Published: November 02, 2009 11:21 pm      

PSC starts college basketball season

Fort Hill grads Harley and Jordan Brooks among new weapons for Shawn White

KEYSER, W.Va. — The Potomac State Catamounts will be the first local college men’s basketball team to make their season debut when they play at Dundalk tonight.

Tipoff is 6 p.m.

Shawn White, in his fifth season as head coach, has led the Cats to one Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference regular-season title and two second-place finishes.

White has four returning players: Dalec Cromwell, Marcus Quarles, Tremayne Matthews and Mike Schwengel.

Former Fort Hill standouts Jordan and Harley Brooks are among the newcomers.

Jordan Brooks, the 2007 and 2008 Times-News high school player of the year, averaged 10.8 points and 2 assists per game last year at Hagerstown Community College.

Harley Brooks had been out of basketball for a couple of years and played one season at Allegany College, where he averaged 7.3 points and 2.7 assists per game.

Among the other newcomers are 6-6 Maurice Newby of Hedgesville and 6-6 Tyrell Hill from Robert C. Byrd.

Potomac State was 13-13 last year. Point guard Travis Williams (12 points, 3 assists) is now at California (Pa.) University, and forward Donavin Vinson, a two-time high school player of the year at Allegany who averaged 15 points per game, is now at Ohio Valley.

The Catamounts make their home debut Nov. 10 against Allegany College. The early-season schedule includes games with Delaware Tech, Hagerstown, Frederick and Brunswick (N.C.) Community College.

“We schedule some heavy hitters early on to try to make are team better as the season goes on,’’ White said. “Hopefully it will not backfire on us if we lose a few games at the beginning.”

This will be Potomac State’s final season competing at the JUCO Division I level. Next year they will play at Division II.

For more details on the team visit the Times-News web site at Times-News.com. A roster and schedule can be found on today’s scoreboard page.