RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Tucker Hanna (34) snags a rebound during a high school boys basketball game at Loyalsock on Friday.

Jersey Shore players do not possess X-ray vision and cannot leap tall buildings.

But coach Jon Boob believes they can put together super performances. That is why he remains optimistic despite the Bulldogs dropping three of their four games.

Yes, every team would like to win every game but when the season is 22 games long before the playoffs beckon, it’s about the big picture. It’s about learning and improving. Most important, as pertains to Jersey Shore (3-3), it’s about every player dialing things in.

“We have to be locked in. I tell the guys, that’s our super power,” Boob said following last Friday’s 68-60 loss at Loyalsock. “When we’re locked in, we’re better than a lot of teams but when we’re not locked in we fall off the cliff pretty deep. It’s too important for us not to be locked in.”

To Boob’s point, Jersey Shore looked more locked in that at any point this year during the first half at Loyalsock. All five starters scored the team’s first 10 points and Jersey Shore held a 12-point lead in the second quarter’s final seconds.

But in a flash that lead was gone. Loyalsock blitzed Jersey Shore in the opening minutes of the second half and went ahead to stay less than three minutes into it. The Bulldogs rebounded and played a good fourth quarter, cutting an 11-point deficit to six, but that one bad quarter erased all the good achieved in the other three.

And therein lies the lesson. To get where it wants to go, Jersey Shore must put four good quarters together. The Bulldogs do not play again until the new year, so it will work toward that goal during the holiday break.

“We get three quarters that we win and win pretty well, and we give up one quarter and it kills us. You can’t play basketball half the time when you’re out there on the court,” Boob said. “You can’t be focused for only 50 % of the time. That’s what we’ve been preaching the last couple practices. I give our guys credit. We were 75 % of the time today. We jumped.

“We were flowing really well, especially in that first half and the fourth, but that 25 % is that third quarter and we just can’t have it. It’s not one or two guys, it’s our entire roster for an entire quarter just not locked in enough, but you use it as a learning experience and get better from it.”

That is while Boob was disappointed following Friday’s game, he also kept things in perspective. The season is a grind and championships are not won in December. Everyone wants to win, but it’s the team who makes the most progress throughout the marathon that often wins the race.

In what feels like a more wide-open 4A field than in recent years, that especially will be true this season. So, from frustration comes ambition and motivation.

“I told them we’re not holding our heads down; we’re getting better. We went from playing hard 50 % of the time to 75 % of the time. We’re on our way up,” Boob said. “It’s early in the year. I’ve watched a lot of district championship teams. They don’; all win early in the year. They get better as it goes. Basketball is a game of ups and downs throughout the season. They’re are not a lot of undefeated teams.

“You just hope to peak at the right time. That’s what we’re trying to work on. We’re trying to get to our peak and we haven’t even come close to it, but we’re getting there.”

In fact, Boob said he the teams is further ahead than he projected it would be at this point entering the year. The Bulldogs often go at least nine-deep and there really is not drop-off when the reserves come in. Most have produced double-digit scoring performances and all can impact a game in different ways.

Each season is like a puzzle and Jersey Shore has just put the pieces on the table. Boob is confident he has the right players to make those pieces fit, especially if that tap into their super power.

“We have so much talent and ability to get there. We just have to keep locked in and keep our brains turned on,” Boob said. “I always tell them we can’t let our brains turn off and we have to stay locked in all the time. Our league is tough, but we can compete in any of the games we have left. We’ll be all right. We just have to learn from the experience.”

NEARLY THERE

Muncy is not yet full strength but is as close as it has been thus far. Jermain Morgan and Caleb Beaver made their debuts Friday against Bucktail, combining for 11 points in a 78-45 win. Once three-year starter Nate Rogers returns, the full band will be back together.

That is especially encouraging for the Indians who showed their tenacity last Tuesday in a comeback 47-42 win at St. John Neumann. Muncy (6-2) stiffened on defense, allowing just four fourth quarter points; Nixon Lamper dominated inside and Dominic Guardini nearly produced a double-double.

Three nights later, guard Jaxton Frantz had a big night against Bucktail, scoring 22 points and making six steals. It was the fourth time he has scored 19 or more points and Muncy now is building depth as it moves toward the new year.

PUTBACKS

Neumann bounced back from the Muncy game and won a hard-fought 56-49 battle against Montgomery Friday. Daiton Thompson scored a season-high 27 points and Jahki Brister 18. Parker Bennett produced 23 for Montgomery … Before heading to Muncy, Bucktail defeated Northern Potter, 45-40 as Gavin Pick scored 19 points, the same total he did against Muncy. The junior forward is averaging 20.5 points over his last four contests … Alex Schultz collected a double-double in Hughesville’s 51-37 win at Milton Friday, scoring 15 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. Gavin Knarr scored 17 points, Evan Mackenzie 11 and freshmen Julian Smith and Everett Shaner came up big with two starters sidelined … North Penn-Mansfield (3-1) won twice last week, defeating Cowanesque Valley and Canton. Jason Harer had double-doubles in both games, totaling 35 points and 25 rebounds … South Williamsport had four players score in double figures in a 67-34 win against Montgomery as it stayed within a game of Muncy in the Mid-Penn West standings. Andrew Walter manufactured his second straight double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

