Point guard’s play elevates Lions

FACTORYVILLE- For most basketball teams, the point guard is the difference between success and failure.

In many ways, the point guard acts as a coach on the floor, running the team’s offense and making sure that plays the team worked on in practice are carried out in game situations.

The position can be a lot of responsibility for a young player, but Lackawanna Trail High School basketball coach Andrew Kettel found an athlete up to the challenge: Jake Bedford.

The Lions are currently tied for the Lackawanna Division III first- half championship with Montrose and Kettel credits much of the team’s success to Bedford.

“He might be the most valuable player for us just because he knows how to play, he knows how to take care of the ball, he runs our offenses very well, he’s very good at defense and he’s an important part of the team just because of his experience and his speed,” said Kettel, of his senior point guard.

Coming from a basketball family, Bedford said he learned the game by playing with his three older brothers, John, Brian and Justin.

After joining the varsity team in high school, Bedford quickly made an impression and had a lot of playing time as a sophomore before earning a regular spot in the starting lineup last season as a junior.

Now, with almost two years of experience at the point guard position, he said he has become extremely comfortable and feels no pressure when he hits the floor.

“I just go out and try to get the guys the ball for us to score,” said Bedford. “I don’t feel any pressure. I think last year helped a lot, there was probably some pressure (last year) because I wasn’t used to being on varsity, but now I’ve already done it.”

If Bedford was feeling any pressure last season, it didn’t show, at least not to his coach, who said he had complete faith in him from day one.

“I told him I thought he was the best point guard in the league as a junior and I believe that… and I say the same thing this year. When he plays well, and he plays within himself, he’s the best point guard in the league,” said Kettel.

“And that’s a huge part of our success. When Jake plays well and controls the game, we’re successful, and that doesn’t mean he has to go out and score 25 points,” said Kettel. “There’s nights that he can, and there’s nights where he can go out and score four and we play good basketball, because he doesn’t turn it over. He controls the ball and he runs the show.”

While Bedford knows he is capable of putting up big numbers, averaging 12 points a game, part of the reason the team has been so successful so far this season is because he doesn’t feel he has to, having complete confidence in the players around him.

“I think we’re great,” said Bedford. “(My goal) is for us to win a championship, we’re going to have to take care of the second half, win all our games, but I think we have a shot.”

At Abington Journal press time, Tuesday, Jan. 26, Lackawanna Trail was taking on Montrose in a playoff game for the Lackawanna Division III first half title.

AJ Sports

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