Improved athleticism should carry Upper Perkiomen's boys basketball team to a second year of growth. It starts the season with 10 players competing for time, according to head coach John Brittain.

Upper Perk players face off against each other in an after- noon practisc last Thursday.

           The addition of three players, who missed at least one year, will allow the Indians to utilize a more aggressive defense. The coach expressed hope that the implementation of a motion offense should lead to more points.

            "We've got so many athletes," said the coach, whose team will open its season at home against Schuylkill Valley on Dec. 2.

            Rather than set a goal in terms of victories, Brittain said he would like to see his team continue to improve in his second season leading the program. The Tribe won five games during the 2024-25 season.

            "We made strides last year," the coach said. "I would like to take another this season."

            A trio of returning juniors -- Darius Reid, Grayson Sabo and Jack Rieg -- will anchor the starting lineup. According to Brittain, the other two starting spots could remain in flux for the initial five to seven games.

            Those potential starters include returning seniors Tucker Ruch and Jordin Dice as well as classmate Maddux Diaz, who sat out last season; juniors Aaron Maiden and River Lahr, who last played as ninth-graders, and Skyler Jones; sophomores Parker Munio and Ethan Zola; along with freshman Jacob Pedrick.

            "I want to keep everyone engaged," said Brittain, whose team will open its Pioneer Athletic Conference schedule at home against Phoenixville on Dec. 9 after competing in the Tulpehocken Tipoff Tournament the previous weekend.

            The coach claimed his players executed their new offensive and defense systems well during a tri-scrimmage over the weekend with Oley Valley and Divinity BVM High School at the Berks County school. The Indians rotated units of five players at four-minute intervals.

            During the scrimmage, the Tribe's defense picked up opposing offenses at full court. The coach said he envisions playing mostly man-to-man and utilizing a zone as a change-up, the opposite of what it did last season.

            "I'm looking for an increased defensive tempo," the coach said. "It should allow us to score more in transition."

            The team utilized its new motion offense featuring constant cutting and movement. According to Brittain, the scheme -- that features one post player and four others working the perimeter -- is designed to benefit from defensive complacency.

            Getting the ball to Reid -- a First Team All-Frontier Division selection who averaged 14 points per game last season -- in an advantageous position should boost the Indians' offense. The coach described the 6-foot-combination guard as the fastest and highest jumping player in the conference.

            "He can score in a lot of ways," Brittain said of Reid, who has improved his mid-range shot. "Hopefully, we can get the ball to Darius at spots where he can score at will. If we can get him the ball one or two dribbles from the basket, it will make us a better team."