The genes create the DNA, and when it comes to DNA, Marian’s first-team all-state basketball standout Tyler Fritz is loaded.

The slick guard and returning Times News Player of the Year is the son of Colt assistant coach Damian Fritz, and the grandson of Bob Fulton. Fritz was a former standout player at Tamaqua, while Fulton is a legendary former basketball coach at Marian and Tamaqua, who guided the Colts to the PCIAA State Championship during his tenure.

Fritz, who is only a junior, has improved his game during each of his first two years with the Colts, but as his coach John Patton puts it, “Tyler has that special innate ability that you just don’t teach or coach. He’s so good I really don’t need to coach him, I just let him do his thing.”

Now a shade under 6-3, Fritz is coming off back-to-back seasons of double-digit scoring. Last year, he led the team with 23.6 points per game in 22 games, scoring a total of 520 points as he continues to scale the wall to bring another 1,000-point scorer to this storied program.

However, don’t think Fritz is the lone weapon in Patton’s arsenal. Teammates Chris Ritsick and Dante Agosti can both be dangerous offensive contributors, as well.

Neither was on the varsity squad at the start of last winter, but Patton was wise enough to abort their junior varsity careers after two games.

“They weren’t with us at the start, but the way things began for us, we had to get some offensive help for Tyler and Noah Stauffer,” said Patton.

Ritsick is a sniper with his ability to let the trey fly. He led the team in three-pointers with 67 a year ago, and pumped home an average of 11.7 ppg. Toss in Agosti, who scored 5.5 ppg. and Patton is feeling the fever.

“Those three players know each other very well,” he said. “What I mean by that, they know where each other is on the floor. All three are excellent passers, they know when to shoot and how to get free. They have that great sense on the court.”

Where the Colts need to get going is in the paint. Can Marian find inside help? That certainly is weighing on the mind of the veteran Marian coach.

So far, the two leading candidates are a pair of sophomores in 6-3 Julian Cerullo and 6-1 John Malarkey. In addition, there’s 6-4 senior Jonathan Grutza and 6-2 junior Nick Goff.

“Cerullo and Malarkey are inexperienced, but we think they could give us help in that area,” said Patton. “We will feel our way as we open the season, shuffle some players in and out and see what fits in best.”

Joing Fritz, Ritsick and Agosti on the perimeter will be Keith McCall and Brandon Sabulsky, a pair of letter winners a season ago who should be rotation players. Other players who could contribute are Jaryn Eroh, Zach Hnat and Chris Latoff.

“We’re not very big,” said Patton. “We will need to scrap and hustle our way for rebounds — really outposition everybody.”

Surely an up-tempo offense is the key to this club based on the Fritz-Ritsick-Agosti makeup.

“We will try to get the ball up the floor as fast as possible, and get movement forcing the action,” said Patton. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t play in the half court. We have that capability, too.”

Where the Colts have always looked to excel under Patton was keeping teams in check with their defense.

“We allowed only 40 points per game in the past,” said Patton. “Last year, we gave up 60-62 points, and that’s not our style even though we scored nearly 64 points per game. I feel more comfortable with keeping teams in the 40s and scoring in the 50s. That would suit me just fine.”

Marian isn’t far behind in terms of chasing the Division 3 top echelon. Patton says the favorites are Nativity and Mahanoy Area.

“Those two are going to be very good teams. We’re going to chase them, and hopefully make a run at it.”

Anytime Fritz is your top gun, you know your team is going to make a bonafide run. His DNA will rise to the surface and make sure of that.