by James Tate

Head Coach: Ryan Hannah

2025-2026 Record: Overall (19-6) Region (10-2)

After capturing the Region 5 championship with a 19-6 overall record and a 10-2 mark in league play, the Roy Royals face a different challenge this year than they did last. The hunters have become the hunted. For fourth-year head coach Ryan Hannah, however, the focus isn’t on defending a title. The foundation that produced last year’s success remains the same.

“We have strived to focus on the pillars of our program rather than focus on the result of last season,” Coach Hannah said. “Teamwork, effort, and resiliency have been the pillars of our program each year that I have been here. Last season’s success was a result of a team that really believed in those things, and we hope to build on that by continuing to focus on those pillars throughout the offseason.”

The biggest obstacle facing the Royals is replacing the production lost to graduation. Region 5 MVP Boston Greenhalgh and several other key contributors played major roles in last year’s championship run, leaving Roy with significant minutes and production to replace.

KK Kennedy

Parker, Britt and Kennedy lead the way

Fortunately, the Royals return a veteran core that can lead the program into the next chapter.

“We will rely heavily on returning contributors Anthony Parker, Lincoln Britt and KK Kennedy for their varsity experience and leadership,” Coach Hannah said. “Our size from last season will be really hard to replace, but we have a great blend of varsity experienced players and guys that I believe will step up and surprise a lot of people.”

The Royals’ championship defense will begin with veterans, junior Anthony Parker, and seniors Lincoln Britt and KK Kennedy. Parker emerged as one of Roy’s most reliable scorers last season, earning Region 5 Honorable Mention honors while averaging 11.2 points per game and delivering in key moments. Britt, who played in all 25 contests, enters the season as the floor general expected to set the tone at point guard, while Kennedy’s athleticism and experience make him a candidate for an offensive breakout season. All three possess a high basketball IQ and play with a fearlessness that has become a trademark of the Royals’ recent success.

Combined with returning seniors Gunner Pearson and Riley Jeppesen and a promising group of underclassmen, the Royals have the pieces to remain among the contenders in Region 5.

The Roy program’s growth has been one of the more impressive stories in Region 5 over the past several years. Since taking over, Hannah has emphasized consistency, accountability, and belief, qualities that culminated in a championship season and helped energize the community around the program.

“I feel like our message and goals have been consistent each year,” Coach Hannah said. “My hope is that now that we have experienced a season like last, we have a stronger buy-in to what we can accomplish as a team. I’ve wanted my boys to believe that they are good enough to win and love seeing their hard work result in success, both on and off the court.”

While Roy may not have the same size that helped anchor last year’s squad, the Royals believe they can lean on another strength: familiarity. Much of the roster has played together for years, creating the kind of chemistry that coaches spend seasons trying to develop.

“I think our team chemistry will be a real strength,” Coach Hannah said. “Our varsity roster has played together for a long time and are really close friends off of the court. Because of our lack of size, we will need to be able to play fast and hit shots from the outside to compete in our tough schedule.”

The challenge will only grow tougher in a balanced Region 5 race, where every opponent will be eager for a shot at the defending champions. But Coach Hannah believes his team understands how quickly success can disappear if it becomes complacent.

Parker (l) Britt (r)

Underdog mentality despite championship pedigree

“We really aren’t dwelling on what was accomplished last season, and we are going to have the same underdog mentality,” Coach Hannah said. “We want to give our best effort every night and focus on one game at a time. We won 19 games last season, but we only won 6 games the season before that, so we understand that last season’s results do not guarantee anything moving forward. We have to put in our best effort each and every night to get what we want.”

That mindset may ultimately determine whether Roy can remain among Region 5’s elite. The Royals enter the season with proven leadership, a close-knit roster and the confidence gained from a championship run, but they know last season’s banner won’t win them a single game this winter.

Excitement continues to build around Roy athletics as the school recently unveiled a new video board and scorer’s table inside Ted Smith Gymnasium.

“I also loved seeing our basketball gym as full as we were able to see last season and would love to be able to see that more and more,” Coach Hannah said. “Roy has great community members, and I love seeing basketball bring them together.”

The Royals may no longer be the surprise team in Region 5, but they still plan to embrace the underdog mentality that fueled last year’s championship run. If the chemistry, leadership, and belief within the program are as strong as Coach Hannah expects, Roy should be a factor again in the race for the Region 5 crown.

photos courtesy of James Tate