The Chartiers-Houston High School boys' basketball team found itself constantly chasing other teams last season.

This year with five returning starters, one of the best guard tandems in Class AA and coming off the best offseason coach Jerry Cypher has overseen in his nine-years at the school, the Buccaneers figure to be the team opponents are chasing -- on the court and possibly in the standings as well.

"This year we are not going to worry about what any other team is doing," Cypher said. "We just have to do what we do and execute.

"Let the other teams chase us. This is one of the years we are not looking to chase anybody, they are going to chase us."

This group is Cypher's most experienced team, and coming off the best offseason and it is also the most up-tempo team he has had.

"I think we can really control the tempo in most games," Cypher said. "We have an extremely quick team and a very fast team. There is a difference between quickness and being fast. We will have a very up tempo and extremely fast pace."

Cypher is especially excited about his point guard, senior Mark Jones. He was second on the team in scoring last season with 12 points per game.

"I truly believe we have one of the best point guards in the entire Class AA," Cypher said.

"I don't think there are three point guards in the whole WPIAL who are better. He is the real deal. Our guards are as good as any in Washington County."

Jones is just one of five senior returning starters. He and fellow senior co-captain Derek McIlvaine are three-year starters at guard and will be joined by another returning starter, Ryan Scott. McIlvaine led the Buccaneers in scoring with 15 points per game last season.

Forwards Stan Zavatski (6-foot-6), Max Grandelis (6-3) and Josh Spyra (6-3) rotated in as starters all season as well.

"This group I have, with all five starters returning, it is a very tight-knit group," Cypher said.

"You have certain groups who are very tight knit together and this is one of them. They kind of push each other to be the best they can be. They don't put peer pressure on each other but they hold each other accountable."

Chartiers-Houston opens its season Monday night when it plays host to a tip-off tournament with Jefferson-Morgan, Quigley and Carmichaels. In preseason scrimmages the Bucs competed well against Sto-Rox and Beth-Center.

Last year a three-game losing slide to close the season cost Chartiers-Houston a trip to the postseason. It finished 12-10 overall but only 6-8 in Section 5-AA.

"We started five juniors last year and the difference is this year they are mature and more confident," Cypher said.

"There are higher expectations, not only as a coaching staff but the players themselves have set the bar high."

Cypher said this season his team is about eight or nine players deep. Off the bench look for senior guard Alex Engler and junior Zakk Douglas to make an impact.

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