BELLEFONTE — After being named head coach of the Bellefonte Red Raiders boys’ basketball program in June, Kris Glunt wanted to get to work right away.
He wanted to establish a new identity for a program that has been struggling. Glunt is a 2000 graduate of the school, and played both football and basketball there.
“It’s exciting to be back,” Glunt said.
For the past three seasons, Glunt served as the head coach of the Moshannon boys’ basketball team, where he transformed a 1-63 team into a district quarterfinal playoff squad.
As for the Red Raiders, “we’re a work in progress,” Glunt said following a 51-39 loss to Huntingdon on Dec. 13 in Bellefonte. The defeat dropped the Red Raiders to 0-3.
The sharp-shooting Bearcats were too much for the inexperienced Red Raiders.
Scoring 17 points in the opening quarter, the Red Raiders were off to a hot start in front of their home fans.
“I thought we played 14 great minutes at the beginning of the game,” Glunt said.
The second quarter was when Huntingdon started to take control of the game. After finding themselves down by three at the end of the first quarter, the Bearcats outscored the Red Raiders 10-5.
Junior guard Jonathan Price scored seven of his team’s 10 points in the second quarter.
The precise 3-point shooting displayed by the Bearcats proved too much in the second half of the game, when they outscored the Raiders 27-17 to secure the win.
Price finished with a game-high 14 points, pushing his team’s record to 2-0.
As for the Red Raiders, Ben McCartney came off the bench to lead the team with 10 points.
The Red Raiders pride themselves on hustle and heart, and this was clear.
Players were diving for loose balls, hustling up and down the floor, and even diving into chairs.
Glunt was impressed with his team’s effort despite the final score.
“We played hard for 32 minutes and competed. I am proud of my kids,” he said.
Glunt is looking to do big things with this Red Raiders team, which is packed with young talent.
“It’s exciting to be back,” he said.
