For two years, Ben Niemiec was a loser. For two years, he would look up at the end of games and see lopsided scores that were not in his favor. The Scottie boys basketball team only saw two wins in the past two years.

But this year is different.

A senior-led squad with Niemiec at the head of the pack doubled their win total from the previous two years in just the first four games.

After 11 games, the Scotties have started hot with a 10-1 record.

“It feels great to be a winner,” Niemiec said. “We have come a long way. We deserve it.”

Coach Frank Muccino has seen a difference in this year than the last couple of years.

“Our sophomores have grown up a lot this year,” said Muccino. “We’re resilient and play better defense than before. We have become tougher, not just physically, but also mentally.”

In the past two years, the Scotties compiled a 2-43 record after earning a berth in the WPIAL playoffs the previous year. But despite the hardships, the team has stayed together.

“It was horrible, to say the least, maybe one of the worst experiences of my life,” said senior guard Charles Mills. “The love of the sport has kept us together and has given us more drive to become successful.”

Coach Muccino has been there from the ups and downs, and he agrees that the previous defeats have helped his team get to the point they are.

“It’s made them more resilient,” said Muccino. “They’ve had to work for everything they got, and they put in the time to do it.”

With the hot start the team has seen resurgence in confidence that was not there in previous years.

“We feel like we can win every game we play, said Niemiec. “Even if we’re down we can fight our way back.”

“Those who have experienced the bad years have more things to play for, added Mills. “They really step up in a close game.”

The eights seniors are not the only contributors to the team, as the team is also led my sophomore power forward Tommy Pisula.

“It’s a different feeling, but we expected to be good this year,” said Pisula.

The team has seemed to be able to jell together and contribute the team’s chemistry to their success.

“Everyone came back and played in the summer together,” said Pisula. “We are a more physical team than before.”

That physical presence is aided with the addition to 6-3, 230-pound junior center Doug Leighty, who took two years off of basketball to focus on football and baseball but now is back on the hardwood.

“He’s brought a hard-nosed mentality to the team,” said Muccino. “He helps us be tougher.”

As the Scotties get deeper into the season, they are starting to eye up their playoff goals.

“We first want to make it to the playoffs,” said Niemiec. “It’s another goal for us to win the section as well.”

Coach Muccino believes that his team can continue to win and even make strides to get even better.

“We take it one game at a time,” said Muccino. “We continue to play good defense and improve on the basics we’ll improve and win.”

As it continues the team has surprised everyone but themselves.

“We had nothing to lose,” said Leighty. “We couldn’t go down from where we were. The only way to go was up, and that’s what’s happening.”