Pleasantville’s boys basketball program enters the new season optimistic, despite needing to fill the void left by the team’s leading scorer from a season ago. Bobby Beier routinely led the Trojans in scoring, helping the team to a 12-10 overall record last winter.

Pleasantville head coach Tom Wilkins says the task of replacing Beier’s productivity will not be the responsibility of just one player.

“We’re not going to replace Bobby [Beier] – 17 points a game and about 8 rebounds a game – but what I’m looking for is those guys that are coming back to step up their games.” said Wilkins.

“If everybody would score five or six more points and pull down a couple of rebounds, we could kind of replace Bobby; but we do have four starters coming back, so I’m looking forward to that.”

Among the returning starters for Pleasantville are Jake Burgett, Collin Thomas, and Hunter Van Haalen, who each averaged around ten points per game for the Trojans last season as juniors. Thomas also gives the team a strong defensive presence inside and on the glass.

Pleasantville opens the 2011-2012 season on Tuesday just minutes away from home against rival Carlisle.