Only one county high school boys’ varsity basketball team could top a .500 winning percentage a year ago and the 2009-10 season dawns with each team facing its own set of challenges.
The 2008-09 season was a mediocre one at best for county boys’ teams as Perry-Lecompton led the way at 12-10, followed by Oskaloosa at 11-11, Valley Falls at 11-12, JCN at 10-12, Jefferson West at 6-14, and McLouth at 2-19.
All six teams got into action last week with middling results. Oskaloosa and McLouth were the two county teams to get wins to start the season as the Bears defeated county rival JCN and McLouth defeated Troy in play-in games to the DVL Preseason Tournament, which is set for this week in Oskaloosa.
Following is a capsule review of each team entering the season in order of finish last season.
Perry-Lecompton
Coach: Jeff Dickson, fifth year
Last season: 12-10
Whether it was the Kaw football team’s run to the state title game in 2008 or another factor, the Perry-Lecompton boys’ basketball team didn’t quite take the step forward Dickson was hoping for following a 19-3 record in 2007-08.
This year, he is faced with the task of reloading from the loss of a group of eight seniors, but Dickson said he feels the potential is there for another good season for the Kaws.
The Kaws have 28 players out for the team, including seven seniors. The main returnees in terms of experience are senior guard and forward Brad Phillips, senior point guard Riley Shafer, and senior guard Kameron Hurd, who averaged 14 points a game last season on the Kaw junior varsity despite saving some game time for the varsity side.
“We’ve been pretty successful in turning the program around,” Dickson said. “We’ve had three winning seasons in a row for the first time since the 1970s, and the kids are to the point where they play a lot in the summer. I think the team has some of the best senior leadership we’ve had. It’s way more positive in terms of feel than last year. There’s more of a friendly, team feel to it. That part’s exciting to me.”
Dickson is also counting on senior forward Shelby Politte, senior guard and forward Logan Hurd, senior guard Johnny Stewart and senior Brooks Christman to help lead the way on varsity. Some younger players in the varsity mix include sophomore guard Jeremy Immenshuch and sophomore post player Jon Denton.
“We’ve got some talented kids,” Dickson said. “The guys that have worked the best in the program are more of the blue-collar type. You have to work hard. The guys that are unwilling to do that fall by the wayside. You’ve got to play the summer games and lift the weights and put in some extra time.”
The Kaws fell to eventual 4A state champ and Kaw Valley League foe Basehor-Linwood in substate play to end last season and Dickson said Basehor, Mill Valley, Lansing, Turner and Piper to be the teams to beat in the Kaws’ last season in the KVL before moving to the Big Seven.
“Obviously you have to note Basehor-Linwood because they’re the defending champ and have a bunch back. A sleeper could be Santa Fe Trail. They’ve become a good rival to us in past seasons.”
Dickson said confidence building could be the key to how the Kaws do in the 2009-10 campaign.
“These kids have been doing the work, and I’d like to think they realize all that work is gonna pay off at some point. I think if we play hard every single time out, we should be right in games. They’ve dedicated themselves to proving something to people. Last season I think I underestimated how much effect that football run had on the team. We never got back to where I felt like we needed to be at. This year, I like the emotion of the team and how hard they’ve worked. It’ll be interesting to see how that translates to the floor. I’m hoping for us that the payoff comes a little earlier this time.”
Oskaloosa
Coach: Rod Stottlemire, fifth year
Last season: 11-11
Stottlemire lost a crew of seven seniors but the cupboard isn’t quite bare for the Bears as they try to improve on an even record a season ago.
There are 24 players on the Bears’ squad, including five seniors. Stottlemire hopes to capitalize on a core of guards – junior Adam Bowser, senior Brandon Barnes and junior Levi Wade – for success this season.
“I think we’ll be OK at the guard spot,” Stottlemire said. “In the post, I think we’ll be OK in time, but we don’t have a lot of experience there. There may be nights we look good and other nights that we struggle.”
Joining that guard trio on the varsity roster are junior post player Sheldon Malicke, junior forward Braden McGinnis and senior guard Mitch Boucher. Stottlemire said sophomore forward Adam Brien and senior forward Kodey Martin may get worked into the rotation as the season progresses.
“I think you’ll see a team in February that is much different than how we were in December. It’s gonna be a tough go at times. We could be middle-of-the-pack.”
