Back-to-back has been the theme at Oak Hill in recent years.

For the third consecutive winter, the boys’ basketball team got off to a late start while the Raiders chased another state title in football. In hoops, where they’ve strung together successive 4-14 campaigns, the hope is that athleticism and confidence will help them turn the corner.

Dalton Therrien, Connor Elwell, Connor Nilsson, Jonah Martin and Matthew Strout are returning players from that gridiron group. Oak Hill will try to use that quickness and toughness to control the tempo for four quarters.

Defense will be a key and an area for needed improvement. The Raiders also need to find consistency this season. They often backed up good quarters with cold ones last winter, with turnovers swinging momentum in the wrong direction. Having six seniors on the squad should help remedy that situation. Rebounds will have to be a team effort, as well, with no players over 6-foot-3 in the rotation.