by Nick Palmarine |

The 2012-2013 boys basketball team is looking to avenge their disappointing end to last year’s season. The boys were shocked in last year’s district semi-final match up against the Kearney Bulldogs. This year’s team is returning a handful of starters from last year’s squad and has added senior Kwaku Duah, who transferred from Winnetonka over the summer. The most noticeable difference between this year’s team and last year’s is the youth that this team possesses.

“The juniors this year are really good,” senior Eric Greely said. “They bring a lot to our team whether it be shooting, passing, scoring, or size.”

The junior class on this year’s basketball team also possesses some of the most experienced players on the team; Kellan Turner, Sam Griffin, Brandyn Moultrie, and Brandon Cardiff all saw significant playing time last season. Although, some teams may see youth in the team as a disadvantage, the boys seem to think otherwise.

“We’re young, we’re fast, we’re athletic,” junior Brandy Moultrie said. “It also really helps that we have been playing together since fourth or fifth grade.”

In the past, the boys dominated the court with their size; that is another difference in this year’s team.

“Our philosophies really never change but sometimes our strategies do,” head coach Roger Stirtz said. “We’ve talked about playing with a little bit more tempo and being able to run the court.”

The team will rely on speed and quick, precise passes to beat their opponents, they look for juniors Turner and Moultrie to lead the team in this part of the game.

“We’re going to be more of a run and gun team,” junior Kellan Turner said. “We’re going to have to rely on our speed and agility.”

Skills such as dribbling, passing, and shooting are absolutely necessary in the game of basketball. However, there is one skill that gets overlooked, that skill is leadership. The juniors may have a lot of skill but one thing that only seniors can provide is the leadership on the team. Seniors Cody Winters, Kwaku Duah, Arty Tuggle, and Eric Greely are expected to lead this team to accomplish the goals that they have made for this season.

“Leadership is for those who can handle it,” Stirtz said. “You have to be able to walk it and talk it, and I think all of the guys on this team can handle it.”

The boys have been working hard all offseason to get ready to show what they can bring to the floor and avenge the season ending loss to Kearney last year. Speed, quickness, and a full court game will make this season a fun one, not only to play but to watch. The boys are looking to run and gun their way to the state championship in March.