The new Belding boys basketball coach is quite familiar with his new school growing up just seven miles north in Greenville.
Zach Ingles was a standout players with the rival Yellow Jackets, currently 25th on the state's all-time scoring list.
"I am so much older than them," Ingles said about his players. "Some of those kids weren't even born when I was in high school. They just know that I am going to care about the program, care about the community and care about improving Belding Basketball."
Some of his players are aware of what he accomplished as a player in the sport which includes reaching the NCAA Tournament as a player at Eastern Kentucky in 2005.
"His past obviously," Belding junior guard Kyran Breimayer said when asked what stood out most about his new coach. "His basketball career and his knowledge. I feel like that is going to really help us in our years to come."
As far as the rivalry goes, Ingles hopes to create one in boys basketball.
"I never played football, so I always thought that the Belding-Greenville rivalry was football related," Ingles said. "I'm just hoping to bring some interest to the game, to the Belding-Greenville basketball side of it. I never thought of Belding and Greenville as huge basketball rivals."
Belding has had its struggles in hoops over the years.
It hasn't been from a lack of effort from coaches and players, but the last conference championship in the sport came more than 50 years ago and the last season with more than three wins was seven years ago.
"I don't put a lot of expectations onto the program," Ingles said. "I just say when the season starts and the season ends we will be better at the end. But we just simply have to work."
"Just work hard," junior guard Nolan German added about what it will take to improve. "Focus on being more competitive this coming year and just work hard with our new coach."
"Help us with our work ethic and get us in the gym more over the summer," Breimayer said. "Just get us working."
If Ingles can help the program find some success, it doesn't matter where he went to high school.
"He is helping us win now," German said with a laugh. "So he is in our boat now, I guess."
"I was given an orange shirt and a black sweatshirt," Ingles said about the Belding gear he has. "I haven't had a lot of orange and black in my wardrobe over the years but that will change."