Stottlemire pointed to Pleasant Ridge, KC Christian and Valley Falls as the teams to beat in the Delaware Valley League this season.
“I think Valley Falls is kind of a dark horse this season,” Stottlemire said. “If things go right for them I could maybe see them winning the league.”
At least for the start of the season going into Christmas break, the focus at Oskaloosa is to get some experience and try and work out the kinks for a shot at a stretch run into substate.
“When you’re dealing with inexperience at a position, those are things you have to live through,” Stottlemire said. “There are times we may have a four-guard look on the floor, depending on what the other team has. There are times we won’t be able to do that. We have guards who can score the ball, and I think we’ll get a lot better ball movement this year. As far as points go, I think we’ll be OK, but rebounds and stuff like that, we’ve got to work on. We’re 2A this year, so that’s a little different too. I feel good about where we’re at.”
Valley Falls
Coach: Caleb Gatzemeyer, fifth year
Last season: 11-12
The improvement continued at Valley Falls last season as the Dragons followed up seasons of 0 and 7 wins with a near-even record at 11-12. Gatzemeyer returns five players who started at some point for that squad.
The 28-player squad at Valley Falls includes six seniors, including post standout Riley Bunde. Bunde will be joined in the starting rotation by junior guard and forward Alex Nottingham, junior forward Brooks Glassel, senior guard Mitchell Streeter, senior guard Tyler Wynkoop and senior point guard Chase Lederer. Gatzemeyer will have to await the return of senior guard Logan Wyn-koop, who broke his collarbone in the football team’s season-ending loss to St. Marys.
“I think with the nucleus we have coming back, we can fill the holes left by the seniors we lost,” Gatzemeyer said. “I think we’re in good shape, but it’ll be big when Logan gets back in there.”
Other players in the Dragons’ varsity mix include sophomore guard Brock Watson, senior guard Colby Herren, junior guard Nick Domann, junior post player Jordan Morrow and junior forward James Grey.
Gatzemeyer pointed to Pleasant Ridge as the Delaware Valley League frontrunner with KC Christian and Wathena also among the leaders. He didn’t shy away from touting his own squad as a potential leader in the DVL, and also cited Jefferson County North and coach Jim Brickell as a perennial team that is in the league lead hunt.
“I feel very confident about the team,” Gatzemeyer said. “Based on how the guys did over the summer, I think we can compete with anybody.”
Gatzemeyer said balance will hopefully give his team the edge this season.
“I feel the most confident in the balance of this team between our guards and post players,” he said. “We’ve been really solid in the post area in recent years but have had problems taking care of the ball. “This year the guards have really impressed me in the way they take good care of the ball. They really value it. We’ve got experienced seniors who have emerged as our leaders, and even the juniors who have had some varsity experience are stepping up. I’m looking forward to it. We’ve had some good practices leading up to the start of the season.”
Jefferson Co. North
Coach: Jim Brickell, 24th year
Last season: 10-12
An up-and-down season for Brickell and the Chargers ended slightly on the down side for North at two games below .500, but the longest-tenured county coach thinks his team has the athleticism to improve on that mark.
The Chargers’ squad of 24 players includes six seniors and Brickell gets some key experience back at the varsity level. Leading the way are senior forward Nick Clark, senior guard Austin Gaspard, junior guard Jeff Hale, senior forward Tyler Noll, and junior forward Spencer Wentz. Also set for varsity play are senior transfer Tyler Leakey from a Missouri high school and senior guard Cody McMahon.
“We’re a little more athletic and have a little more size than last year. We want to be able to run the ball up the floor. I still worry a little bit about us offensively. Our post guys are coming along, but we have to develop there.”
Brickell is also adding some youth to the mix potentially as four sophomores could see varsity time – post Dalton Minor, guard and forward Dominic Kingman, forward Billy Noll and guard James Priest. Brickell said freshmen forward Jacob GrandPre and guard Cory Noll also may get some varsity experience this season.
“I think we’ll be a little better defensive team than we’ve been,” Brickell said. “Hopefully we can get back to playing more man-to-man defense.”
Brickell pointed to Pleasant Ridge, KC Christian and Valley Falls as the teams to beat in the DVL and said he felt his team’s first opponent, Oskaloosa, could be a sleeper in the league race this season.
