EMPORIUM — After one of the most successful seasons in Cameron County basketball history, Mark Guido decided it was time to step away from the program. Now, his assistant from a year ago, Marcus Brown, is taking over in hopes of returning the Red Raiders to the PIAA state playoffs, where they reached the Sweet 16 in the 2019-20 season.

Brown’s path to the program’s top role wasn’t conventional by any means, however. Brown graduated from Cameron County in 2019 and was initially supposed to play college basketball at Chatham University.

“A couple months before I was supposed to leave, I decided it wasn’t the right time,” Brown explained. “After I made the decision, Mark told me, ‘You’re coming to coach with me if you aren’t going to play.’”

The situation certainly worked out for Brown, who said he loved the opportunity to coach players he was on the team with just a year before.

“Most of them I played with for a year or two, which is crazy,” Brown admitted. “But it makes it a lot better, too, because of the relationship and chemistry we have.”

Brown took over the program in June, and things have been hectic for the first-year coach as he navigates not just running a team, but running one during the COVID-19 pandemic. To that end, he says the Red Raiders had shorter prep time entering this year, as they couldn’t get in the gym during the spring months.

“In years past, we would have open gyms the week after the season ended,” Brown said. “This year, we couldn’t get into the gym until the end of July, so we lost about three and a half months worth of open gyms and summer work that are so important to the season. So we’ve had shorter prep time.”

Cameron County has had plenty of uncertainty, too, just like every basketball team in Pennsylvania. Currently, youth and scholastic sports in the state are on pause until Jan. 4, due to COVID-19 mitigation orders by Governor Tom Wolf. During that span, teams can’t play in games or hold practices.

When the Red Raiders were able to get together, Brown says the emphasis was on keeping from being discouraged and on keeping energy high.

That will be the focus once teams can return to the hardwood, too.

“I keep stressing that we don’t know when we’ll play, but we know when we do, whether it’s in a week or a month, we’ll be ready,” Brown said, adding, “We can’t be discouraged in a time like this. We have to take the extra time we have and build off it for a month from now or whenever it is.”

When Cameron County does return to action, Brown said the team expects to play with the same defensive mentality it did during Guido’s tenure as coach.

“Dating back to when I started playing, he was always big on defense,” Brown said of his predecessor. “The amount of time he put into it made us all better defenders, and it’s so important to be a good defensive team when you want to make a deep playoff run. I want to take that into consideration when I’m teaching these kids defense. I think that’s the most important thing.”

Personnel-wise, Brown expects his team to work inside-out. That begins with star forwards Hayden Brown and Caden Beldin, the latter of which has been named to the Big 30 All-Star team twice now.

Beldin averaged 16.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game last season, while Hayden Brown scored 9.1 points and pulled down 5.3 rebounds per game.

And Beldin, as Cameron County fans will fondly remember, played perhaps his best ball during the Red Raiders’ postseason run. The forward hit a last-second three against Clarion-Limestone to send CCHS to the District 9 championship game, and then averaged 18.5 points per game in the Red Raiders’ two PIAA playoff games.

“Our strong suit will be in the post with Caden and Hayden,” Marcus Brown said. “They’re tough to guard down there, so the focus will be getting the ball to them and then working it back out if that isn’t working.”

And in the backcourt, Cam Allison is “stepping up” according to Brown, and will fill in as one of Cameron County’s guards.

“Right from the get-go he’s made very smart decisions on the court, which is crucial to being a guard,” Brown said, adding that he’d be paired with point guard Dylan Guisto on the perimeter.

With that, Brown figures he’ll have a potent sharpshooting duo from deep range.

“And that adds another element to our offense,” the coach said.

Cameron County’s first scheduled game is set for Jan. 8 against Oswayo Valley.