Staff file photo / Preston Byers. Warren G. Harding’s Xavier Clark is fouled on an emphatic dunk attempt during the Raiders’ road win vs. Canfield on Jan. 17.

More than eight months have passed since Warren G. Harding’s 2024-25 season ended, but a sour taste has lingered with the Raiders.

Sixth-year head coach Keelyn Franklin said immediately after the season finale in March that the defeat, a 52-51 regional semifinal loss to Massillon Perry on game-winning Panthers three-pointer just before the buzzer, was the “most painful” of his career. And while he said he hasn’t broached the topic with his 2025-26 team, the Raiders’ coaching staff has been consistently reminded of what they accomplished earlier in the year and, frustratingly, what more they could have accomplished.

“It’s funny, because I actually talked to the coaches – we have our district title in our coaches’ office – and I was talking to them, I said, ‘You know, it’s time to put this trophy in the trophy case and move on and focus on this year.’ So we’re going to do that actually tomorrow, after our last scrimmage.”

The loss to Perry, Franklin believes, is a source of extra motivation heading into a new season with many returning players. But it is, he knows for sure, a source of motivation for himself.

“We haven’t really talked about it much as a team. We’re kind of more just focused on our expectations for this season,” Franklin said. “But I think if going out like that doesn’t motivate you a little bit and get you to understand how one possession – because if that shot doesn’t go in, I think we make it to the state final – so if that doesn’t motivate you, then you may need to check your pulse.”

There is no running it back, though, for Franklin and the Raiders; like everyone else beginning the new year, they are starting all over, with about three months separating them from the opener and the playoffs.

This season, Harding will be tasked with replacing three of its most important players: Chaz Coleman, Davion Herron and Jeremy Sampson, all of whom started, handled the ball extensively in the Raiders’ offense and were among their top four scorers.

Franklin said that in their place will be the likes of senior Khi Blutcher and juniors Matt Richardson and Elijah Phillips, the latter of whom commandeered the Raiders’ 20-1 junior varsity team last season.

As for specifically filling the hole left by Coleman, Harding’s 6-foot-4 former leading scorer and currently a highly touted Penn State football freshman, that is not nearly as simple.

“Obviously, Chaz is someone that you don’t really replace,” Franklin said. “But we do have some size coming up that we’ll try to throw in there and kind of make up for his athleticism and that size that he brought.”

Of the returning players, senior Myles Miller may be the best suited to take on many of the responsibilities Coleman bore last season.

A 6-foot-6 wing who recently committed to Division II Walsh University, Miller was the team’s second-leading scorer and rebounder (both behind Coleman) as Harding went 19-5.

“He’s going to have to be huge,” Franklin said of Miller. “We’ve had conversations with him about that and the demands that come with being one of our guys… We also have Xavier Clark, who is a Division II kid, six-five wing and just committed to Point Park as well. So the conversation with those two guys was that, by committee, you guys have to not only fill that role of what Chaz and those seniors did, but we’re expecting them to kind of exceed it and be leaders… We’re putting a lot on them, but I think that they’re doing a good job of handling and leading the group. I’m just kind of excited to see them mature and grow into their roles throughout the year.”

Franklin also expects Asa Burch, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, 6-foot-3 sophomore wing Scoop Carson, 6-foot-5 Zay’vion Smith and 6-foot-3 Brayden Tatum to be regular contributors for the Raiders, who will almost certainly have a larger proverbial bullseye on them after one of their best seasons in a decade.

“I think if we play with energy, effort, toughness, and we’re playing with a high IQ, I think everything will take care of itself,” Franklin said. “So that’s kind of how we approach it with the expectations. And we understand that coming off of 19-5, being a state-ranked team throughout the year for the first time in a while, that there are expectations. So just kind of getting them to understand that it’s different when you have those expectations. You’re not going to creep up on anybody.”