Five-Star Hoopsters Jazz Up Hoover High Basketball Games

When  boys basketball coach Randy Montgomery came to town nine years ago, he brought with him a plan to have fifth- and sixth-grade basketball players display their ball-handling skills at Hoover home games at the "Win Tunnel."

Montgomery selected longtime youth coach Jon Lucas to lead it and the Five-Star Hoover Hoopsters were born.

"When I first started, I went over to Triway where Coach Montgomery had put together the same concept and watched them practice," Lucas said. "I saw how they operated and they gave me the list of drills they performed."

"I also purchased my own videotapes of instructing how to do drills," Lucas added.

Lucas' Hoopsters have been a part of all Hoover home games performing during both the pre-game and at halftime. In recent years, the Hoopsters have also performed at Cleveland Cavaliers, University of Akron and basketball games.

For Lucas and assistant Randy Millard, the process starts anew each October.

"We practice two nights a week for an hour each night introducing all the drills and practicing them," Lucas said. "Once the season starts, we practice one night per week and work on a different routine for each show."

Lucas gets a great deal of satisfaction from watching the boys get better at doing the drills as the season progresses.

"I try and instill in them that practicing the drills on their own time will make them better," Lucas said. "It's great to see a boy come up to me and ask me to watch what they can do well with a basketball."

Everyone who signs up each fall gets to be a Hoopster for the upcoming season.

"There are no cuts," Lucas said. "If a boy wants to do it, he is welcome."

Montgomery is a firm believer that getting kids involved in activities like the Hoopsters is a positive thing.

"You must start young with kids because sports is such a good thing and teaches so much," Montgomery said.

There are two more opportunities this season to catch the Hoopsters perform.  Friday night, Hoover closes out its regular season at home against Youngstown Cardinal Mooney. Tuesday the Hoopsters will perform at Walsh University's opening post-season tournament game on the Walsh campus.

The 2010-11 edition of the Hoopsters consists of:

Matthew Boettler, Matt Chufar, Matt Cochenour, Nathan Fox, Nathan Holb, Nick Malloy, Jacob Mason, Nathan McFeaters, Alex Nicholson, Adam Weaver, Beau Wilkinson, Mark Worley, Reid Bullock, Matthew Canton, Matt Hoover, David Horn, Cameron Logan, Brady Nist, Alexander Porter, Nick Russo, Josh Thacker, Jack Triner and Logan Tully.