By Michael Letendre 

BRISTOL – The boys basketball program over at Bristol Eastern has a chance to start the season with a couple of victories off the bat. 

But the Lancers, playing in the highly competitive Central Connecticut Conference, won’t have any easy nights on the hardwood. 

“There has been, never will be” any nights off in the CCC said Eastern coach Bunty Ray. “For us, every day is tough because we don’t have that upper echelon, athletic player. But we have a good team. We have a lot of guys out there. If we can just get on the same page and fit our roles, I think we can compete a lot better.” 

However, December shapes up quite nicely for the Kingstreeters in terms of travel. 

Eastern doesn’t leave the city of Bristol in December which is a positive for the program.   

The Lancers open against Plainville on Thursday and next Tuesday, pesky Hall comes to town for a CCC Interdivisional showdown.   

Friday, December 23, Lewis Mills and old friend – head coach Ryan Raponey – invade the Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium with another solid program.   

Then after Christmas, the Lancers take part of the Bristol Central Holiday Classic – squaring off against the Rams on December 27 at 7:30 p.m. 

Eastern will play in that tournament two days later on December 29 against a yet to be determined opponent.   

Other home games for Eastern this season includes Wethersfield (January 5), Platt (January 12), Rocky Hill (January 20), back-to-backs against Maloney (February 2) and Middletown (February 7) and South Windsor (February 17).   

All home games, except for the final contest of the year against Central on February 20, commence at 6:45 p.m.    

And each one of those CCC programs will come into battle with all sorts of different looks. 

“These teams and the coaches in this league, there’s so much you have to do,” said Ray. “One night, it’s going up against a zone, the next day it’s man, the next day it’s pressure. Some days it’s inside, some days it’s outside. We have to be a well-rounded team because a lot of times, we are the hunted, not the hunters. But we can adjust and actually offer a little more resistance this year and I think we can surprise some teams.” 

“Sometimes, you look over at a team that’s been struggling the last couple years and you say to yourself ‘okay, this is a win.’ This year, opponents are going to have to work to beat us I hope. But the kids still have to go out there and prove that.”