Preston LeMaster new coach at East Ridge

[gold sunrise]

It is official, just heard on the news that Preston LeMaster has been named the new head basketball coach for East Ridge. Congrats Preston!!

[Plato]

Wow. and I'll leave it at that.

[Touch The Line]

Double wow

[Clyde]

Is East Ridge down in the Pike County area?

 

Has Preston coached previously?

[Deep 3 pointer]

Good to see him doing better.

[Big Slick]

Either 14th or 15th region. Good luck.

[gchs_uk9]

Either 14th or 15th region. Good luck.

 

15th.

[Clyde]

Good to see him doing better.

 

For those of us not in the know, doing better than what?

[gold sunrise]

Is East Ridge down in the Pike County area?

 

Has Preston coached previously?

 

Preston was an assistant coach last season at Powell County High School . East Ridge plays in the 59th district with recent state champion Shelby Valley and Pikeville,

[dolamite]

Mixed feelings about this one from the East Ridge folks I have talked to. They were scrambling after Raymond Justice bolted for Knott County and I don't think the applicants were coming in as hot as they thought they were going to. Couple former coaches were in the mix, as well as former Elkhorn City and Pikeville College coach (more recently UHA) Randy McCoy. I heard McCoy withdrew his name and not too many other candidates emerged.

 

 

 

I hope this turns out for the better at East Ridge than it does for the worst. School was started with a lot of pride and a lot of tradition, have won a regional title in its second year as a school. Now almost 8 years after the fact they are still struggling to get back on that level. It looked like it was getting ready to happen last year with Raymond Justice and his son Camron who started as an 8th grader. Outside of Cam Justice was also some other good young talent, so the future was looking pretty good as far as getting things back on the winning track but Justice left for greener pastures and the thing that stings the most about that is losing Camron (who IMO will be one of the states elite before his career is over). Not sure how passionate Lemaster is about taking the job and wanting to excel with it, but none the less it will always be hard to do anything at East Ridge because of so much parent involvment and other factors that make the job more difficult and less attractive to suitors. The parents try way too hard to get their way and it pushed a lot of canidates out of consideration IMO. The chance to do good is there considering the close ties to the Big Sandy area and the UK connection but I will be skeptical about seeing results on the court at least for another season or two and by that time I wouldn't be surprised to see the East Ridge coaching monster already devour its latest coach by that time. They always seem to go quick up there, but hopefully they can give Lemaster time to work and hopefully things keep progressing the way they did last year, even after losing their best players (Justice to transfer, McClanahan and others to graduation).

[King James]

East Ridge is not an overly attractive program for most coaches/players due to its poor location and the fact that it is the 3rd best program in a three team district. East Ridge did seem to be on the upswing with some young talent led by Justice, but his transfer sets that back quite a bit. Coaches have not lasted long at ER and that has not been good for consistency within the program. I'm not sure Lemaster will be a long term solution either because if he is successful he will look to move to a better program, and if he is not successful he won't be able to keep the job.

[dolamite]

East Ridge is not an overly attractive program for most coaches/players due to its poor location and the fact that it is the 3rd best program in a three team district. East Ridge did seem to be on the upswing with some young talent led by Justice, but his transfer sets that back quite a bit. Coaches have not lasted long at ER and that has not been good for consistency within the program. I'm not sure Lemaster will be a long term solution either because if he is successful he will look to move to a better program, and if he is not successful he won't be able to keep the job.

 

Until two or so years ago that just wasn't the case as East Ridge historically (in its short history) dominated Pikeville on the hardwood. They would have continued to do so with Justice in the fold IMO and would have been battling Shelby Valley once again for District bragging rights. It's just sad to see East Ridge go down hill so quickly when it started out with so much promise to build great tradition as a basketball school. Hopefully the program can continue to get back in the direction it was headed in its first three years as a school (couple district championships, regional championship).

[King James]

Until two or so years ago that just wasn't the case as East Ridge historically (in its short history) dominated Pikeville on the hardwood.

 

The overall record between the two teams is 14-10 Pikeville. East Ridge was successful in its first 3 seasons as a school, but since then has lost 14 of 17 to Pikeville. So its more than the last couple of years... it goes back to the 05/06 season. So I guess its safe to say East Ridge dominated Pikeville for its first three seasons, but has been dominated by Pikeville for the past six... advantage Pikeville...

[dolamite]

The overall record between the two teams is 14-10 Pikeville. East Ridge was successful in its first 3 seasons as a school, but since then has lost 14 of 17 to Pikeville. So its more than the last couple of years... it goes back to the 05/06 season. So I guess its safe to say East Ridge dominated Pikeville for its first three seasons, but has been dominated by Pikeville for the past six... advantage Pikeville...

 

When you look at regional appearances though (coming out of the 59th district along with Shelby Valley)

 

2011-Pville

2010-ER

2009-neither (six team district 59th/60th added together experiment)

2008-ER

2007-Pville

2006-Pville

2005-ER

2004-ER

2003-ER

 

 

East Ridge has made the regional tournament 5 times in that span, Pikeville has made it 3.

[dolamite]

---

Things may not be as bad as they seemed for East Ridge. When coach Raymond Justice left it hurt not only because they lost a good coach but also lost his son in frosh prospect Camron, and I rarely give anyone my stamp of approval unless deserving but Cam Justice is for real. Put up a couple 27+ point games when I saw him to go along with like 7 and 7 boards and assists, and this was as an 8th grader and one of those games were against state leading scorer and Pikeville College (refuse to say upike) signee Hobo McCoy. So after the Justices' left I didn't.have much hope for a team in which I felt had a lot of potential going forward.

 

BUT, seems like ER may have landed a player to fill Cam Justices shoes, lot of talk about a new kid up there named Tony Wolter (sp?). Wanting to say kid is just a sophomore and word is he can jump out of the gym and throw off the backboard lobs to himself. He is from Canada originally from what I hear. From the people I have talked to he is supposed to be legit, they are just hoping he becomes eligible. There was some nice tout talent already in place so there's a chance

east ridge is going to be on the scene this year in the 15th.

 

 

 

 

Posted this from my iPhone so sorry for any obstructions in my post.