By BRAD BOURNIVAL Staff Writer YORK TWP. — Steve King poured the cement and now Matt Saunders is looking to solidify the foundation. A self-professed basketball junkie, Saunders will take over for King in the fall as the Buckeye boys varsity coach and brings with him a winning resume. The 24-year-old, who is the physical education teacher at Liverpool Elementary, just completed a three-year stint as a varsity assistant and freshman coach at Rocky River. The Pirates went 49-11 — and 16-4 last year — under Saunders at the ninth-grade level and won two West Shore Conference titles. “(My passion is) insane,” said Saunders, a graduate of Rocky River. “If there’s a game on, I’m watching. If there’s a game to be played, I’m playing in it. You could say it’s almost an obsession.” That fervor stuck out during the interview process where 29 applicants vied for the vacant job. The board saw what Buckeye superintendent Dennis Honkala saw on Monday and hired the Rocky River resident at a special Board of Education meeting. “I think his previous success associated with a quality program and the fact that we had a chance to look at him as a professional is what made him stand out,” Honkala said. “When he came in, he was head and shoulders above the rest. “He wants to step forward and set new goals. We’re going full steam ahead. His enthusiasm is contagious. It will be a great thing for the community.” Saunders will be taking over for King, who took a 4-17 team his first year and shaped the Bucks into a 35-28 squad with three Patriot Athletic Conference titles. The Bucks, who hadn’t had a winning season in 16 years prior to King, won the crown this year in spite of missing Logan Weiland, a three-time All-Gazette selection, for half the season. Saunders is up for the challenge and looking to take the team, which never won a tournament game under King, in a new direction. “I want to take some of the positive things and improve on it,” Saunders said. “I have scheduled to meet with the team where the philosophies and goals for the future will be set. “I’m a big believer in intensity. Not only in the game, but in practice. You need to be intense and play at the same level all the time. “I’m big into being a commitment guy. You have to be committed to your players and you’ll get that way by practicing and staying intense. They’re starting to build a tradition here and I want to further it.” Bournival may be reached at bournival929@sbcglobal.net or 330-721-4045.