JOHNSTOWN — Ryan Fyock and Nemo Trexler are two of the area’s top boys basketball players.

They’re also teammates on an AAU squad loaded with talent.

Shade’s Fyock and Bishop McCort’s Trexler each can be counted upon to make the big shot or clutch play when it counts most.

This season, unfortunately, they have one more thing in common.

Both Fyock and Trexler have been sidelined by injuries that have their coaches and area hoops fans concerned.

Fyock received some positive news on Thursday, according to his father Wade, who doubles as Shade’s successful head basketball coach.

After approximately two weeks of uncertainty, coach Fyock said there is reason to believe his son might soon return to the court.

“We found out Thursday that he has a broken bone in his foot,” Wade Fyock said. “He is going to be able to start practice next week as tolerated.

“The doctors have indicated that further complicating the injury is not something we have to worry about. He has shown improvement. We’re two weeks into the injury. We’re hoping in the next week we get to start testing it out a little bit and perhaps a return the following week.”

McCort coach Pat Hollern said the Crushers are waiting to learn the severity of the injury to Trexler, who left a hard-fought game at Penn Cambria on Wednesday night.

“In the third quarter of the Penn Cambria game Nemo went down,” Hollern said. “He went to cut. He went to plant, and he just tweaked it. We’re still waiting to hear back from an MRI. I don’t have an update on his status or length of time.”

Ryan Fyock is a 6-foot-1 senior who averages 27.9 points a game (251 points) while also pulling down 7.3 rebounds a night (66) and making 3.4 steals a game (31).

The first game he missed was on Jan. 15 against WestPAC South rival Shanksville, a 48-46 loss that is the only blemish on Shade’s record. He’s been out four straight games. The 14-1 Panthers, like all area teams, had their Friday game postponed by the snowy weather.

“I talked to my guys shortly after Ryan’s injury,” coach Fyock said. “I told them our program has never been about one player. This team isn’t about one player. Everybody is going to have to find a way to contribute in different ways. Roles are going to be different.  

“Brock Medva and Nash Walker in particular have picked up some of the scoring,” he added. “There is a little bit of a learning curve there and I think we’ve responded well. In the end it could make us a better team. Ryan was leading our scoring. Hopefully when he comes back he’s able to contribute. The other guys, I don’t expect them to take a step back. Hopefully we’ll get a bit more even distribution of scoring and make us a better team.”

Trexler averages 19.2 points a game (250 points), scoring in double digits in all 13 games he played.

The 6-4 junior is a force underneath, grabbing 8.8 rebounds a game (114).

“Obviously you’re going to miss his ability to score and his athleticism,” Hollern said. “He’s a kid with a lot of game experience.

“We have capable guys that can go in and combine for his production. It wouldn’t fall on one kid,” he continued. “It would have to fall on a bunch of guys playing their role and playing their role well and taking care of the points per game and rebounds per game. I don’t think any coach is going to have a certified answer on how you replace him.”

Hollern said the 8-5 Crushers have had their share of adversity.

“We’ve had just a disaster of injuries,” Hollern said. “Ryan Price who was getting some varsity playing time at guard (was injured) at Christmas. In the Johnstown game Jordan Spangler aggravated an injury he’s had since last year and again in football. The (Stephen) Ingraham kid, who is our backup point guard, went down in a jayvee game. In the third quarter of the Penn Cambria game Nemo went down.

“We’re just trying to get ourselves healthy for February. Hopefully Nemo is ready to go and he’s OK.”