varsity experience, but we all bring something different to the table.
   
"We have more experience than most of our teammates, so we can tell them what to expect and what to expect from the type of atmosphere we'll have at this level every night," Lytle said.
   
Speaking of the game day atmosphere...
   
"It's amazing," Carroll said. "It's a rush. It's a thrill."
   
"It's great," Lytle said. "You go out and go through the banner, hear the band and you get a bunch of adrenaline pumped up. It's something you can never feel from the stands … it's just amazing."
  
 That atmosphere brings out a certain style that has become the "McClain way" over the years as both players described McClain basketball.
   
"We're tough, straightforward and we hustle," Carroll said.
   
"We're hardworking, and we'll outwork anyone," Lytle said.[[In-content Ad]]