“I think Oskaloosa may be a little better than last season,” Brickell said. “I know we played them in summer ball and they thumped us, although we didn’t have a few of our key guys there.”
This year’s team is a work in progress going into the start of the season as Brickell said he hopes to have the team running at full strength by the time substate play rolls around.
“We’ve had good practices – our only problem is we’ve had some kids miss for various reasons,” he said. “We won’t be starting the lineup I think will be the starting lineup down the line. We added some conditioning drills we got from KU, and we’ll see how those work out for us. I don’t know that we’ll see the results immediately, but down the line I think they’ll help.”
Jefferson West
Coach: Matt Tinsley, second year
Last season: 6-14
Tinsley issued his returning Tigers a challenge following their substate loss a season ago, and he thinks the offseason regimen has been worth it.
The coach’s first season at the helm of the Tigers resulted in a 6-14 record in a tough Big Seven and 4A schedule. Only three seniors were lost, however, from that squad so the bulk of the varsity roster returns.
The Tigers have 28 players on the team, including seven seniors that make up half of a 14-player varsity and junior varsity pool. Leading returners include senior post player Alex Baker, junior post player Dillon Roy, who had his bright spots as a sophomore last season, and senior post player Tim Rhodd, who Tinsley is looking to as one of the vocal leaders of this year’s Tigers.
“We took a few positives from last season,” Tinsley said. “It was a rebuilding year. I told them at the end of last season we have to be better than that on the first day of practice this season, and they’ve done that. They’ve worked very hard all summer. We always look to our seniors for leadership and we’ve got seven great ones out this year.”
Added to the varsity rotation are senior post player Austin Siess, who missed last season because of injuries, senior guard Sam DeMaranville, senior guard Adam Fechter, senior guard Bryce Miller, junior guard Chance Higgins, and freshman point guard Cory Brown.
Tinsley knows the Tigers always have their work cut out for them with a Big Seven schedule. He is looking to Holton and Hiawatha as the teams to beat in the league this season.
“There’s never an easy game in this league. I think having a great senior class will give our younger kids more time to get seasoned on the junior varsity,” he said. “The kids know what I expect now and we can go out and continue to develop.”
The Tigers’ depth is one thing Tinsley pointed to as a strength of this year’s squad.
“We have a lot of kids who can play multiple positions,” Tinsley said. “I like who we have, although we’re still tinkering with the starting group. I feel like we’ve made a step forward from last season. I’m excited. The guys’ work ethic is great. We just want to build on what we did last year. The kids believe we can win. After a good football season, I think that confidence and competitive mentality has carried over.”
McLouth
Coach: Jason Schroeder, fourth year
Last season: 2-19
The Bulldogs and Schroeder took their lumps in a 2-win 2008-09 campaign, but a young team returns with only three seniors lost to graduation.
There are 22 players out for the Dawgs with only two seniors this season. Senior guard Cole Batman, who was one of the team’s leading scorers last season, is the main returnee along with sophomore forwards Gavin Swearngin and Alen Kramer, sophomore forward Alex Courtney and senior guard Tyler Drinnon.
“We’re still young team, but even though we’re young, we do have some experience back at the varsity level after last season,” Schroeder said. “I think we’ve got a lot better chemistry than we’ve had. The group all complements each other well.”
Added to the varsity rotation will be junior guard Derek Wright, sophomore guard Shawn Dailey, junior forward Trevor Roberts and sophomore forward Gentry Bignall. The youthfulness of the team may make for a roller coaster season but could also have benefits down the road for the Bulldogs.
“I expect another up and down season,” Schroeder said. “We’ll probably take some lumps. But everybody seems to know their role and are committed to it. We’ve got inside guys and outside guys and defensive guys. I think we’ve got a lot better in terms of ball handlers from the last two years. We’ve got three guys who can play point guard.”
Schroeder also pointed to Pleasant Ridge and KC Christian as the frontrunners in the DVL, and said Valley Falls, Jackson Heights, Oskaloosa and Horton could also be in the league title hunt.
As play began last week, Schroeder said he was ready to see how his team stacked up against the competition.
“We’ll see what we’ve got and how much we’ve grown,” he said. “The guys played together all summer and looked better, but we’ll see once we get into some games.”