DR. MASSE’S TOP FIVE

1. Warrior Run (6-0): Warrior Run survived its first stern test this season, rallying from eight down late in the third quarter to edge Lewisburg, 59-56. The Defenders parlayed that into their fifth mercy rule win, defeating South Williamsport, 84-38 three nights later. Five players reached double figures, including Carter Sheesley who scored a career-high 18 points. Landon Polcyn capped a strong week with 14 points, Ethan Balzer made a run at another double-double with 13 and eight rebounds and Aiden McKee added 12. Warrior Run is one of three undefeated teams remaining in District 4 Class AAA and will be playing its second area No. 1 vs. No. 2 game in six nights tonight at Montoursville.

2. Montoursville (6-1): Speaking of the Warriors, they continue receiving excellent production from the bench. Nine players scored in wins against Hughesville and Wellsboro last week. Isaac Erlandson, Jay Houseknecht and Brennen Imbro combined for 24 points and 14 rebounds in the Hughesville victory and all played prominent roles during a game-changing second quarter flurry which put Montoursville ahead, 41-20 at halftime.

“Sometimes it’s nice when you feel like the guys you’re putting in there as substitutes are just as good as any of the other guys. I could start any of the eight guys in our main rotation,” coach Mike Mussina said following the 77-46 Hughesville win. “Over the course of the season, all will probably get a chance to do that. They all are getting enough minutes and when they get their minutes, they’re out there trying to play the best basketball they can and that’s all I can ask of them. If they keep working at it and we keep doing these kinds of things, hopefully, we give ourselves a chance most nights.”

3. Loyalsock (5-1): What helped make Loyalsock’s big turnaround against Jersey Shore go was how many players were involved several ways. The Lancers were down 12 in the final seconds of the first half, but by three minutes into the third quarter held a three-point lead. A defense really cannot key on a couple of players and think that will dismantle the offense because four are averaging in double figures and Brecken Gusick and Saoj Jones combined for 10 assists Friday. Isaac Blackwell had a big second half, scoring a career-high 17 points and grabbing seven rebounds.

“It makes it really fun to watch and easy to coach because when you have so many guys who can do so many things from different spots, you put them in sets and then they go do what they do,” Loyalsock coach Ryan Cioffi said. “We’re very fortunate that the make-up of the team is 5-6 guys who can do so many different things.”

4. Williamsport (3-3): Ethan Chilson missed the past two seasons with injuries the past two seasons. Instead of growing discouraged, he grew more determined and his resilience helps personify the grit Williamsport has shown early this season. That really shined through last Tuesday against Dallas as the Millionaires rallied from a nine-point second half deficit and outlasted Dallas, 81-65 in double overtime. Williamsport beat the Mountaineers for the first time in the last four years and Chilson scored a career-high 19 points highlighting a balanced team performance in which a remarkable six players reached double figures. Quincy Williams also reached a career-best with 14 points, Tevin Williams scored 14, Kason Ulmer and freshman Mekhi Gaston had 12 each and Naazir Lowe 10. The Millionaires have won two thrillers at home and have three tough games this week, starting tomorrow at Holy Redeemer before hosting Thurgood Marshall Academy from Maryland in its Christmas Tournament semifinals Friday.

5. Sullivan County (5-0): Sullivan County has built a winning tradition upon stifling defense and that helped it remain undefeated Saturday. In a battle of two of District 4 Class A’s premier teams, Sullivan allowed just five fourth quarter points and pulled away for a 45-32 win against Meadowbrook Christian. The Griffins scored their fewest points this season but defense travels and can keep a team in a game no matter what. That was the case Saturday and Sullivan came alive in the fourth quarter, closing on a 17-5 run. Colin King continues filling up the stat sheet and produced eight points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Jaiden Moore added six rebounds and Lucas King 10 points.

Players of the Week

Nixon Lamper, Muncy and Jalil Coates, Loyalsock: Lamper is playing significant varsity minutes for the first time and the junior forward enjoyed a big-time breakout at Neumann, erupting for a career-high 21 points, 17 rebounds and three steals in the comeback win. Lamper’s inside presence opens up things on the perimeter and he made a run at another double-double against Bucktail, going for 10 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Coates put on a show against Jersey Shore, scoring a career-best 28 points to go along with five rebounds, two steals and two assists. Coates made all 12 shots from the field and was 14-for-14 from there and the line before finally missing a foul shot in the final 90 seconds. He added 15 points in a win at Central Mountain, helping fuel a defense which allowed just 34 points.

Game of the Week

Montoursville at Loyalsock: Montoursville opens its week tonight against the area’s top-ranked team and then battles its rival and fellow-ranked squad Saturday in the Pedie McDonald Christmas Tournament semifinals. Both teams have not just been good early this season, but also highly entertaining. They have won a combined 11 straight games are evenly matched and well-schooled. Get the popcorn ready.

Chris Masse may be reached at cmasse@sungazette.com. Follow him on Twitter at @docmasse.