The boys basketball team gained a new coach this year, Phy ed teacher Jeremy Mercer. 

“It’s great to have a coach that we are all comfortable with and I think that will help improve our communication as a whole. Coach Mercer is big on communication and I think that’ll improve our energy each night,” senior Tyler Johnson said. 

This year will be Mercer’s first year as a head coach, he has coached for a couple years prior, but never a head coach. As a teacher at Berlin, he knows the athletes on his team very well and knows how to push them to do their best. 

“I hope to bring a level of intensity and preparedness to put the players in position to win games. I also want to bring a winning attitude and continue to improve on the culture of Berlin basketball every single day,” Mercer said. 

Not only are the boys excited to play for a new coach, they are excited to get back together as a team. Majority of the players are varsity returners, with a few young exceptions.

“I am looking forward to playing with this team this year. We only lost one starting senior last year and we have kids this year that will be able to step up and fill a role,” senior Murphy Streblinski said. “I am also looking forward to playing for Coach Mercer. He has a winning drive in him and wants to make a change for Berlin basketball.”

 Mercer hopes to influence the athletes across the entire program. 

“I hope that we can accomplish player development at every level of the program and build a winning culture. For the varsity team I hope we can find ourselves towards the top of the ECC standings and put ourselves in position to make some noise in the playoffs,” Mercer said. 

The team takes on Winneconne tonight at 7.