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ULSTER PARK, N.Y. — Never one to mince words, new Mount Academy boys basketball coach Guy Leonard figures his first year as head coach of the Esopus-based school will be challenging.

After all, the Eagles return only junior guard Bruce Maendel from last year’s Section 9 Class C championship team that finished with an impressive 16-5 record.

With the season opener set for Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 5:45 p.m. against Webutuck on the school’s campus, Leonard said he’s going back to the basics with a new cast of players.

“We lost the other four starters and that was about 80 percent of the offense,” Leonard said in an interview with the Freeman on Thursday, Dec. 4 at the school’s Camp Grace gymnasium in Ulster Park. “All the meat is gone. So we’re going

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