Junior Frankie Taulbee has been the Lions’ leading scorer through the first three games of the season, going for 15.7 points per game.

Junior Frankie Taulbee has been the Lions’ leading scorer through the first three games of the season, going for 15.7 points per game.
By Chris Chaney
Sun staff

Beginning the 2014-15 Southern Buckeye Conference American Division season, local teams have only two options: kill or be killed.

All six teams in the division will play one another within the first 14 days of the season, meaning for defending co-champions New Richmond, as well as the rest of their competition, a fast start is more of a necessity than it is an expectation.

“Everybody’s in the same boat; everybody opens up with five straight league games, so it’s something we’ve got to deal with,” New Richmond head coach Brian McMonigle said. “I don’t think it’s ideal or that any coach would prefer it, but it is what it is and we’ve just got to roll with it.”

‘Rolling with it’ has meant learning new roles on the fly for a Lions’ team that doesn’t return a double-digit-per-game scorer from a year ago. Even without a stud offensive leader returning, role players from last year’s 17-6 squad have stepped into more aggressive roles and shown that New Richmond will once again be a team to beat in the division.

“We’re ironing out some wrinkles that we have right now,” McMonigle said. “We’re playing okay, but I think we’re capable of playing much better.”

At 2-1, the Lions’ lone loss came against the team that they shared the league title with last year, Amelia. New Richmond has handled both Batavia and Norwood by double figures.

The result of the Lions’ Dec. 16 game against Western Brown was not available at the time of print.

A three-headed monster of upperclassmen — Frankie Taulbee, John Buckingham and CJ Grogan — lead a formidable New Richmond lineup that has scored 50 points or more in each of its first three contests.

“I think CJ Grogan has played really well, both offensively and defensively,” McMonigle said. “He’s such a leader when he’s on the floor and we get a little bit out of sync when he’s not out there.

“(Buckingham) has attracted a lot of attention down low. He’s getting swarmed by three or four people because he’s such a big, strong kid, which is creating a lot of space for our guards — Frankie Taulbee hit eight threes on Friday (against Norwood) — and you’ve got to give John some of the credit because he’s drawing a ton of attention inside.”

Taulbee is leading the way offensively, averaging 15.7 points per game while Grogan goes for 12 points and six boards and Buckingham averages a double-double. Aside from New Richmond’s Big Three, they have JD Durham, Adam Nasser, Gage Kramer, Jake Craig and Bryce Kroeger who all average four points or more per game.

McMonigle said he expected a hard-fought game from the Broncos on the road on Tuesday and similarly is expecting to get a good shot from a Goshen team that took Amelia down to the wire last week.

“Playing at Western Brown is always going to be tough. They have some decent guards and I expect them to give us a good game,” he said. “Goshen almost beat (Amelia) and they’re always coached really well. That will be a tough game on Friday.”

Following the gauntlet that the Lions will run to open the season, Division I Glen Este awaits one day later, Saturday, Dec. 20, and New Richmond will round out 2014 with a pair of games at Mariemont High School’s Warrior Holiday Tournament on Dec. 29 and 30.

The Lions will play a schedule of non-conference opponents for the majority of January before getting back into the SBC-American race on Jan. 30 against Batavia.